Christophorus Schule Bern

What Christophorus Schule Bern does

Christophorus Schule Bern is a non-profit special-needs school (Heilpädagogische Schule) operating as a "besondere Volksschule" since January 2022 under public financing from the Canton of Bern's Bildungs- und Kulturdirektion (BKD). Founded in 1961 by Susi Locher and organized as the Verein Christophorus Schule Bern since 1964, the school delivers anthroposophical (Steiner/Waldorf) healing pedagogy and integrated therapy to children and youth aged 4 to 18 with complex disabilities. It is a member of the European Council for Steiner Waldorf Education, which anchors its pedagogical framework internationally.

The service offering centers on the core school program, augmented by therapy services, a Tagesschule (day school) module marketed as a paid supplementary service to parents, and an Interne Präventions- und Meldestelle (Internal Prevention and Reporting Office) that formalized safeguarding and compliance processes in connection with its public-school status. Delivery is human-intensive: curative educators, therapists, and assistants provide individualized support in a single-site Bern setting. Digital footprint is limited to standard web tooling (Matomo Analytics, Google reCAPTCHA, PrivacyBee, Google Web Fonts); there is no AI/ML capability evident in the public record.

The business model is a hybrid public-nonprofit structure. Principal revenue is a per-pupil-style allocation from Canton Bern (single-payer concentration); a smaller, supplementary revenue stream comes from parent-paid Tagesschule fees. As a non-profit association, the school does not generate profit for distribution; surplus is reinvested into operations. Leadership comprises Anna Müller (Schulleitung) and Regula De Weck (Co-Schulleitung), with nine named leadership/management contacts on record. The organization has no geographic expansion, no investor activity, and operates within a capacity commissioned and effectively capped by the canton.

Name

Christophorus Schule Bern

Legal name

Verein Christophorus Schule Bern

Website

https://christophorus-schule.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Christophorus Schule Bern is a publicly financed, non-profit special-needs school in Bern, Switzerland, providing anthroposophical healing pedagogy, therapy, and a day-school module to children and youth aged 4-18 with complex disabilities under a single-canton BKD commission.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Therapeutic/Behavioral & Residential Treatment K–12 Schools (EDAJABAI)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Heilpädagogische schule
• Therapeutic education program
• Inclusive special needs schooling
• Alternative communication support

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Education Funding: Since January 2022, the school operates as a 'besondere Volksschule' (special public school) financed by the Bildungs- und Kulturdirektion (BKD) of Canton Bern. The core education services for students are funded through per-pupil government subsidies.
2. Day School Fees: The optional Tagesschule (day school) program is voluntary and charged to parents. The program operates from 07:00-18:00 across multiple modules and is binding for one school year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Christophorus Schule Bern is a special needs school (Heilpädagogische Schule) in Bern, Switzerland, providing holistic education for children and youth aged 4-18 with complex disabilities. The school delivers a core academic program following Lehrplan 21 across Zyklus 1-3 plus a Werkklasse vocational preparation class, integrated with on-site therapeutic services including occupational therapy, speech therapy, music therapy, physical therapy, TEACCH, animal-assisted therapy, and therapeutic arts. It also offers an optional fee-based day school program (Tagesschule) and an internal prevention and reporting office for boundary-transgressing behavior.

Product overview

Christophorus Schule Bern is a special needs school (Heilpädagogische Schule) providing holistic education and therapy for children and youth aged 4-18 with complex disabilities. The school operates as a unified service consisting of: the core School Program (Schule) delivering education across three cycles plus a pre-vocational Werkklasse following the Lehrplan 21; a comprehensive range of Therapy Services (Therapie) including occupational therapy, speech therapy, music therapy, physical therapy, TEACCH, animal-assisted therapy, and therapeutic arts; an optional fee-based Day School (Tagesschule) for before/after school care; and an Internal Prevention and Reporting Office (Interne Präventions- und Meldestelle) for handling reports of inappropriate behavior. The school was founded in 1961 and has been a recognized special public school (besondere Volksschule) since January 2022, financed by the Canton of Bern. Contents from anthroposophical healing pedagogy remain integral to the school's approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Schule (School Program) Heilpädagogische (special needs) school program following Lehrplan 21 for children and youth aged 4-18 with complex disabilities. Offers education across Zyklus 1-3 and Werkklasse, focusing on holistic development, daily living skills, and social-emotional independence.
• Fachunterricht (Specialist Subject Teaching) Specialist subjects including Movement & Dance, Music, Art/Crafts (Gestalten), Cooking, Physical Education & Sports, and Swimming, designed to support holistic development and practical life skills for students with complex disabilities.
• Therapie (Therapy Services) Therapeutic interventions including Ergotherapy (occupational therapy), Logopädie (speech therapy), Musiktherapie (music therapy), Physiotherapie (physical therapy), TEACCH, Animal-assisted therapy with donkeys, and Therapeutic arts. Covered by health insurance or disability insurance (IV).
• Tagesschule (Day School) Optional paid day school care outside regular classes, available to all kindergarten and school students. Offers care modules including mornings (07:00-08:40), lunch (12:00-16:00), and afternoons (16:00-18:00) on specified weekdays. Charged to parents and binding for one school year.
• Interne Präventions- und Meldestelle (Internal Prevention and Reporting Office) Internal service for receiving reports of boundary-transgressing behavior and supporting staff, students, parents, and legal guardians on violence prevention topics. Contactable via [email protected].

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Schulheim Schloss Rued: Special-needs school in Aargau serving children and adolescents with learning, behavioral and developmental disabilities. Comparable to Christophorus Schule Bern as a Swiss Heilpädagogische Schule offering individualized education plans, therapy integration, and cantonal/residential placements.
• Stiftung Sonnenhof Arlesheim: Anthroposophical institution near Basel offering curative education and social therapy for children, youth and adults with disabilities. Highly comparable to Christophorus Schule Bern because both embed anthroposophical pedagogy and integrate therapeutic services with daily education in a Swiss residential/day setting.
• Heilpädagogische Schule Bern (HPS Bern): City of Bern's public special-needs school for children and youth with learning, developmental and behavioral disabilities. Most direct local peer, sharing the Canton Bern catchment, cantonal funding model, and K–12 special-education mandate with Christophorus Schule Bern.
• Stiftung Wagerenhof: Large foundation in Uster (canton of Zurich) running residential and day schools, workshops and therapy for people with disabilities. Comparable in mission and integrated service model to Christophorus Schule Bern, though at significantly larger scale and broader population.

Others

• Pestalozzi-Stiftung Hamburg (Schweizer Spendensitz): International foundation supporting education for children with disabilities, including Swiss donation channels. Comparable thematically as a non-profit, donor-supported special-education operator, though geographically and structurally different from a single-site Canton Bern school.

Regional players

• Heilpädagogische Schule Luzern: Canton Luzern's public Heilpädagogische Schule providing special education and integrated therapies across multiple sites. Comparable in service mix and cantonal-financing structure to Christophorus Schule Bern, but serving a different canton and operating at greater scale.
• Heilpädagogische Schule Basel: Basel-Stadt's cantonal Heilpädagogische Schule network offering special-needs education and therapy services. Comparable to Christophorus Schule Bern in mission and integrated offering, but operates in a different canton and urban context.

Emerging players

• Sprachheilschule St. Gallen: Special-needs school in St. Gallen focused on language, learning and developmental support for school-age children. Comparable in Heilpädagogik service profile to Christophorus Schule Bern, though narrower in therapeutic breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/christophorus-schule-bern

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Christophorus Schule Bern