Your questions, our answers

FAQs about the upper secondary school at formatio private school

Concept

Why does the formatio private school call itself the school of the future?

We combine tried-and-tested teaching concepts with the conscious promotion of the skills required for the networked and digital world. Our networked and interdisciplinary educational offerings provide students with the basis for responsible action and self-organized learning. As part of our Lingua profile, our pupils acquire multilingual skills, which are a significant advantage when learning the foreign languages English, French, Latin and Spanish.

Why was the Upper Secondary School honored by the European Commission?

We live the globalized, networked and digital world of the 21st century with our students and thus offer a unique school concept. As an innovative model school, our school development was scientifically supported and academically researched by the Technical University of Darmstadt. We are particularly proud that our pioneering teaching concept has been recognized by the European Union. In 2019, we received the European Language Label for our concept.

The upper secondary school describes itself as a multilingual school. What does that mean in concrete terms?

In addition to subject teaching in a total of four foreign languages, we also attach great importance to training multilingual skills. Various subjects are taught in English. Languages are combined in lessons so that plurilingualism can be practiced. The subject Network Language, which focuses on plurilingualism and language-sensitive learning, provides space for the development of language awareness and an open approach to multilingualism.

How are digital media integrated into everyday school life?

Finding your way in the digital world means more than “just” being able to use digital media. Our computer science lessons therefore focus on understanding and reflecting on the digital world. We do this by learning programming languages, but also by teaching algorithmic thinking and structured problem-solving strategies.

In addition, working and learning with digital media is part of everyday life at the formatio private school’s upper secondary school. We rely on a so-called BYOD concept, which means that students bring their own work devices such as laptops and work with them. Many of the work and learning materials are made available by our teaching staff via learning platforms and worked on online by the students. We use digital technology to strengthen team structures.

What role does personal development play at the formatio private school’s upper secondary school?

“Strengthening strengths” is an old motto at formatio Private School. We use various concepts and tools from positive psychology to specifically promote the skills of our students. For example, we offer the subject “Personal Challenge” and award special character strength awards at the end of the year for outstanding achievements that exemplify a particular character strength (e.g. creativity, social intelligence, leadership skills, etc.). In addition, we offer the two-hour subject “Happiness” in the Matura class, in which the young adults can take a closer look at their own personality and reflect on all the things that make life worth living.

Lessons

When do lessons start and end?

Learning needs structure. That is why we provide our students with a daily structure of when teaching and learning takes place at the Oberstufengymnasium. Lessons usually start at 08:30 and end at 16:25. There is a lunch break from 12:00 to 13:00 for lunch together in the cafeteria. Our team of teachers is also available to answer students’ individual questions before and after lessons.

What curriculum is taught in the upper secondary school?

As a minimum standard, we teach the Liechtenstein curriculum, Lingua profile, whereby we offer Spanish instead of Italian. Thanks to a specialization in mathematics and selected focus areas in several subjects, we also meet the Austrian curriculum in addition to the Liechtenstein curriculum and are entitled to offer the standardized Austrian Matura.

What is the formatio Campus?

In the regular formatio campus weeks, students organize their learning independently, self-directed and with the help of a digital learning environment. In the campus units, students can decide for themselves the order in which they learn. The tasks are assigned on a digital platform. The subject teachers accompany the learning individually, provide differentiated support in the event of queries and carefully monitor the learning process. The format of the work assignments not only encourages individual learning, team tasks are also deliberately set to support social skills and cooperative work. Consideration is given to alternating between tasks that have to be completed digitally and “analog”.

What is special about the formatio Masterclasses?

School is more than just lessons according to a timetable. The formatio Masterclasses take this idea into account. Twice a school year, lessons in the upper secondary school are canceled for a week at a time. Pupils choose from four interdisciplinary subject modules, the so-called Masterclasses, and spend a week working on them. The inputs and workshops during this week are designed and accompanied by experts from science, business, art and culture. The focus is on networked thinking, interdisciplinary work in cross-age teams and project-oriented learning.

How is the school subject “Entrepreneurship” taught?

The modular subject “Entrepreneurship” accompanies the students of the formatio upper secondary school through to the Matura. In the “Business Basics” module, students acquire tools from the world of business. In addition to business knowledge, entrepreneurship also deals with personal development. Students learn how to deal constructively with stress and evaluate their own emotional and cognitive processes. They deal with their strengths and needs and learn to deepen the skills they have learned independently. The school subject “Entrepreneurship” is taught by independent experts from research and business. The new subject will be linked to the existing master classes as part of a start-up lab. The formatio private school is proud to be able to cooperate with the Institute for Entrepreneurship at the University of Liechtenstein for the implementation of the “Entrepreneurship” subject.

What is meant by the school subject “Personal Challenge”?

As part of the Personal Challenge, each student is allowed to choose a personal challenge and then devote themselves to this challenge over several months. Two lessons per week are set aside in the timetable for this, but there is no general attendance requirement. We deliberately give students the freedom to pursue and realize projects outside the school building.

Structure

The upper secondary school of the formatio private school is a private school with public rights. What does that mean?

Following appropriate examinations, we have been granted the right by the government of the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Austrian Ministry of Education to issue legally valid, globally recognized certificates etc. – just like state schools. In a decision in spring 2015, the EDK (Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education) also confirmed and recognized our teaching quality as equivalent. Our teachers are all certified specialists recognized by the Liechtenstein Education Authority.

Why is the upper secondary school run as an Austrian school abroad?

As an Austrian school abroad, we can offer our students more opportunities and additional international scope. This is of central importance for a school with a language focus. The opportunity to join international committees and participate in European and international projects is another advantage we enjoy as an Austrian school abroad. The Austrian Central Matura also guarantees direct access to Swiss universities and various universities worldwide.

Certificates and school-leaving qualifications

What type of certificate do students receive?

Our pupils receive both a mid-year and an annual report with grades in all subjects. In addition, all students also receive a written report on their social and work behavior twice a year. As a school with public status, our reports have exactly the same status as certificates from public schools and are internationally recognized.

What are the advantages of the Austrian Matura at formatio?

Since the 2015/16 school year, Matura students have been completing the upper secondary school with the standardized Austrian school-leaving examination. The formatio private school’s Matura certificate is approved by the Liechtenstein Education Authority, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Austria and the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK). This gives students direct access to European universities. Thanks to the wide range of subjects on offer and the high number of lessons per week at the upper secondary school, it is also possible for subjects completed at the formatio private school to count towards university studies.

Why do you offer the standardized school-leaving examination (Zentralmatura)?

Participation in this standardized, centralized final examination provides significantly more objective opportunities for comparison with other schools and students, which can be used to improve quality. In addition – and this is the most important point for us – teachers also receive feedback on the quality of their work through the results of the Matura, as they prepare students for the central Matura.

Where do the graduates of the upper secondary school go?

Our alumni generally study at both German and English-speaking universities. Our graduates most frequently enrol at the universities of Zurich, Vienna, Innsbruck and Munich, although the trend towards English-speaking universities is increasing. Our students also attend particularly renowned universities such as the HSG in St. Gallen, the ETH in Zurich and the University of Lausanne.

Admission

How does a transfer from another school to the Oberstufengymnasium work?

The school management or its deputy conducts a personal interview with each candidate and the parents and checks the previous school reports. After at least one taster day and competence checks in selected subjects, the management decides to which school level and under which conditions a transfer is possible. We attach particular importance to the behavior and social interaction of our pupils. In order to provide our pupils with the best possible support, it is important to us that they are able to integrate well into the respective class community.

Could anyone interested come and visit you for a day?

Yes, interested young people are welcome to join us for an uncomplicated, non-binding and free trial period of one or two days at the upper secondary school. Please feel free to contact us at any time by telephone(00423 392 20 88) or by e-mail at lernen@formatio.li

What costs are involved in attending the school?

As a private provider, we charge school fees for our extensive and outstanding educational services. We will be happy to send you our cost breakdown and other documents. You can find the education costs on our homepage.