Nurturing Minds and Hearts: A Lausanne-Based School That Serves the Whole Child
In Lausanne, a small-scale school where every child learns to grow in confidence, freedom, and depth.
At a time when international educational research emphasizes the importance of active, multisensory, and personalized learning, École Saint Dominique Savio stands out as a private school in Lausanne that meets the evolving needs of today’s children. Nestled in a peaceful environment, this alternative, bilingual, and Christian school blends proven academic methods with innovative practices such as weekly forest classes and individualized support. It responds directly to the recommendations of neuroscience and leading pedagogical movements.
Learning in Nature: The Forest Class
At École Saint Dominique Savio, children experience a different way of learning through a weekly forest class. Inspired by Scandinavian “forest school” models, this practice develops autonomy, creativity, resilience, and gross motor skills, while also stimulating cognitive functions. It aligns perfectly with UNESCO’s recommendations for sustainable education and learning through experience.
In this spirit, the school is proud to be a partner of the Forest International School of Paris, a European leader in nature-based education. This partnership enhances the teaching team’s practices and places the school within a broader educational network committed to structured, purposeful outdoor learning that supports the child’s holistic development.
Rigorous Learning Methods: Singapore and Fransya
The school applies well-established pedagogical approaches. In mathematics, it uses the Singapore Method, internationally recognized for developing logical thinking and problem-solving skills. In French language instruction, the Fransya Method offers a clear, progressive path grounded in the latest advances in language acquisition science. These methods meet the expectations of parents seeking a personalized, high-quality education for their children.
A Human-Scale School with Deep Values
With its small class sizes, the school provides differentiated instruction tailored to each child’s rhythm and potential. Individualized support, anchored in its Christian educational mission, fosters trust, cooperation, and a strong sense of responsibility. The school’s spiritual foundation enriches its academic environment and echoes the World Health Organization’s emphasis on emotional and social well-being as essential to learning.
A School Open to the World
Faithful to its mission to prepare children for a multicultural future, École Saint Dominique Savio offers bilingual education (French and English) from the early years. This pedagogical choice, embedded in daily classroom life, helps students develop real language fluency and an open, international outlook. The school follows both the Swiss curriculum (Plan d’Études Romand) and the French National Education program, making it a truly Franco-Swiss school aligned with international academic standards.
Thanks to its modern learning methods and partnership with the Forest International School of Paris, the school is part of a forward-looking, high-quality educational network. This international dimension, lived daily through language, curriculum, and cultural openness, makes Saint Dominique Savio a global school in Lausanne, where students grow into confident, curious, and well-prepared citizens of the world.
A School Aligned with Today’s Educational Standards
The educational principles guiding École Saint Dominique Savio are aligned with the recommendations of UNESCO, the OECD, and recent developments in neuroeducation (Stanislas Dehaene, Catherine Gueguen). They also echo the findings of the report “Learning: The Treasure Within” (Delors, 1996), which advocates for an education that integrates learning to know, to do, to be, and to live together.
Approaches such as the forest class, the Singapore Method, and differentiated instruction are no longer on the fringes of education—they are at the heart of what future-ready learning looks like. École Saint Dominique Savio implements them today in Lausanne, within a small, caring, family-oriented Christian school deeply committed to both academic excellence and human development.
