History

Established in 1999, the International School Zurich North (ISZN) offers a British curriculum which culminates in the A-levels. ISZN was acquired by Cognita in 2019, which means unlike many of the schools that I am visiting for the Adventure Year Series, ISZN is a for-profit school. 

Cognita is a multinational schools group which originated in England in 2004. Today Cognita operates an incredible 106 schools in 21 countries worldwide serving over 100,000 students and employing 21,000 staff.

More experienced people than I have said this before and more eloquently, the future of international education is in groups. Depending on your theories and experience you may or may not agree with this statement, don’t worry I’m still formulating my own thoughts on this topic. The reality is that a variety of major groups have grown in recent years and either already do or will be competing for market share with standalone international schools. 

Cognita is one of many school groups, some of the big names include Nord Anglia Education (80+ schools), GEMS Education (92 schools), and Maple Bear Global Schools (483+ schools) among others. 

Highlights

It truly is a privilege to connect with the dedicated professionals at each of the schools that I visit. Especially considering how busy the average school day is. Their hospitality in welcoming someone, who they have never met, to share about their school is an honor.  During my visit to ISZN I had the privilege of connecting with Executive Principal, James Stenning and Administrative Team Member, Samantha Zimmermann. 

James leads 3 schools across 3 Swiss cities, Zurich, Zug, and Lucerne. I enjoyed learning about what it’s like to lead multiple schools at the same time. Including building in intentional interactions, terrific teamwork, and clear communication. 

It was especially interesting to learn about the world of for-profit international schools. Since this was a new side of the international schools market for me, it was interesting to learn about the regions involved in the Cognita network, professional development for school heads, and the benefits of leading within a vast global network of schools. 

3 Key Takeaways

1. Clearly Communicate School Values: Continuously communicating your school’s core principals can improve the experience of all community members. Which of your school values could be communicated more clearly?  
2. School System Support: Leverage school networks to benefit your school community. Which school networks can you connect with?  
3. Build Your Team And The Rest Will Follow: Hire the best possible people for each role and empower them to do what they do best. What does the ideal candidate look like for each of your upcoming roles?  

Build culture, unlock potential. Visit my Connect Page or send a message on LinkedIn. 

Stay tuned for more international school visits – up next Leysin American School!

Peace & Blessings, 

– Josiah 

References

Cognita. (2025). Home Page. https://www.cognita.com/

Cognita. (2025). Our Schools. https://www.cognita.com/our-schools/

Forbes. (2025). Inside Billionaire Sunny Varkey’s Plans To Turn His GEMS Schools Into World Class Jewels. https://www.forbes.com/sites/anuraghunathan/2025/06/04/inside-billionaire-sunny-varkeys-plans-to-turn-his-gems-schools-into-world-class-jewels/

International School Zurich North. (2025). Home Page. https://www.iszn.ch/

Maple Bear. (2024). Home Page. https://www.maplebear.ca/

Nord Anglia. (2025). Our Schools. https://www.nordangliaeducation.com/our-schools#:~:text=More%20than%2080%20international%20day,Nord%20Anglia%20school%20to%20you