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Leadership & Faculty

Senior Leadership Team

ISBerne is very proud of its experienced and diverse international educators who are led by an outstanding and experienced Senior Leadership Team.

Denise Coates, Director

Appointed Director of ISBerne in 2018, Denise is an outstanding and experienced school leader. Formally Director of Knightsbridge Schools International, Morges and the Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Lead for the Knightsbridge Schools group, Denise is also an IB Lead Educator for the Africa, Europe and Middle East region.

Margrit Schuerch, Business Manager

Ms Schuerch is a Graduate of the Berne University of Applied Sciences in Economics and Business Administration. She has more than 30 years of financial and management expertise in various industries. Prior to joining ISBerne in 2008, she was a Manager at Ernst & Young in Switzerland. She also spent a number of years in Dubai/UAE working for a German insurance company and later in regional management for the Gulf & Pakistan for a European airline. 

Pedagogical Leadership Team

Our Pedagogical Leadership Team oversees student learning, student pastoral care, communications and the smooth daily running of the school.

Dom Thomas, Head of Operations and Communications

Originally from the UK, Dom has taught in international schools in Turkey, China and Azerbaijan over the last twenty one years. He has previous PYP leadership experience in both China and Azerbaijan, as well as being a Visiting Team Member and Workshop Leader for the IB.

Brette Book, Upper School Principal

Originally from the United States, Brette has experience in schools in the Chicago area and United Arab Emirates. She earned her BA and MA at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In addition, Brette serves as an IB examiner for English A: Literature and the Extended Essay.

Kirsty DeWilde, Middle School Principal

With significant IB experience, serving as a Visiting Team Member, Workshop Leader, and Extended Essay Examiner, Kirsty introduced the MYP across five schools of the English Schools Foundation, Hong Kong. B.A. (Hons) in Literature from the University of Stirling, Scotland, MA in Literature and Education from Bath University, England.

Richard Dowse, PYP Coordinator

Originally from Australia, Richard has taught in schools in Australia, Ireland and Switzerland. He has been at ISBerne for eight years teaching Grade 3 and Grade 4. He earned his B Ed and Dip Teach at University of New England in Armidale Australia.

Highly Qualified & Diverse Faculty

ISBerne has a faculty of 50 full and part-time teaching faculty representing 12 nationalities. Not only is our faculty diverse, but most have also spent significant time teaching and living in foreign countries, acquiring familiarity with the customs and language of their host country. This extensive cultural knowledge enriches our inclusive community when working with a diverse student body.

Our staff is not only well-travelled but, more importantly, they are well trained. Most of our faculty members have received two or more degrees in their teaching field. In addition to hiring well-trained and experienced faculty, ISBerne prides itself on supporting regular Professional Development opportunities to all staff.

ISBerne Board of Directors

ISBerne is owned by Pansophic Learning, an international education company. As such, the  ISBerne Senior Leadership Team meets quarterly with the ISBerne AG Board of Directors, the latter being comprised of four representatives from Pansophic Learning and three elected parent representatives. This unique blend on the governing board gives perspective and balance to the business decisions involved in operating a school that thrives.

Testimonials

The true multi-cultural community of ISBerne is a huge strength of the school. Students learn to debate each other and learn new points of view respectfully. A globally-minded child is very valuable.

My daughter loves school, and I have not once heard her complain about school and the environment. She has NEVER encountered bullying or disruptive behavior in class.

We appreciate ISBerne’s unique qualities – such as its small size, the interaction between classes and year groups, the attention to a holistic inquisitive approach to learning.

I love the community feel at ISBerne.

The teachers are passionate about their subjects and really focus on the children’s individual learning.

The teachers at ISBerne are amazing. My children have been very lucky to have experienced so many teachers over the last four years.

From the bottom of my heart; thank you. Our stay in Switzerland has been fantastic thanks to ISBerne!

The teachers are very easily reached at break times and via email to provide feedback on assignments. They have been an incredible support system!

I love our new cafeteria! There is always a variety of delicious food and the staff are incredibly friendly!

ISBerne is truly international and yet homey.

Our child enjoys ISBerne very much and feels comfortable at the school.

ISBerne is perfect; everything works well!

My child is really enjoying the school. I think the Middle Years’ Program brings students out of the “child stage” and into the “teenager stage” quite well.

The ‘After School Activities’ have been outstanding this year – thank you, we really appreciate it.

Having joined less than a year ago, my child is happy to go to school every day and is making great progress academically, showing greater confidence and skills development.

ISBerne encourages children to think and challenge and not just accept.

We are very pleased with the teachers in our son’s Diploma Program. The teachers are very committed to improving our son’s academic progress.

We appreciate ISBerne’s location in a safe and centrally located country that ensures diverse learning and sporting opportunities.

My children truly enjoy learning about their classmates’ cultures and experiences. I hope they continue to be open-minded and tolerant when we return to the US.

The teachers have quite a challenging task to balance so many different learning needs on a daily basis, and they seem to do it with ease.

ISBerne is vibrant, multi-cultural and open.

The International Baccalaureate teachers give above and beyond the level of excellent support for IB students with help during breaks and may extra hours to seek support and help. My child’s teachers have worked hard to help my child succeed.

My kids love going to school – That’s what matters!

My son loves learning about the countries and cultures of his classmates; this is priceless.

My child loves the cafeteria food and he has already tried so many new flavours.

It is the teachers at ISBerne that make the school. They are fantastic.

The school gives a warm welcome to international children, focusing on social development and open-minded education.

The people who work in the cafeteria are amazing. They make the cafeteria such a welcoming environment. Always a smile on their faces.

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