Admissions FAQs
Frequently Asked questions
- What are the fees at ELA Basel?
- Which year group will my child be in?
- Can Early Years be part-time?
- Can Primary be part-time?
- What if I have other questions?
What are the fees at ELA Basel?
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.
Which year group will my child be in?
ELA Basel offers wrap around care and education from 3 months to 12 years old.
- Early Years cares for children from 3 months to 4 years old
- Primary caters for children from 4 years old to 12 years old.
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.
ELA Basel year | Date of Birth | Basel-Stadt equivalent* | UK grade | US grade |
Primary 1 | 1st August 2015 – 31st July 2016 | Kindergarten 1 | Reception | Pre-Kindergarten |
Primary 2 | 1st August 2014 – 31st July 2015 | Kindergarten 2 | Year 1 | Kindergarten |
Primary 3 | 1st August 2013 – 31st July 2014 | Primary 1 | Year 2 | Grade 1 |
Primary 4 | 1st August 2012 – 31st July 2013 | Primary 2 | Year 3 | Grade 2 |
Primary 5 | 16th July 2011 – 31st July 2012 | Primary 3 | Year 4 | Grade 3 |
Primary 6 | 1st July 2010 – 15th July 2011 | Primary 4 | Year 5 | Grade 4 |
Primary 7 | 16th June 2009 – 30th June 2010 | Primary 5 | Year 6 | Grade 5 |
Primary 8 | 1st June 2008 – 15th June 2009 | Primary 6 | Year 7 | Grade 6 |
* You can see an English language overview of Primary education in Basel here (Basel Department of Education, external site)
Can Early Years be part-time?
Yes: you can choose a contract that best suits your family.
You can choose
- 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)
You can also add to your contracted schedule, with additional Standard Days, Extended Days, or extending a Standard Day. We work hard to accommodate all requests, but they are inevitably based on availability of staff and facilities: the more notice you are able to give, the more likely it is we will be able to accommodate additional care.
Changes to the contracted schedule require a minimum of 1 calendar month's notice.
Can Primary be part-time?
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).
What if I have other questions?
If you can't find the answer to your question please just ask: our contacts are in every footer and on our Contact Us page.
Why ELA Basel
8 years
Average enrollment duration
40%
Children speak German as first language
15
After-school activities
360
Children on the roll
100%
Children learn a musical instrument
27
Years of excellence since 1993
16
Maximum class size
35
Different Nationalities
94%
Parent satisfaction in 2020 survey
+60%
Primary children score 60% above average in benchmarked English and Maths tests
6 years
Average tenure of teaching staff