Inter-Community School Zurich

The Inter-Community School Zurich is located at Strubenacher 3, 8126 Zumikon, Switzerland. It is the oldest international school in the Greater Zurich Area. ICS is an English-language international school in Zurich, serving students aged 24 months to 18 years. ICS offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme for Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Studies, with a bilingual diploma option.

Preschool (Nursery to K2); Primary School (Grades 1-5); Middle School (Grades 6-8); Diploma Studies (Grades 11-12).

English-language international school offering the IB Programme across all levels (PYP, MYP, DP).

50+ nationalities are represented; families come from 55 countries.

The Learning Support Department provides support for students with learning challenges, offering in-class and withdrawal services and developing individual support plans with input from parents and teachers to help each student access the curriculum.

ICS runs its own school bus service for students aged 4 and older, with drivers licensed for safety; registration is via the Parent Portal. Public transport access includes Bus 919 and the Forchbahn S18 to Waltikon, with a short 5–7 minute walk from the stops.

The school offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes for Primary Years, Middle Years, and Diploma Studies. It is the only school in Zurich offering all three IB programmes. ICS teaches in English and offers a bilingual IB Diploma option. The school serves students from 24 months to 18 years across Early Childhood, Primary Years, Middle Years, and the Diploma Programme. The IB framework emphasizes an international mindset and inquiry-based learning. The ICS difference comes from developing the whole child and supporting community engagement through Round Square.

ICS is an IB World School offering the Diploma Programme. All Diploma students are encouraged to take the IB Diploma exams. ICS Diploma students can qualify for the IB Bilingual Diploma. Diploma students on average earn significantly better scores than the worldwide average.

Top university admission is supported by a rigorous university counselling programme that opens doors to universities around the world. In the IB Diploma Programme, students choose six courses to study, three at Higher Level and three at Standard Level from the IB groups; the sixth subject can be from the Arts or a second subject in Sciences or Individuals and Societies.

There are programmes across the school focusing on the emotional, social and physical well‑being of students. In Senior School, positive pro‑social behaviours are promoted through five principles: safe, ready to learn, respectful, responsible, and kind.

The Learning Support Department provides necessary support for students with learning challenges to participate in the school community and access the curriculum while recognising their strengths. Support is delivered along a continuum through consultation with classroom or specialist teachers, in‑class support, withdrawal sessions, or a combination, based on each learner's needs and documented in an individual plan developed with the student, parents and staff. The Primary Learning Support Programme supports unique student needs to maximise academic and social‑emotional growth, while the Senior School Learning Support helps identified learners access the IB curriculum and develop effective study skills, with both out‑of‑class and in‑class options plus after‑school support as needed.

English as an Additional Language (EAL) support is provided to help students succeed in the mainstream classroom. EAL support is available in the Primary School, and an English as an Additional Language Programme is in place to assist non‑native speakers within the ICS curriculum.

There are school‑wide programmes focused on the emotional, social and physical well‑being of students, with emphasis on positive behaviours in Senior School through the five pro‑social principles: safe, ready to learn, respectful, responsible, and kind.

The safety, welfare and wellbeing of students is ICS's highest priority. The safeguarding framework is the Child Protection Policy, outlining expectations and practices around safe recruitment and ongoing professional development of staff, aligned with international child protection standards. All prospective staff undergo background checks, including criminal record checks and reference checks.

ICS Inter-Community School Zurich accepts applications year-round via the online application portal. To apply, provide English school reports for the past two years, a recent photograph, a copy of the child's birth certificate or passport, any educational test results, a teacher's recommendation, a completed and signed financial regulations form, and a non-refundable application fee of 500 Swiss Francs for the 2025-2026 academic year. The Admissions Handbook explains the admission process and is available for 2025-2026 and 2026-2027. The school is an English-language international school located in Strubenacher 3, 8126 Zumikon, Switzerland. Processing begins once the completed documentation and the fee are received, and the school provides a timeline: in February, ICS invites current families to re-enrol; in March, applications from corporate partners are processed; in April, all applications are processed with priority to corporate-partner families with a child already enrolled, then corporate-partner families, then families with a child already enrolled, then alumni children, then international families, then local internationally mobile families; processing continues from April to August; the school year begins in August and new students may join during the school year where space permits.