Learning, Living, and Progressing Together
Expectations are high – but so are the rewards. Our students rise to the challenge, laying the strongest foundations for their future studies and lives. Up here in the calm of the mountains, with guidance and support, learning comes more naturally. A well-structured daily rhythm offers stability, orientation, and inspiration – and friendships formed here often last a lifetime.
International Dual Qualification
Our students at Gymnasium follow a bilingual curriculum in German and English, earning the Swiss Matura certificate. This, together with the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma – offered in both our four- and six-year Gymnasium programmes – prepares them exceptionally well for leading universities worldwide.
Lower and Upper Forms of the Gymnasium
The majority of students join the Lower Form of the Gymnasium (equivalent to Years 7 and 8) directly following their primary education. During these two years, Latin features as a part of the curriculum. In the subsequent Upper Form (Years 9-12), Latin is no longer compulsory – unless selected as a specialized subject. A broad range of other specialized subjects is also available. The Upper Form corresponds to the four-year Gymnasium.
Two Sets of Requirements, One Curriculum
At our school, the requirements of the International Baccalaureate (IB) are seamlessly integrated with those of the Swiss Matura, creating a coherent and balanced academic pathway. Students are not generally required to make a significant additional effort in terms of acquiring subject knowledge. However, during certain periods, they may experience a somewhat increased workload owing to independent research projects, written assignments, co-curricular study weeks, and the IB’s CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) commitments. Learn more here.
What our Students Value
- A supportive and respectful learning environment within our boarding community
- The enriching experience of living and learning alongside peers – both girls and boys
- A thoughtfully structured daily routine that balances study and leisure, work and relaxation
- Modern facilities set within historic Abbey grounds, steeped in tradition and character
- The synthesis of two academic programmes, culminating in both the Swiss Matura certificate and the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma
- The opportunity to achieve strong proficiency in English through a bilingual curriculum
- The chance to learn a musical instrument – such as the organ – and to participate in the Abbey Orchestra and Choir
- Ample opportunities for sport and recreation in the stunning Alpine surroundings of Engelberg
- Involvement in the School Theatre, whether on stage, behind the scenes, or in production
- The option to remain in residence at weekends for a fully immersive boarding experience
- The Benedictine tradition as a guiding foundation, fostering values and a sense of belonging
- Encouragement to engage with life’s fundamental questions
- Personalized support in developing into a self-assured, independent young adult
Hear from Students
Our Daily Life: Personal Growth
As a relatively small and distinctly personal Gymnasium, we are able to offer highly individualized support to each of our students. Our Daily Routine is guided by the wise Benedictine rhythm of life, in which work is thoughtfully balanced with rest and recreation.
This holistic approach nurtures intellectual, artistic, and athletic development, encouraging the flourishing of each student’s full potential. Further insights into our educational philosophy can be found in the interview with Father Dr. Andri Tuor OSB, Boarding House Educator, here.
Everything it Needs
Each year group comprises a class of approximately twenty students. Every class has a dedicated classroom, complemented by a reference and lending library, group study rooms, music halls, an art studio, and well-equipped laboratories for chemistry, biology, physics, and geography.
In addition, students benefit from a wide range of sports facilities, including gymnasiums, two football pitches, a tennis court, and a disc golf course. And of course – the mountains.
Our Benedictine Heritage
For centuries, both teaching and Day-To-Day Student Care were entrusted to the Benedictine monks of Engelberg. Today, this responsibility lies in the capable hands of dedicated lay teachers and lay boarding house educators.
Yet the spirit of our Benedictine tradition remains deeply woven into the fabric of school life, and the close bond between monastery and school continues to flourish. At the heart of our community is the Pastoral Care Team, which provides a rich programme of spiritual life, including worship services, Taizé evenings, days of reflection, and pilgrimages.
Good for Learning, Grounded in Life
The Benedictine ethos, inspired by the Rule of Saint Benedict, shapes not only the character of our school and boarding life, but also its Daily Routine in the most practical sense. It fosters focused study, mutual respect, and a spirit of community grounded in purpose and care.
Further insights into the International Baccalaureate (IB) may be found here. You may also be interested in the interview with Father Dr. Andri Tuor OSB, Boarding House Educator, available here.
We warmly welcome your enquiries and would be delighted to assist you.
Lower and Upper Form of the Gymnasium
The six-year Gymnasium begins after primary school with Year 7. In the two-year Lower Form of the Gymnasium, teaching focus is on the subjects German, Mathematics and English, including an introduction to Latin.
Subjects in the 1st and 2nd years of the Lower Form of the Gymnasium (Years 7 and 8):
Core subjects
- First language: German
- Second national language: French
- Third language: English
- Latin
- Mathematics
- Natural Sciences: Biology, Chemistry
- Humanities and Social Sciences: History, Geography
- Visual Arts and Music
- Religious Education
- Physical Education
- Computer Science
Progression from the 2nd or 3rd year of Secondary School to the 1st Year of the Upper Form of the Gymnasium is possible. The Upper Gymnasium prepares students for the federally recognized bilingual Swiss Matura certificate (German, English). In Years 10 to 12 students are prepared for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. Students learn the practical use of English by means of immersive teaching in Biology, Geography and Mathematics. They can choose an individual focus (on classical languages (Latin and/or Greek), Economics and Law, or Physics and Applied Mathematics) and complement their choice of subject with Chemistry or Religious Education.
Subjects in the 1st to 4th years of the Upper Form of the Gymnasium (Years 9 to 12):
Core subjects
- First language: German
- Second national language: French
- Third language: English
- Mathematics
- Natural Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Physics
- Humanities and Social Sciences: History, Geography, Philosophy
- Economics and Law
- Visual arts and music
- Religious Education
- Physical Education
- Computer Science
Specialized Subject
- Classical languages (Latin and/or Greek)
- Economics and Law
- Physics and Applied Mathematics
Complementary Subject
- Chemistry
- Religious Studies
Matura Thesis
English is the language of communication in many different fields today. In Switzerland, too, more and more lectures are being given in English. The bilingual Matura in German and English offers an excellent foundation for students to meet later requirements at university and in their careers.
The following subjects are taught immersively in preparation for the bilingual Matura – in other words, these subjects are taught completely in English:
Geography, from the 2nd year of the Upper Form of the Gymnasium
Mathematics, from the 2nd year of the Upper Form of the Gymnasium
Biology, from the 3rd year of the Upper Form of the Gymnasium
Teaching Staff
20 teachers, including one monk, teach at the Stiftsschule.
The special commitment of the teachers and supervisors in the school and boarding school contributes significantly to the development of the individual students.
Our teachers work closely together across subject and class boundaries and are in regular contact with our boarding house educators.
Learning Support and Study Courses
Students whose mother tongue is not German acquire the necessary language proficiency and skills in order to be able to follow the lessons in German.
Supporting the young people entrusted to us is important to us. If a pupil or the teacher sees a need for additional support in a subject, the subject teacher reports this to the secretary's office, which coordinates and organizes everything else. Whenever possible, tutoring at Stiftsschule Engelberg takes place on the school premises as individual lessons or in small groups and in close consultation with the relevant subject teacher.
For even more flexibility and to be able to cover the entire range of subjects at any time, young people now also have the option of online tutoring. Here we work exclusively with Web Lernen.
Web Lernen is the leading digital tutoring school in Switzerland. Its experienced and qualified team of teachers is permanently employed by Web Lernen and is always ready to provide students with the best possible support and long-term encouragement. The Web Lernen teacher is also in close contact with the subject teacher at Stiftsschule Engelberg. This allows the tutoring to be optimally prepared and followed up and individually tailored to the respective pupil.
To ensure that the time can be used optimally, the secretary's office also takes on the interface function here: coordinating appointments, providing the relevant teaching materials and making arrangements between the school teacher and the tutor.
Sometimes it may be necessary to get professional help for those with learning difficulties. In such cases, we coordinate with "Lerntherapie Zentralschweiz".
Individual learning therapy counseling offers intensive, pedagogical-psychological, individual counseling that focuses on improving the learning performance of children and adolescents. This includes the improvement of thinking skills, emotional learning conditions, social factors and biological-neurobiological learning conditions.
With an assessment of learning potential, targeted training and individualized tips, significant improvement of the learner’s situation is usually achieved.
We offer the opportunity for students to take extra-curricular courses to prepare for Cambridge English Certificates.
Why?
Cambridge certificates are recognized by over 20,000 universities, companies and governments worldwide. In Switzerland this recognition is especially prominent: the examinations are an integral part of business training and qualification. On the tertiary level, these certificates serve to satisfy required proof of language proficiency, for example, in pursuing teacher training or in order to study at institutions of higher learning such as the ETH or University of St. Gallen.
Who?
As the courses offered center on learning and practicing test-taking strategies for the examinations, solid proficiency skills in English are prerequisite. Therefore, the preparatory courses are open primarily to students in the 2nd and 3rd Obergymnasium.
Additionally, only those students who show the necessary motivation and willingness to take on the additional workload may participate in the courses. Accordingly, the success rate for exam candidates has been very high.
As the course focuses on teaching exam techniques, a good knowledge of English is a mandatory requirement. For this reason, pupils in the 2nd or 3rd year of secondary school usually take part in the course.
In addition, only those with the necessary motivation and willingness to put in the extra work are admitted. In return, the long-term success rate is very high.
How?
Extensive information about the examinations and certificates, as well as an online placement test, can be found on the website of Cambridge Assessment English, one of the non-profit organizations associated with Cambridge University. (https://www.cambridgeenglish.org).
Before the preparatory courses begin, an informal orientation meeting is held for prospective participants. At this meeting a placement test also takes place.
Which certificate?
As the examinations are costly, it is crucial that participants are placed and prepared at a level so as to ensure their best passing grade results. It is, for example, advisable for someone whose proficiency is not clearly at the C1 level to take the B2 exam and achieve an excellent grade rather than a borderline outcome. The course instructor consults with students who are uncertain about their level.
What does a course entail?
Preparatory courses commonly take place in the second half of the school year, running 10 – 12 weeks. Groups meet once a week for a one-hour lesson working with authentic materials from past examinations. The course instructor is also available online outside of meeting times and provides feedback regularly. Just before the actual examination date, the participants meet informally for additional practice, e.g. lunch meetings to practice conversation skills.
In cooperation with Vocational and Continuing Education Consultancy OW, there is a wide range of counselling services available. In addition, the alumni organizations (Alumni Stiftsschule Engelberg, Alt Angelomontana) offer valuable support and professional advice.