Admissions
A Warm Welcome Awaits
My name is María Garrido and I am the Head of Admissions at ELABasel International School.
It is a pleasure to extend a warm welcome to you and your family to our school community. At ELABasel, we are committed to providing an excellent educational experience, supporting families at every stage of the admissions process, and offering clear guidance to help each child reach their full potential.
We are here to help you make informed decisions about your child’s academic journey, and our team is always available to answer any questions or address any concerns you may have.
Thank you for placing your trust in us. We look forward to this being the beginning of a journey filled with learning, growth, and success.
Application Journey
1. Contact us
Please fill in the contact form, call us at +41 61 313 05 80 Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 17:00, or email us at admissions@ela-basel.ch. We will be happy to help you and answer any questions you may have about the admissions process.
2. Visit us
Schedule a fully personalised guided tour with our Admissions team. It’s a great opportunity to meet our teachers, see classrooms in action, and discover the ELABasel difference.
3. Registration
Once all phases of the process have been completed and availability has been confirmed, you will receive the necessary documentation to formalise your enrollment, along with the dates and details of the welcome meeting for new students and their families.
Contact us
School Fees & Discounts
We provide outstanding teaching and learning to help every student reach their full potential. While we continually welcome new families into our community, we remain committed to delivering the highest quality education in a way that is accessible and affordable, thanks to our generous sibling discounts and early bird savings.
School Fees Include: Exercise books, laboratory practicals, school laptop, BVB local transport for trips and excursions, weekly swimming lessons with qualified teachers, curriculum materials and a majority of excursions related to the curriculum
FAQ
We offer high-quality Primary and Secondary education built on the globally respected Cambridge curriculum and the Swiss Lehrplan 21, alongside a bilingual programme at our Early Years/Kita campus. Students progress through IGCSE in Years 10–11 and complete their education with Cambridge A Levels in Years 12–13, equipping them with internationally recognised qualifications for university and beyond. This internationally recognised curriculum is thoughtfully integrated with key aspects of the Swiss curriculum, ensuring a broad and balanced education that covers a wide range of subjects, including Mathematics, English and Science.
All children at the Gartenstrasse and Wildensteinerhof campuses dine in the school cafeterias. Families may choose for their child to bring their own snack and packed lunch, or opt for a freshly prepared meal from our chef for a small additional charge. A range of healthy options is available, featuring both Swiss and international cuisine, with food prepared fresh on-site each day. Lunch costs are outlined in the fees document available on the Admissions page.
ELABasel has affiliations with several respected external bodies, including Cambridge International Schools, the Swiss Group of International Schools (SGIS) and kibeSuisse. The school is licensed to operate as a childcare centre and school by the Canton Basel-Stadt Education Department. ELABasel is also the only English-language international school in Basel to hold the prestigious Basel-Stadt Secondary School Transition Agreement.
At ELABasel, all students from Pre-school to Year 7 learn German at Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced level. French is introduced from Year 2 and taught at Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced level. All students are taught in small groups. The beginner and intermediate follow the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) curriculum whilst the Advanced are taught using the Lehrplan 21 for German and the French National Curriculum for French.
The school year usually starts at the middle of August and lasts until the end of June. ELABasel follows the local schools teaching calendar, This means that there are statutory holidays throughout the school year (2 weeks in October, 2 weeks for Christmas, 2 weeks in February and 2 week for Easter). Please check our calendar for more information.
If your child is aged from 3 months to 4 years, they will be attending at our Gartenstrasse campus which is the home to our Early Years facilities.
From the age of 4, children will attend the Wildensteinerhof campus, which is the home to our Primary and Secondary School.
Early Years
ELABasel Early Years is divided into baby, toddler and pre-school sections: each section has multiple groups.
| Section | Age Range | Groups |
| Babies | 3 months to 17 months old | Blue, Red, & Yellow |
| Toddlers | 17 months to 3 years old | Brown, Green, Orange, & Purple |
| Pre-School | 3 years old to 4 years old | Grey, Pink, Turquoise, & Violet |
Your child will be assigned to an age-appropriate group. Progression is automatic based on age.
Primary and Secondary School
Primary School is from 4 years old to 12 years old, at which point the students start Secondary School. Full-time attendance is required as part of Swiss compulsory education. Students are assigned according to their date of birth based on the Basel-Stadt (government) admissions entry requirements: exceptions are considered on a case-case basis. As for most schools, progression is not automatic but based on meeting developmental targets.
To check which year group your child will be eligible for, please click on the link below:
The Admissions team are always happy to provide tours of the school to families that have submitted applications for admission. An appointment must be made in advance. Please check the Admissions page to reserve an appointment or to find out more.
Yes, a range of after school activities are offered, catering for many different interests and talents. A full schedule is published at the beginning of each school semester.
Yes. We are a nurturing and inclusive school. We assess the needs of individual applicants prior to the offer of a place. We always endeavor to accommodate students who require learning support where the appropriate structure is in place.
Please check our Inclusion page to find out more.
Yes. Pupils whose first language is not English will be assessed and are able to access relevant support where required. We have dedicated members of staff to support children developing the level of their English language skills to make sure they can access the curriculum and develop strong relationships with peers in school.
Please check our Inclusion page for more information.