The following is a collation of opinions expressed by the different working groups of staff of both the English and French Language programmes during the Pedagogical Day meeting on Monday, October 23 at La Châtaigneraie regarding the Governing Board’s proposals for the future fourth campus.

A show of hands at the end of the meeting revealed only one member of staff among the seventy or so present to be in favour of the creation of a Grade 10 –13 "terminal campus" at Grand Saconnex.

The Foundation Governing Board proposes to create a Grades 10 – 13 campus at Grand Saconnex and remove these Grades from La Châtaigneraie and LGB campuses.

a. The perceived possible pedagogical benefits. Such a campus

• would theoretically create more option blocks, giving students a wider combination of subjects to choose from. (However, at La Châtaigneraie - and this must also apply at LGB - we already have a sufficient number of students to be able to offer a good range of subjects. All sensible subject combinations are possible. Witness our excellent university entry record. In a sense, extra option blocks are a questionable benefit).
•     - could lead to an extension of creative activities in the IB programme’s "Creativity, Activity,Service" requirement.
• could lead to an increase in the number of languages offered on the curriculum. (However, the cost of these minority languages would then probably have to be borne by the Foundation)
• would rationalize guidance and counselling staff’s work
• would enable staff and students to concentrate on exam preparation courses (IGCSE, Brevet des Collèges, Maturité Fédérale & IB) in a more mature atmosphere

b. the perceived pedagogical cost. Such a campus

• could create the atmosphere of an examinations factory, "une boîte à bac" for the last four years of the students’ school experience
• could have a very negative impact on the Foundation’s Maturité programme
• renders easy access to downtown bars, drugs etc. from Grade 10 onwards
• would result in increased commuting time for students, with a consequent increase in fatigue and less time for extra-curricular activities
• would either force all teachers to choose between teaching full-time on a Grade 1 – 9 campus or a Grade 10 –13 campus, or create logistical chaos and huge stress and fatigue if they were to attempt to commute between campuses
• would put great strain on those teachers who only taught examination classes, particularly if they were all maximum size
• would force all primary students on the Mies & Pregny-Rigot campuses to change campus twice in their Foundation career
• would reduce both formal and informal contact and sharing of ideas and information between staff at different Grade levels
• would create a difficult situation in which every year 25% of the new campus population have to be integrated
• would mean that on acceding to Senior School status Grade 10 students would find themselves "at the bottom of the pile" again, having had to make the adjustment once before in Grade 7 – a blow to morale and self-esteem at a crucial moment in their school career
• - would mean truncation of the present 1- 13 campuses. Certainly at la Châtaigneraie this is perceived to be a very negative move by both Primary and Secondary teachers. No consideration appears to have been given to the nature of the La Châtaigneraie campus, in particular, after its having been stripped of its Senior classes. La Châtaigneraie would, in effect, be defined as a Grades 1 – 9 campus by default
• - Grade 9 students, themselves in the throes of adolescence, would become, also by default, the only remaining rôle models for the Primary and Lower Secondary students. This was felt to be a highly undesirable situation.

The maintainance of a combined Primary/Junior/Senior campus, i.e. the Grades 1 –13 model is viewed pedagogically as a major strength because:-

• - The proximity of the Secondary school to the Primary creates a sense of continuum and identity at a very early stage in our students’ school career.
• - it is an advantage for even the youngest secondary students to be taught by experienced IB teachers. At present, fifty-one of the fifty-nine full-time teachers in both language programmes in the Secondary School at La Châtaigneraie, i.e. 86%, teach across Grades 7 –13. There must be a link between this approach and the school’s excellent external exam results.
• - it is beneficial to IB teachers to be aware first-hand of the needs and approaches of younger students
• - it reinforces mutual acquaintance, awareness & respect between students and
• teachers at all grade levels and is a positive disciplinary factor
• - the variety in student age and subject matter/level is a strong motivating factor for staff
• - it ensures continuity in course content, teaching styles and expectations between the Junior School and the Senior School, not least for those students who need personalized assistance from the Learning Support Unit, and those whose IGCSE preparation in
• certain subjects, like Maths.,begins in Grade 9
• - it enables teachers to build up a very clear, long term academic and social profile of each student
• - it provides important rôle models for the younger students
• - it creates an opportunity for common activities such as music & theatre, thus reinforcing the notion of content and chronological continuum
• - the absence of physical demarcation between the Junior and Senior classes greatly facilitates transition from Grade 9 into the Upper School
• - it provides an important opportunity for peer-counselling and IB CAS work in the Primary, of immense value both to the givers and receivers
• - it promotes an interest and sense of responsibility in teachers for the whole
• development of the students, i.e. educationally, personally and socially, throughout
• their school career
• - it generates a campus community spirit and provides our expatriate students with a sense of identity and continuity, fulfilling an important socio-cultural rôle in their adolescence
• students can make their choices in Grade 10 in the light both of the subject matter and their knowledge of the staff involved

Practical considerations

a.There are reasons to doubt that the expensive multi-media centre presently under construction at La Châtaigneraie would be adequately used by a Grade 1- 9 campus. The present science facilities, also erected at considerable expense, would also be very underused.

b.If ever there were an economic/demographic recession in the Geneva area it would be very difficult to downsize the Foundation as a whole if the various campuses were not independent self-sufficient units from Grades 1 -13.

Independence and variety are in every way a strength – rationalisation in the form of "all one’s Senior eggs in the one basket" is an unwarranted risk.

c. A very considerable number of parents have moved into the area around La Châtaigneraie because the school was there, offering a Grade 1 – 13 education for their children. For others further East, even as far as Lausanne, La Châtaigneraie is seen as a viable school destination. At present, just about all the children in our families can be accommodated in the same campus, and can in many cases come and go on foot or by bike: in short, quite apart from the educational merits of the school per se, La Châtaigneraie is the ideal "family school" in a safe environment. To force families into complicated transport logistics, to split their children up between two or more campuses, to take away their choice between the urban/rural environment, might force many of them to reconsider their choice of school – and there is no lack of competition in the area, with Lausanne International School expanding, with CDL building dozens of new classrooms, with Le Rosey offering the IB, with Ecole Moser in Nyon etc.

d.The impossibility of being able to identify with one campus would almost certainly have a lasting negative impact on the alumni organization and future fund-raising projects associated with alumni.

For the reasons outlined above it was felt by staff that:

a. It makes absolutely no sense to destroy a successful school, particularly the La Châtaigneraie campus which boasts some of the best IB results in the world and the best Federal Maturité results in Switzerland, not to speak of an outstanding rate of success in the IGCSE and the Brevet des Collèges. One must bear in mind that these results are achieved in a school which has a non-selective intake policy. The integrity of the La Châtaigneraie campus must be safeguarded at all costs.

b.The new campus should be designed along the same lines, integrating the present Pregny- Rigot and Grand-Saconnex Primary campuses into the Grades 1 – 13 concept. Such a campus would offer the opportunity for whole school innovation,change and variety. New campus, new teachers, new ideas.

The present synopsis takes into account additions and corrections made by the staff at La Châtaigneraie and Mies.

J. Monks October 31,2000

Notes taken during the La Châtaigneraie staff information /discussion on options for the new campus and CDG discussions:

The final choice of francophone and anglophone, primary and secondary staff was overwhelmingly for the I -13 campus. No member of staff voted for the 10 - 13 option. The secondary francophone group met to discuss the development of the new Swiss Maturité and their conclusions are also described here.

Reservations about the 10 —13 campus: (without elaboration)

Would the size mean more choices for courses? Possibly not.

There could be larger classes as groups are brought together.

Problem with allocating staff from existing campuses.

Impact of re-locating staff could have morale repercussions.

There could be cost implications for Classes 1 —9.

Remaining campuses defined by default - no argument for a 1 —9 campus.

Board reasons for 10 — 13 campus are not pedagogical.

Loss of an educational perspective for staff; students and parents.

The campuses will lose their identity.

The existing campus community spirit / identification will be lost.

Alumni commitment to campuses will be lost (financial implications?)

There will be less flexibility for adjustment if enrolment drops in certain areas.

The 1 —9 students would lose their role-models of the 10 — 13 students.

There may be a reduction of choices of courses with a single campus policy. (IBMY not possible.)

CAS would be more difficult to organise.

Professional interaction between primary, middle and secondary years would be less.

Break in the continuity between classes might develop.

Expectations for students are clearer with a perceived continuum.

Division of loyalities for parents working with the PTA.

Less parental support through the PTA on the new campus.

Could become an external examinations ‘factory’.

Transportation problems.

‘Burn-out’ for staff only teaching examination classes.

Probable loss of francophone students and of the introduction of the Swiss Maturit~ in Geneva.

Two successful schools may be sacrificed to create three ‘ordinary’ schools.

Lack of choice for parents between urban and rural campuses.

Lack of choice of programmes, teaching and extra-curricular style, PTA, etc

The existing facilities constructed for secondary students would not be used adequately.

Positive points (noted only by one group but points added by M.Lee):

More IB subject choices.

More alternative subject choices for the less academic.

More specialised teaching would be possible.

There could be an extension of activities in the creative subjects (orchestra, music etc).

More languages would be on offer (Russian, Swedish, Dutch, etc) with larger sized groups.

Better facilities specifically for senior students.

Guidance and counselling services would be more immediately available, and facilities imrpoved.

The extra-curricular programme for seniors could be more extensive.

The relationship with staff and school expectations could be more adult.

We could concentrate on IB courses (IBMY) and continue with IGCSE.

In addition francophone colleagues were over-whelmingly for the development of a full francophone programme at La Châtaigneraie in order to create francophone options in the lB. the continued success of the Swiss Maturité and the introduction of the new Swiss Maturité.

Creating a franco-phone option on the third site could have a serious effect upon enrolment both at LGB and La Chataigneraie.

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