Admissions FAQ
Top Questions
ELABasel offers an enhanced version of the UK Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) for children aged 3 months to 4 years. From Years 1 to 7, pupils follow the Cambridge Curriculum across Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 in both the Primary and Secondary school. 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.
Yes. All children at the Gartenstrasse and Wildensteinerhof campuses dine in the school cafeterias. ELABasel provide a range of healthy meals and offers both swiss and international cuisines, with food prepared fresh on-site daily. The food and snacks at ELABasel are provided free of charge and included in the tuition fees.
ELABasel has affiliations with several respected external bodies, including Cambridge International Schools, the Council of British International Schools (COBIS), and the Swiss Group of International Schools (SGIS). 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 to 12, children will attend the Wildensteinerhof campus which is the home to our Primary school.
Early Years
ELA Basel 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 School
Primary School is from 4 years old to 12 years old. 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 Visit Us 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.
The Admission Process
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 to 12, children will attend the Wildensteinerhof campus which is the home to our Primary school.
You can see a detailed explanation of our fees on our Fee Information page here.
If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Yes. Family discounts apply to families that are privately funding school fees at ELABasel.
ELABasel provides a 10% discount for families with two children enrolled and 15% discount for three or more children enrolled. No discounts are given to families with any portion of their fees paid directly by an employer.
Discounts are only on the contracted schedule which sets the base fee: they do not apply to extra sessions (extra Standard Days, extra Extended Days, or extending Standard Days).
All ELABasel students in your household, whether in Early Years or Primary School, qualify for the discount: that is to say, the base fees for each child will be reduced by the discount rate.
Please note family discounts do not apply to households where any part of the fees is being invoiced directly to an employer.
Please visit the fee information page for more information.
Unfortunately ELABasel does not offer scholarships or discounts to prospective families at this stage.
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 School
Primary School is from 4 years old to 12 years old. 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:
No. An application for admission form can be submitted free of charge. Where an offer of admission is made, a registration deposit is due upon contract signing. The original deposit less CHF 500 is returned to parents when the contractual notice period has been provided and all fees have been paid. For further information please visit the Fees page.
Please visit the Apply Now section of the website, where you will find our application forms. Please note that applications should be accompanied by passport copies for the child and both parents/guardians, as well as the most recent school report.
For any questions relating to the application form or application process, please contact the Admissions team for guidance.
Additional supporting documentation can be submitted via email to admissions@ela-basel.ch. Please include the name of the child in the subject line. The information provided will be attached to the application form, and where applicable a member of the Admissions team will contact you.
Yes. Please contact the Admissions team to arrange an appointment with the Head of Early years or the Head of Primary. We offer a choice of telephone, video meetings and can provide virtual tours or in person tour of the facilities.
Yes, at certain times throughout the school year there will be a waiting list for entry into some groups/year groups, however new spaces become available regularly. We continually review our waiting lists and aim to process decisions on applications at the earliest opportunity.
The length of time from submission of application to receipt of a decision varies depending on the time of year, the availability of spaces, and the year group to which the application relates. Where all supporting documentation is provided, we can normally provide a fast confirmation of the application status.
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 Visit Us page to reserve an appointment or to find out more.
About Us
ELABasel was established in 1993 and has been dedicated to the education and development of children for over 30 years.
ELABasel offers an enhanced version of the UK EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stages) for our Early years children aged 3 months to 4 years and the Cambridge curriculum in Primary and Secondary integrated with aspects of the Swiss curriculum.
ELABasel has two sites. One campus is located at Gartenstrasse, near the SBB, catering for the younger year groups (ages 3 months – 4 years). The other is located in the old town. Wildensteinerhof, in St. Alban-Vorstadt houses our Primary aged students (ages 4 – 12 years).
Both our sites are historic, listed buildings, skillfully repurposed and enhanced to offer fantastic learning environments.
The Gartenstrasse site offers airy and bright rooms, outdoor learning and playing environments, a language classroom and an indoor movement space. The cafeteria offers on-site made healthy lunches and snack and the space for children to seat together with their assistants to eat socially.
Wildensteinerhof opened in August 2022, replacing the former site at St. Alban-Vorstadt 58. In August 2023, it has become the home to our entire Primary school, from Reception to Year 7. It offers state of the art learning facilities and bright, purpose-fitted classrooms, a science laboratory, 2 libraries, a sports hall and two outdoor playing areas. An on-site cafeteria serves snacks and healthy lunches daily which are prepared onsite using seasonal and fresh ingredients.
Approximately 310 students are enrolled at ELABasel.
ELABasel is very diverse! There are 60 nationalities represented at ELABasel as of August 2023. The most represented nationalities are German, Swiss, British, American, French, Italian, Indian, Spanish, Austrian and Australian.
The vast majority of teaching staff come from, and were trained in, the United Kingdom. In addition there are a small number of teachers from other countries, including the USA, Australia, Ireland, South Africa and Italy. (is this correct?)
Yes. All children at the Gartenstrasse and Wildensteinerhof campuses dine in the school cafeterias. ELABasel provide a range of healthy meals and offers both swiss and international cuisines, with food prepared fresh on-site daily. The food and snacks at ELABasel are provided free of charge and included in the tuition fees.
ELABasel students do not need to wear a uniform but will need to wear branded PE kits for sports and inter-school competitions. ELABasel provide children with a branded rucksack (from Year 2) and branded book bag (from Reception) which need to be taken to school every day.
No. Compulsory education in Switzerland means that full time attendance (5 days per week) is required.
Basel is one of the 19 (of 26) Swiss cantons where compulsory education starts on 1 August following a child’s fourth birthday, and lasts for 11 years.
A Swiss government map illustrating compulsory education in Switzerland by canton can be seen here (external site).
Yes. ELABasel has affiliations with several external bodies including the Council of British International Schools (COBIS) and the Swiss Group of International Schools (SGIS). ELABasel is licensed to operate as a childcare centre and school by the Canton Basel-Stadt Education Department. We are 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 3 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.
At ELABasel, children in Early Years can attend:
- 3 days per week; or
- 4 days per week; or
- 5 days per week
and you can choose between:
- Standard Days (7:30 until 15:30 Monday to Thursday, 7:30 until 14:00 Friday); or
- Extended Days (7:30 until 18:00 Monday to Friday)
The contracted schedule can also be extended by adding additional Standard Days, Extended Days, or extending a Standard Day. Changes to the contracted schedule require a minimum of 1 calendar month’s notice.
The Primary school day starts at 08:25 and ends at 15:30. Children can come to school from 07:30 and be looked after until school starts without charge. We also offer (at a fee) Enrichment Programmes, Music tuitions and after-school care from 15:30 until 18:00 (14:00 – 18:00 on Fridays). This allows working parents to have children looked after from 07:30 until 18:00 all week around.
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 to 12, children will attend the Wildensteinerhof campus which is the home to our Primary 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 School
Primary School is from 4 years old to 12 years old. 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:
We do not offer a school bus service. Our campuses are located in Basel city centre and easily reached via tram, foot or bicycle.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
We strongly encourage our families to use public transportation. Both of our campuses are located on numerous tram lines, The closest stops are:
- “SBB” for Gartenstrasse
- “Aeschenplatz” or “Bankverein” for Wildensteinerhof
For more information on public transportation, visit the BVB website.
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.
(Add a link to the afterschool programme brochure)
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).
Yes. At both sites we have a number of trained staff who can administer first aid. (?)
Yes. The Friends of ELABasel group (FELA) is active in organising a number of exciting events, fundraisers and other initiatives throughout the year. Please see the Friend of ELABasel page for more information.
All vacancies are published on the Employment page of the ELABasel website as they become available.
If you can’t find the answer to your question please just ask: for admissions related queries please contact our admission department. For all other queries, please visit our Contact Us page.