Terra Nova is more than just an educational concept – it is the people who fill it with life every day and the values that guide us. Learn more here about who we are and what we stand for.
Our history
Terra Nova was founded in Küsnacht in 1996. We are deliberately small enough to know every child. At the same time, we belong to the Academia Group, a Swiss educational organisation that has grown over more than 20 years.
This combination of experience and belonging to a larger educational group provides us with stability, professional exchange, and pedagogical knowledge from many schools – while still allowing us to remain exactly what defines Terra Nova: family-like, personal, and close to every single child.
What is important to us
Learning through play
In pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, the focus is on learning through play. Children learn best here when they are allowed to experiment, marvel, and follow their curiosity. For us, play is not a break from learning, but learning in its most original form.
Agile learning
The world in which our children are growing up is constantly changing. That is why we promote agile learning skills: the ability to familiarise oneself with new topics, adapt problem-solving approaches, and handle change as a matter of course. These competences have an impact far beyond their time at school.
Individual potential, character, and curiosity
Every child brings their own strengths, pace, and interests. We see it as our mission to recognise and foster this potential. Simultaneously, character and curiosity are strengthened, extending far beyond individual subjects.
Social learning
Empathy, resilience, and flexibility cannot be learned from a textbook; they arise through interaction. In everyday life at Terra Nova, we consciously support children in reaching out to one another, dealing with setbacks, and finding their way in new situations.
Future-oriented
We prepare children for a world that demands technology as much as judgement. Therefore, a responsible approach to technology is as much a part of our daily routine as critical thinking. This ensures our children can not only use tools but also question them.
Learning through play
In Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten, discovery through play is at the heart of everything we do, as young children learn best when they can experiment, wonder, and follow their curiosity. For us, play is not a break from learning, but learning in its most original form.
Agile learning
The world our children are growing into is constantly changing. That is why we promote agile learning skills: the ability to familiarise oneself with new topics, find and adapt solutions, and deal with change. Children who learn these competencies benefit from them long after their school years.
Individual potential, character, and curiosity
Every child brings their own strengths, their own pace, and their own interests. We see it as our task to recognise this potential and let it grow. At the same time, we strengthen the character and curiosity of our students.
Social learning
Empathy, resilience, and flexibility cannot be learned from a textbook; they arise through interaction. In everyday life at Terra Nova, we consciously support children in reaching out to one another, dealing with setbacks, and finding their way in new situations.
Future-oriented
We prepare children for a world that demands technology as much as judgement. Therefore, a responsible approach to technology is as much a part of our daily routine as critical thinking. This ensures our children can not only use tools but also question them.
Our team
Behind Terra Nova is a team that combines bilingualism, pedagogical skill, and a genuine interest in the children’s personal progress. We employ around 40 staff members – qualified, certified, and with training recognised in Switzerland. The diverse underlying learning cultures are both enriching and challenging. Local and international influences lead to an open, tolerant collaboration that is also passed on to the children.
Our school building
Terra Nova Bilingual School is located in the heart of Küsnacht. The Pre-Kindergarten is physically separate and has its own entrance. All classrooms are modernly equipped. Specialised rooms for handicrafts and music, a bilingual library with a reading corner, and a cafeteria/assembly hall for larger school events complete the facilities.
