A path that prepares for the next steps
From Pre-Kindergarten to the end of Primary School, we accompany your child step by step. Each stage builds on the previous one, each brings new discoveries, and by the end, your child will be optimally prepared and full of confidence for their further educational journey.
Pre-Kindergarten: Discovering the world with all senses
Even our youngest children discover far more than play and care in the traditional sense. Alongside age-appropriate play and initial playful language encounters with German and English, forest day is a fixed part of our weekly programme: half a day where children experience nature, the elements, and the seasons with all their senses – climbing, getting muddy, observing, marvelling. These outdoor experiences are just as important to us as indoor learning: they strengthen curiosity, joy of movement, and provide a first sense of the world around them.
Entry possible at any time
Entry to Terra Nova is possible at any point in the educational path – even if your child has had little or no previous experience with German or English. With our Booster lessons, we specifically support children from monolingual families in catching up at their own pace until they are confident in both languages.
Kindergarten: Play and learning as one movement
In our Kindergarten, play and learning go hand in hand – one is never to be thought of without the other. Bilingualism deepens, and children are introduced to literacy and numeracy. Whether building a tower, observing plants, or jointly telling a story in two languages: your child learns because they are curious, not because they have to.
Primary School: Knowledge, self-confidence, and the skills of tomorrow
At the Primary level, we deepen what has grown in previous years and complement it with new dimensions: STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics), creativity, critical thinking, media literacy – including a conscious, reflective approach to artificial intelligence – as well as teamwork. Our pupils also start learning French from Grade 5.
All this with a clear goal in mind: that every child develops confidence in their own abilities and learns to trust themselves and others.
As a private school recognised by the Canton of Zurich, we teach according to the cantonal curriculum (Lehrplan 21) as well as Cambridge International. As a result, all pathways remain open to our pupils at all times.
Grammar school preparation
For families considering the transition to a Long-Term Grammar School, we offer targeted, free preparation for the entrance examination of public grammar schools. This option is open to all our families, regardless of whether they wish to afford additional preparatory courses.
After primary school: A world of opportunities awaits
When your child completes Primary School with us, they are well prepared not only academically but also personally for what follows. Numerous paths are open for their next educational steps:
- Academia International School Zurich – no entrance examination is required for transfer to the English-speaking Grammar School.
- Freies Gymnasium Zürich – a transfer to the Progymnasium is possible without an entrance exam and with our recommendation.
- Long-Term Grammar School – we provide free preparation for the cantonal entrance examination for public grammar schools.
- Public Secondary School – a proven path within the state school system with the option to transfer to a Short-Term Grammar School after Year 8 or to complete a three- or four-year vocational apprenticeship after Year 9.
- Other Private Schools – depending on your family’s individual wishes and goals.
We personally accompany you and your child in this choice – in a conversation that is guided by your child’s strengths and wishes.
