I am looking for any information on quality of living in Zurich with a small family and how easy is it for children to intigrate into the schools
Kind Regards
Shona
Hi
Wetzikon is fine,
I don't have young kids but you are a long way from an international school ....
The town in big enough - 15 minute from Central Zurich on the train
Rent is much cheaper than in the City
Hi, I live in Hinwil, the neighboring town. Wetzikon is a nice town, pretty big. It has 2 large supermarkets, Coop, and Migros. There are direct trains to zurich every 15mins. Though i cant vouch for the schools. How young are your kids? Schools have extra German lessons for foreign, billingual children.
Blimey, that's close ... I live in the Hinwil hinterland !!
hey, i'm sure we have passed and didnt even know it!!! I live near the infamous lenzdorfli.......and whereabt is 'hinterland'??
Hi Shona and a late welcome to the forum. Integration for children in schools here seems not really of a problem; it's rather a problem for their parents. If you know what I mean I remember, back in the 1960, I had two American brothers in my class - they were fluent in the local dialect after only a year. So, don't bother too much about this.
As for living quality in Zurich (I know, it's not Wetzikon): It's considered as one of the highest in the world (depending on the research done, it ranks between 2nd and 9th). So, no real worries about this, either. Just remember that we don't bite - and that counts for Wetzikon as well as for Zurich town
Hi Shona,
I live in Wetzikon for almost 2 years and i have 2 daughters 12 and 9 ,one adapted very easy and fast, i must thank that to the great teachers that she have,the other is a very good student too, but complains a lot ...so i think that depends .I was very worry too but Wetzikon is a nice place and children can go alone to school and play outside safelly.
I hope that you like Wetzikon ! I like !
Up the hill from Hinwil towards Baeretswil
Hi
Hello thanks for your reply, you have us really thinking about taking the plunge to Swizerland as I work for a swiss company in London I was going to apply for a transfer but my husband works in JCB driving how easy would it be for him to get a work permit. Our oldest child has just started school in london and we would like to move her before she gets settled we would love to hear more about living here from you how are main concern is the children and how much would you have to earn a month to live comfortable
hope to hear from you
Shona
Hi Shona, I moved to Wetzikon last June with my wife and two kids, 6 and 9 at the time. They were in international schools in English before, but in August started school at the local elementary school, Guldisloo, all in German. They both got separate German instruction for part of the day, I think it was 10 hours per week at the beginning. This school is actually a magnet school for German as a second language - some of the other kids in the classes come from nearby villages. Now the 7-year-old doesn't take more language lessons, she is well integrated in her class. In class 1 German language is taught anyway, since local kids speak dialect, and mostly can't read before class 1. The 10-year-old still gets I think 8 hours per week, and I can't understand his German homework at all now! They joined classes 1 and 4, which was nice since kids and teachers stay together in 3-year cycles here. We are happy with the teachers, though the school is nothing like the community center we were used to - it's not a place where parents are seen much. Things are more formal here. We are lucky that both teachers have great English so we can communicate with them, and they could help the kids out with English at the beginning. Wetzikon is nice, not much going on but close to nice countryside and bike paths, and well-connected by rail.
I live near Wetzikon. What you must realise that although some 25km from the town of Zurich, it might as well be 250km away. I mean this in a positive way. The people are more relaxed and friendly that in Zurich. It is much more Swiss than international...
Wetzikon also has one of the most progressive and innovative Gymnasien (secondary schools) in the Kanton of Zurich:
And roadworks that take forever!!