Founded in 1910, Collège Alpin International Beau Soleil is one of the oldest private boarding schools in Switzerland. It is located above sea level on the Swiss Alps of Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland. The college provides a full boarding education for students from over 60 different nationalities aged 11–18 years old. Owned by the de Meyer family until 2010, the school then passed into the Nord Anglia Education family of schools. Nord Anglia Education is responsible for 61 international schools located across 28 countries, with a total of more than 61,000 students. Beau Soleil has been listed by The Daily Telegraph as "One of the Most Exclusive Schools in the World".
Curriculum
Beau Soleil offers two distinct, parallel systems: a French Section and an International Section. The program of studies offers academic subjects. Students are allowed to go to town on the weekends, or can sign up to go to other places. Some Saturdays are reserved for academics and challenges. During the year they have 7 challenges such as a 10 kilometer run in the mountains and ski races. They have two uniforms; one for Monday that is fancy attire while a more casual set of uniform is used for Tuesday to Friday. After class, students are permitted to wear their own clothes.
The student body numbers about 240 students from more than 40 nationalities. The campus is set around one main building dating from the school's founding in 1910, but has been expanded and modified, with now 6 external dorms around the town of Villars.
History
September 1910: founding of the school in a châlet in Gstaad under the direction of Mme Bluette Ferrier.
1920: move of the school to Villars-sur-Ollon.
1958: Pierre de Meyer became the second director. He adopts the name of his wife as his was that of a commoner. Following a hunting accident in the eighties the school is run by Ian Lawson who was a former headmaster in Gordonstoun and was also the tutor of Princes Charles, Andrew and Edward of the United Kingdom.
1991: Jérôme de Meyer became the third director.
15 December 2005: ninety students, alumni and teachers unfurled the flag of Beau Soleil on the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
June 2010: Celebration of the 100th anniversary of the school. New building inauguration.
Collège Alpin International Beau Soleil owns orphanages including some in Madagascar, Tanzania, India and Uruguay. The school visits these orphanages as part of humanitarian expeditions.
