Serge Gay on Choosing the Right Swiss Boarding School | Swiss School Consulting
Serge Gay is the Founder and CEO of Swiss School Consulting (SSC), an international educational advisory company helping families, educational institutions, investors, and partners navigate opportunities across Swiss and international education. With more than 35 years of experience in Swiss private education, Serge has worked across school leadership, international education development, and educational advisory services. Through Swiss School
Consulting, he provides independent guidance to families looking for boarding schools, private day schools, summer camps, language programmes, and longer-term educational pathways in Switzerland.
Serge Gay’s Journey
We started the interview by asking, “Serge, could you tell us about your journey in Swiss education and what led you to establish Swiss School Consulting?”
Serge Gay replied, “I have been involved in Swiss education for more than 35 years, and during that time I have had the opportunity to work closely with schools, families, educational institutions, and international partners. This experience showed me how complex the Swiss education landscape can be for families who are unfamiliar with the country, its school system, languages, programmes, and different educational environments. Over the years, I increasingly saw the need for independent and personal guidance. Families were often looking for a school based on reputation, but those factors alone do not necessarily tell you whether a school is right for a particular child.
I founded Swiss School Consulting to provide that missing connection between families, institutions, and educational opportunities. My role is to understand the individual needs of each family and then help them identify options that genuinely fit their children’s academic profile, personality, languages, interests, and future aspirations. Today, SSC has grown beyond parent advisory into several areas of education, including educational consulting, education franchising, EdTech fundraising, and international development.”
What Makes Swiss School Consulting Different?
The Worlds Times: What makes Swiss School Consulting different from a traditional school placement service?
Serge Gay replied, “The main difference is the level of personal involvement and independence. At Swiss School Consulting, I do not believe that school selection should be treated as a simple matching exercise based on rankings, location, or reputation. Every child is different. A school that is excellent for one student may not necessarily be the right environment for another. Before recommending possible schools, I take time to understand the child, including academic strengths, personality, languages, interests, family expectations, and longer-term educational goals.
I also personally accompany families throughout the process. From the first conversation through school research, selection, and placement, families have continuity and a single point of contact. For me, choosing a school is ultimately about finding the right educational environment for an individual child. That requires listening carefully, understanding the family, and looking beyond the information that can be found in a school ranking.”
Choosing the Right Swiss School
The Worlds Times: How do you help international families choose the right Swiss school for their children?
Serge Gay replied, “I begin by understanding the child and the family’s objectives. This includes looking at the student’s academic background, personality, languages, interests, preferred learning environment, and future plans.
We then consider what type of education may be most appropriate. Some families may be looking for a Swiss boarding school, while others may prefer a private day school. There are also families interested in summer camps, language programmes, short-term educational experiences, or a longer educational pathway in Switzerland. The objective is not simply to present a list. It is to identify the characteristics that matter most for that particular child and then evaluate schools against those requirements.
I also help families understand the practical side of the decision. Moving a child to another country for education involves much more than selecting a school. Families need to consider the educational programme, languages, location, culture, boarding or day arrangements, transition requirements, and the child’s ability to adapt to a new environment.
My role is to bring these elements together so that families can make a well-informed and confident decision.”
Beyond School Rankings
The Worlds Times: Why do you believe school selection should go beyond rankings and reputation?
Serge Gay replied, “Rankings can provide useful information, but they should never be the only factor in choosing a school. A school’s reputation does not automatically mean that its environment will be suitable for every child. Education is personal. A student may perform very well in one type of environment and struggle in another. Some children need a highly structured setting, while others may benefit from greater independence. Some students are particularly comfortable in multilingual environments, while others need additional language support during their transition.
That is why I focus on the individual child rather than simply asking, “Which is the best school?”
The more useful question is, “Which school is the best fit for this child and this family?”
That change in perspective can make a significant difference to the educational experience and to the child’s personal development.”
Swiss School Consulting Core Services
The Worlds Times: What are the main educational services offered by Swiss School Consulting?
Serge Gay replied, “Swiss School Consulting currently works across five main areas.
Parent Advisory is focused on helping international families identify suitable Swiss private schools and educational programmes for their children.
Swiss Education Franchising supports the international development of Swiss educational brands, programmes, certifications, and accreditations. The objective is to help bring high-quality Swiss educational concepts to new markets while maintaining their standards and identity. School Transactions involves advising on the acquisition and sale of private educational institutions. This requires an understanding of both the educational and business dimensions of a transaction. EdTech Fundraising supports innovative education companies that are looking for investment and growth capital. Education technology is developing rapidly, and many companies need strategic support as they move from innovation to international growth. Finally, Educational Consulting provides strategic advice to educational groups and institutions looking at development, partnerships, positioning, and international opportunities.
In addition to these areas, SSC organizes customized educational study trips and works with international partners to promote Swiss educational standards around the world.”
Connecting the Global Education Ecosystem
The Worlds Times: You also work with educational institutions, investors, and international partners. How does this side of your work complement parent advisory?
Serge Gay replied, “These areas are closely connected because education is an ecosystem. Families are one part of that ecosystem, while schools, educational groups, investors, technology companies, and international partners are other important parts. My experience in Swiss private education allows me to understand the needs of different stakeholders. An educational institution may be looking for international development opportunities. An investor may be evaluating an education business. A school group may want to expand a successful Swiss educational concept into another market. An EdTech company may need support with fundraising and international growth.
Through Swiss School Consulting, I can help connect these different interests and identify opportunities for collaboration.
The common element is education. Whether we are working with a family or an institution, the objective is to create meaningful and sustainable connections.”
International Development
The Worlds Times: What role does international education development play in your vision for Swiss School Consulting?
Serge Gay replied, “International education development is an important part of the future of Swiss School Consulting. Swiss education has valuable expertise, methodologies, programmes, and standards that can be relevant beyond Switzerland.
At the same time, international development needs to be approached carefully. Simply transferring a programme from one country to another does not guarantee success. Cultural expectations, local regulations, market conditions, families’ needs, and educational practices all need to be considered. This is where experience and strong international partnerships become important. We want to help educational organisations expand internationally while protecting the quality and principles that make their educational offering valuable.”
Advice for Parents
The Worlds Times: What advice would you give parents who are considering a Swiss school for their child?
Serge Gay replied, “I would encourage parents to start by understanding their child rather than starting with a school name.
Think about your child’s academic strengths, personality, interests, languages, independence, social needs, and long-term aspirations. Then consider what kind of educational environment will allow that child to develop.
Parents should also look beyond brochures. Ask practical questions about the learning environment, languages, student support, boarding or day arrangements, activities, international community, and how the school approaches individual students. Most importantly, do not assume that the most famous or prestigious school is automatically the best choice. The right school is the one where the child can learn, develop confidence, build relationships, and prepare for the next stage of life.”
The Future of Swiss School Consulting
Lastly we asked, “What is your long-term vision for Swiss School Consulting?”
“My vision is to continue building Swiss School Consulting as a trusted international platform connecting people, institutions, and opportunities through education. For families, this means continuing to provide personal and independent guidance when they are making an important decision about their children’s future.
For educational institutions, it means helping them develop strategically, identify international opportunities, build partnerships, and access new markets. For investors and education companies, it means providing experience and connections that can support responsible growth.
Ultimately, I want Swiss School Consulting to contribute to the international development of high-quality education while maintaining the personal approach that has always been central to my work. Education is about people and their future. That is why I believe the most valuable advisory work begins with understanding the individual and ends with creating the right connection.” Serge Gay concluded
Connect with Serge Gay on LinkedIn
For more information visit Swiss School Consulting
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