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The end of the school year is a time of mixed emotions for students. For some students, exams are looming, results are anxiously awaited, and the shift to summer and a new school year can bring uncertainty.
For parents and schools alike, this is a key moment to step in and support student wellbeing. But how can we support children’s self-confidence, and why is it so important to do so?
Contrary to popular belief, intelligence isn’t, in fact, the number one driver of academic achievement. It’s actually self-confidence.
The role confidence plays in a young person’s success is highlighted by several science-backed studies. According to a 2025 paper by Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child, when children feel like they matter, they do better in life. Feeling valued helps protect children from stress, depression and loneliness, and cultivates increased empathy, stronger peer relationships and higher self-esteem.
Confident students are more willing to challenge themselves and achieve their goals. They’re also more likely to be happy and motivated. This is why, at Collège Champittet, we’re committed to building confidence in our students.
How do we do this? By fostering an environment that empowers every child to pursue their passions, believe in their own abilities, and act with purpose and passion. This ensures they have everything they need to flourish personally and achieve outstanding academic results.
Confidence is a belief in one’s own abilities, skills, and judgements. Having self-confidence means trusting your capacity to tackle challenges, achieve goals, and handle tricky situations.
Confident people typically:
Self-confidence isn’t about being perfect or never making mistakes; it’s about having a positive attitude towards difficulties. It’s also the belief that you can learn from experiences, adapt, and succeed. Being confident doesn’t necessarily mean being ‘outgoing’, either – people who are quiet or shy can be confident, too.
Negative experiences – like struggling with piece of coursework – can lower confidence and self-esteem. Positive experiences, however, can give a student a real boost, whether it’s acing a test or doing something nice for someone else.
The factors that affect confidence differ from person to person.
They might include:
A child’s confidence levels may change from day-to-day, too.
When it comes to academic success, belief in your own ability is even more important than motivation. Researchers at the University of Michigan found that using strategies in the classroom to boost self-confidence in students resulted in better performance on exams, especially in maths. These strategies included establishing structured peer interactions, introducing low-stakes assessments early on, and focusing on a growth mindset.
So, why is building confidence in students important for academic success?
Confident students are more willing to learn and challenge themselves. They’re also more resilient in the face of difficult transitions, like changing schools. In fact, confidence has been quoted as the number one predictor of academic achievement. This is particularly true for core subjects such as English, maths and science, where confidence has long-term, positive effects on success.
Confidence is also a big factor in how engaged learners are in their education, as well as the world around them. At Collège Champittet, we see that. As a student’s self-belief increases, they start to realise their potential and are less afraid of failing. They’re more focused during class, and complete coursework and exams to the best of their ability.
We know how important it is to provide environments that are both nurturing and supportive – places where everyone feels comfortable and at home. We also believe in creating a strong community around each student. This provides the foundations for them to grow in confidence – and excel.
Home to students and families from more than 50 countries, our thriving community embraces diversity, shares common values, and fosters meaningful connections. This broadens our students’ view of the world, giving them the confidence to interact with different people and environments.
Our students learn in a truly multilingual environment. Our younger children, for instance, study in both English and French, quickly becoming gifted dual-language communicators. This boosts their self-belief and esteem, and prepares them for the challenges, opportunities, and experiences of secondary education.
From the age of 14, our students pursue either the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) in English, the French Baccalaureate, or the bilingual Swiss Maturité. As well as being academically rigorous and respected worldwide, each diploma is packed with global experiences that build confidence, independence, and open-mindedness.
Throughout their education, each student follows a personalised journey that aligns with their interests and ambitions. This includes the chance to study a higher-level maths programme, a requirement for selective Swiss and international universities, and follow specialist French and English language courses.
Learning is hands-on and project-based, encouraging creativity and problem-solving, unlocking new talents, and giving your child confidence in their abilities.
Alongside academics, we offer lots of experiences that develop vital social and emotional skills, attributes, and values. This creates well-rounded, confident students with a passion for learning.We want our learners to seize new opportunities, too, and see that anything is possible. And if something doesn’t work out, we always encourage them to try again.
With the self-belief they need to realise their potential, our confident students earn consistently fantastic results. For example, our class of 2026 achieved a 100% pass rate in the Swiss Maturité, and our school set a new record with an outstanding score of 122 out of 126 points. Our IBDP points score was significantly higher than the global average, too, and our French Baccalaureate students achieved a 100% pass rate for the ninth consecutive year.
As a community, we proudly celebrate these incredible achievements. This contributes to positive self-image, instils belief, and increases self-esteem. We know that positive recognition inspires others, too, helping us cultivate a dynamic atmosphere where the sky really is the limit.