Institut Le Rosey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Institut Le Rosey
Address
Château du Rosey Rolle , Vaud Switzerland
Information
Type	Private boarding school
Motto	Une École pour la Vie (French for 'A School for Life')
Established	1880; 145 years ago (1880)
Authority	Federation of Swiss Private Schools
Authorizer	NEASC, IBO, CIS, & ECIS
Director	Christophe Gudin
Headmistress	Laëtitia Peynon-Mudry
Headmaster	Kim Kovacevic
Staff	~200
Faculty	90
Gender	Co-educational
Enrollment	~400
Student to teacher ratio	4:1

Institut Le Rosey, often called Le Rosey or just Rosey, is a special private boarding school in Rolle, Switzerland. It was started in 1880 by Paul-Émile Carnal at the old Château du Rosey, which dates back to the 1300s. This makes it one of the oldest boarding schools in Switzerland.

The school also has a campus in the ski resort village of Gstaad. Students, teachers, and staff move there every year from January to March. In 2015, Christophe Gudin became the fifth director of Le Rosey. Kim Kovacevic is the headmaster. Le Rosey is known as one of the world's best private schools and a top international school in Switzerland.

About Le Rosey

Le Rosey believes in helping students develop all their talents. This idea comes from Harvard expert Howard Gardner's "multiple intelligences" idea. The school aims to help students grow through academics, sports, and art.

Students get a challenging education in two languages and cultures. Classes are taught in either French or English, depending on the student's program. However, students can learn many other languages too. Students can earn either the International Baccalaureate (IB) or the Francophone-focused French Baccalaureate. These are both widely recognized diplomas for university.

To keep the school international, no more than 10% of students can come from the same country. Students are between 8 and 18 years old and come from about 58 different countries. About 60% of the students are from Europe. The school has over 400 students, with an equal number of boys and girls. Most students are between 14 and 18. There are about 5 students for every teacher, and classes usually have fewer than 20 students. Teachers often stay at Le Rosey for more than ten years. Students are called "Roseans," and former students are called "Les Anciens Roséens."

The school's main campus has 28 hectares (about 69 acres) of beautiful grounds. Its sailing center, "Fleur d'Eau," is right on Lake Geneva. Le Rosey is unique because it's the only boarding school in the world that changes campuses with the seasons! In spring and autumn, classes are held at the Château du Rosey campus in Rolle. For the winter months (January to March), everyone moves to chalets in the ski town of Gstaad.

Le Rosey offers many sports, like football (soccer), basketball, volleyball, cross country running, sailing, rowing, swimming, and water skiing in spring and autumn. In winter, students can enjoy skiing, snowboarding, ice hockey, curling, and snowshoeing.

School History

The Château du Rosey, a medieval castle on Le Rosey's main campus, is where the school's main office is. Paul-Emile Carnal, who loved nature and history, chose this spot for the school in 1880. The campus in Rolle is right next to the famous Lake Geneva. In 1911, Paul-Emile Carnal gave the school to his son, Henri-Paul Carnal.

In 1917, the school started going to Gstaad for the winter. They did this to avoid the thick fog that often covers Lake Geneva during those months.

Later, in 1931, Lucien Brunel became the director. In 1947, Louis Johannot and Helen Schaub took over. Under their leadership, Le Rosey welcomed girls for the first time in 1967 and opened a separate campus just for them. In 1980, Philippe and Anne Gudin de la Sablonnière became the fourth generation of directors.

Over the years, the mix of students at Le Rosey has changed. Before the 10% quota (where no more than 10% of students can be from one country), many students came from the same place. For example, in the 1950s and 60s, most students were American, Italian, or Greek. In the 1970s, many were Arab or Iranian. In the 1980s, Japanese or Korean students were common, and in the 1990s, many were Russian. The quota helps keep the school truly international.

In 2014, Le Rosey opened the Paul & Henri Carnal Hall. This is a modern arts and learning center used by the school and the local community.

School Accreditation

Institut Le Rosey is officially recognized by several important international groups. These include the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the International Baccalaureate, the Ministry of National Education of France, and the Council of International Schools. Le Rosey is also part of the European Council of International Schools. This means the school meets high standards for education around the world.

What Students Learn

Le Rosey's school program is designed to give students a wide, deep, and high-quality education. It's made for students from many different countries. The school offers a strong education in two languages and cultures. The main language of teaching is either French or English, depending on the student's chosen program.

Younger students, from Class 9 (like US 3rd grade) to Class 7 (like US 5th grade), follow the Primary Bilingual Programme. This program uses the French national curriculum for French classes and the British national curriculum for English classes. Both are combined with the International Primary Curriculum to create a global education.

Older students, from Class 6 to Class 2 (like US 6th to 10th grade), choose their main language and continue learning in French or English. If they can, students can also study their mother tongue and even a third or fourth language. In the last five years, Le Rosey has taught over 20 different languages!

In the Secondary Bilingual Programme, English and French classes are required. When students reach Class 3 (like US 9th grade), they start a two-year "Pre-Bac" program. This prepares them for either the internationally recognized International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme or the French Baccalaureate. At Le Rosey, these two programs cover the last two years of school (Class 1 and Class t).

School Buildings and Grounds

Rolle Campus

Le Rosey's main campus in Rolle is huge, covering 28 hectares (about 69 acres) right next to Lake Geneva. It's split into two parts: one for boys on the main campus and a separate one for girls called La Combe.

The boarding houses have 179 bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. The school buildings include:

• 53 classrooms
• 8 science labs
• 14 special rooms for different activities
• 48 apartments for teachers
• 2 infirmaries (places for sick students)
• A library with 20,000 to 30,000 books
• A theater
• 3 dining rooms and 2 cafeterias
• An auditorium
• 2 gymnasiums
• A chapel for all faiths

For sports and arts, Le Rosey has:

• 10 clay tennis courts
• A 25-meter (82-foot) indoor pool and wellness center
• A 25-meter outdoor pool
• 3 football pitches (soccer fields)
• A synthetic rugby pitch
• A running track
• A shooting and archery range
• An outdoor theater
• A computer-controlled greenhouse

Off-campus, Le Rosey has its own equestrian center with 30 horses, an indoor riding school, and a clubhouse. There's also the Le Rosey sailing center with 10 small boats, 3 motorboats, 3 larger sailboats, and a 38-foot (11.6-meter) yacht.

Gstaad Campus

The school's winter campus is in the ski resort of Gstaad. It's made up of several traditional chalets (Swiss houses) in the town. The girls' campus is in Schönried, a 10-minute train ride from Gstaad. It has five chalets just for living and eating.

Students use local facilities in Gstaad, including:

• A swimming pool
• A fitness center
• Tennis courts
• An ice hockey rink
• A bowling alley
• Curling
• 250 kilometers (155 miles) of alpine ski slopes
• 120 kilometers (75 miles) of cross-country ski tracks
• 65 kilometers (40 miles) of snowshoeing trails
• Climbing walls
• Via ferratas (climbing paths with fixed cables)

School Costs

As of 2011-2012, the yearly cost for boarding and school fees was about CHF 125,000 (around US$133,000). This doesn't include extra costs for things like sports. The Rosey Foundation helps "especially deserving" students by offering scholarships. Le Rosey itself doesn't give scholarships directly, but the Rosey Foundation does.

Alumni and Connections

The International Association of Former Roseans (AIAR) is Le Rosey's alumni association. Its members are former students who have made big impacts around the world. This group is a strong network, with alumni representatives in most countries and many major cities. The AIAR was officially started in 1964. The school does not publish a list of its alumni, and only former students can attend AIAR events.

Famous Former Students

Institut Le Rosey has over 5,000 former students. Many of them come from important families around the world, including royal families and famous business families.

Some of the kings and princes who went to Le Rosey include:

• The Aga Khan IV
• King Albert II of Belgium
• King Baudouin I of Belgium
• King Fuad II of Egypt
• King Ntare V of Burundi
• Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Persia
• Prince Rainier III of Monaco

Other well-known former students include:

• Princess Ashi Euphelma Choden Wangchuck and Prince Dasho Ugyen Jigme Wangchuck of Bhutan
• Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg
• Princess Fawzia-Latifa of Egypt
• Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece and her sisters Pia Getty and Alexandra von Fürstenberg
• John Lennon's son Sean Lennon
• The Swiss businessman Eugenio Losa
• Rewilding supporter Randal Plunkett, 21st Baron of Dunsany
• Heiress Tatiana Santo Domingo
• Musicians Julian Casablancas and Albert Hammond Jr. from The Strokes
• Actress Tracey Ellis Ross

Future Plans for Gstaad

In 2008, the Swiss magazine Bilanz reported that Le Rosey's director, Philippe Gudin, was looking to sell the Gstaad winter campus. The school wants to build a new campus somewhere else. Gudin was talking with local officials in Schönried (near Gstaad) about building a new main campus there. However, they faced problems because of building rules.

The school needs a new campus because its staff, who usually live on campus, are at full capacity. Also, the school can't accept more students because there isn't enough space. Gudin said that for now, the new winter campus will be in Switzerland, but he hasn't ruled out the French Alps. The current Gstaad campus is in a very valuable area, but Gudin says the high value is not why they want to sell it.

See also

• Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz
• Leysin American School
• Ecole d'Humanité
• Collège du Léman
• Collège Alpin International Beau Soleil
• Aiglon College
• American School in Switzerland
• Institut auf dem Rosenberg

Images for kids

• 

  A 1669 painting of the Château du Rosey, showing the original castle.

• 

  Le Rosey in 1964, with Rolle in the background.

• 

  Lucien Brunel, who was the director of Rosey from 1931 to 1949.

• 

  Henri Carnal and Lucien Brunel at Rosey near Rolle in 1935.

• 

  A view of Gstaad, where Le Rosey's winter campus is located.