Nutrition and Wellbeing
Fresh Food for Growing Minds
At ELABasel, we believe that healthy eating plays an essential role in every child’s wellbeing, development, and ability to learn. Our school is proud to provide freshly prepared, nutritious meals each day through our dedicated on-site kitchens, dining facilities, and experienced catering staff.
For our Primary and Secondary students, meals are freshly prepared daily in our school canteen by our in-house chef, offering balanced and delicious options throughout the week. At our Early Years campus, children also benefit from an on-site chef who prepares fresh, healthy meals and snacks carefully designed to support growing minds and bodies.
Our menus are created with guidance from a child nutritionist to ensure students enjoy a varied, well-balanced diet. Morning snacks and hot lunches are served daily for all children, while afternoon snacks are also provided for students attending the extended day and after-school programmes.
Care and pride are taken in both the preparation and presentation of all meals, helping to create positive eating experiences for our students. We also cater for a wide range of dietary requirements and individual needs, ensuring every child is supported and included.
Weekly menus
Please find below the weekly menus for our Gartenstrasse and St Alban-Vorstadt locations.
Inclusion Team
At ELABasel, we are committed to creating an inclusive learning environment where every child feels valued, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential. Our Inclusion Team works closely with students, teachers, and families to remove barriers to learning by providing personalised support tailored to each child’s individual needs.
We support students with neurodiverse profiles, including autism, ADHD, and dyslexia, as well as children who may benefit from additional emotional, social, academic, or language support. Through a collaborative and child-centred approach, we ensure that students receive the appropriate guidance and encouragement to thrive both inside and outside the classroom.
Our Inclusion Team provides support across a wide range of areas, including academic skills, social and emotional development, speech and language, English as an Additional Language (EAL), physical and sensory needs, and provision for talented and more able learners.
At ELABasel, we believe that every child deserves the opportunity to succeed in a supportive and nurturing environment where individuality is celebrated and every learner can flourish.
Extracurricular
Beyond the School Day
At ELABasel, our After School and Enrichment Programmes provide students with exciting opportunities to explore new interests, develop skills, and build confidence beyond the classroom. Open to both ELABasel and external families, our programmes include English Explorers, Private Music Lessons, Theatre School, and our After School Programme, alongside more than 30 additional enrichment activities.
From creative arts and performing arts to academic support and social activities, each programme is designed to offer children engaging, enjoyable, and meaningful experiences in a supportive environment where every child can thrive.
After School Programme
Our After School Programme provides a safe, engaging, and supportive environment for students beyond the regular school day. Combining supervised free play, social interaction, sports, reading, and structured activities, the programme is designed to keep children active, happy, and inspired while supporting working families.
Enrichment Programme
Our Enrichment Programme offers students the opportunity to explore new interests, develop talents, and build skills beyond the classroom. With a changing selection of activities each semester led by our talented teacher — including sports, crafts, STEM, music, and creative clubs — students enjoy fun, structured experiences that encourage curiosity, creativity, and confidence.
Non-ELABasel family links below
Vacation Programmes
During the Fasnacht, Spring, Summer, and October school holidays, ELABasel offers a range of exciting Vacation Programme weeks open to all primary aged children.
Each week is built around a unique theme, giving children aged 4 to 12 the opportunity to explore new topics and interests in a fun and engaging environment.
Some programmes take place at the Primary and Secondary School campus, while others are held at specialist facilities to make the most of specific learning opportunities.
Our Vacation Programmes combine creativity, learning, and adventure, with previous themes including Science Week, Art Week, Sports Week, Spooky Camp Week, Movement and Dance, Young Engineers Week, and World of STEM. Wherever possible, we take a multilingual approach by offering specialised language weeks or integrating exposure to different languages through hands on activities.
Designed and led by our experienced teachers and teaching assistants, the programmes are carefully tailored to suit different age groups, ensuring every child is both challenged and inspired.
To support families, we also offer extended daycare from 08:00 to 17:00, inclusive of lunch and snacks, providing a flexible and enriching holiday experience.
Afternoon English Classes
Our English class is designed for children attending Swiss schools with English-speaking parents or an English-speaking parent. Additionally, children who have previously attended an English-speaking school are eligible.
Join us in the heart of Basel every Monday and Wednesday from 13:30 to 15:30, from the week commencing 10th August 2026 until the week commencing 11th January 2027.
There will be no lessons during:
Autumn Break 28.09.26 to 09.10.26
Winter Break 21.12.26 to 01.01.27
Children born after 31st December 2020 will attend sessions at our Gartenstrasse campus (GS). This is to improve our provision and make a more targeted lesson structure. This is only on Wednesday. The lunch option and Afterschool option stays the same. Pick up for this group is until 18:30.
Cost for a full semester is CHF 1,100 (one day). There are also add-on enrichment opportunities available. See below for further details.
There is a maximum of 15 spaces available, reserve your space now!
Our Monday and Wednesday provision at our Wildensteinerhof (WSH) campus will be for those children born before 31st December 2020. These students will be among the oldest in the programme, with some turning 10 during the semester.
My name is Emma Fox and I am a primary teacher at ELABasel. I moved to Switzerland in 2020 after completing a science-based degree in Australia and have since become qualified as both a primary teacher and a teacher of English as a Foreign Language.
I am very passionate about teaching and bring forth many skills and knowledge from my previous studies. I believe that children should be engaged in their own learning and encourage an independent and creative environment.
With a hands-on and dynamic approach, students are encouraged to explore English as a language, whilst targeting the four key areas of English – reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
Our lessons focus on developing reading and writing and are filled with exciting, hands-on activities that enhance your child’s English literacy. We will listen to stories and develop our comprehension of the English language, alongside learning the basics of reading and writing using an official UK government recommended phonics scheme. We will focus the activities around the needs of your child and individually look at how their particular progress can be enhanced. The children will read with a trained teacher and also be able to borrow story books and books to enable reading from our libraries.
During the classes the children will have the opportunity to learn to read and write in English using a UK government recommended phonics scheme. This scheme takes a systematic approach to language learning, teaching children sounds associated with groups of letters to help with both reading and writing. The classes will involve the teaching and learning of sounds and children will complete associated activities to help them build up knowledge on how to read and write. The children will also have the opportunity to read with a trained teacher and to borrow books which are levelled to help facilitate the development of their literacy skills.
The children do not need to bring anything, we will provide the activities and stationery for the activities.
Why not stay with us for the entire afternoon on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Extend your child’s learning adventure by enrolling them in our optional extracurricular activities. A 12:30 add-on lunch option is also available. See details in the sign-up form.
Theatre School
ELABasel Theatre School offers weekly Saturday morning performing arts classes in singing, dancing, and acting for children aged 4–15. In a welcoming and inclusive environment, students develop confidence, teamwork, creativity, and communication skills while exploring a wide range of performance styles through the medium of English.
- The children must arrive at Wildensteinerhof, St Alban Vorstadt 32 between: 08:45-09:00 for ages 4-7 years, 10:00-10:15 for ages 8-11 years and 11:45-12:00 for ages 12-15.
- Whilst children do not have to wear specific ‘dance’ clothes they must wear comfortable clothes suitable for moving around and dancing in. Children are welcome to wear soft-soled, indoor dance shoes or socks (no bare feet). Outdoor shoes will be removed before entering the performance space.
- Children should bring a water bottle (containing only water) but no food please.
- Pick-up is at 10:00 for ages 4-7 years, 11:45 for ages 8-11 years and 13:30 for ages 12-15 years.
- Please note that places are limited and will be given on a first-come first-served basis as signed contracts are returned. Once places are filled, a waiting list will be created.
- There are no refunds for missed sessions or reductions for sessions not attended.
- ELABasel Theatre School will only proceed once a minimum number of participants is confirmed. You will receive an invoice for the ELABasel Theatre School once the minimum number of participants is confirmed. Please note that the place is not confirmed until the invoice is paid.
- ELABasel reserves the right to adapt the programme if circumstances dictate this is necessary.
- Payments of invoice confirm you are in agreement with these terms and conditions.
Classes will be on Saturday mornings for a 15-week semester (see dates below).
- 4-7 years old at 9:00-10:00am, at a price of CHF300 for ELABasel students and CHF330 for non-ELABasel students.
- 8-11 years old at 10:15-11:45am, at a price of CHF450 for ELA Basel students and CHF495 non-ELABasel students.
- 12-15 years old at 12:00-13:30, at a price of CHF450 for ELA students and CHF495 for non-ELABasel students.
Classes will be held at our primary school campus (St. Alban-Vorstadt 32) on the following dates:
- August 22nd, 29th
- September 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th
- October 17th, 24th, 31st
- November 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th
- December 5th, 12th
Private Music Lessons
Our Private Music Lessons provide personalised, one-to-one tuition with experienced teachers in piano, violin, guitar, voice, and drums. Open to both ELABasel and external students, these lessons help nurture creativity, concentration, confidence, and a lifelong appreciation of music.