Mission, moral values and Salesian heritage
True to our reputation as a school of excellence, every day we are shaping the best of our past for 21st-century students. Our passion is innovating while maintaining the foundations.
At Florimont, we believe that school is not just about academic learning: rather it is a process that combines the art of learning with the art of living and being yourself. Beyond the academic rigour forming the keystone of our reputation, we are intent on supporting every one of our students to become enlightened citizens ready to contribute to society.
Instilled with our values of excellence, community-mindedness and openness, and with a highly developed critical mind, they become the best version of themselves.
Our mission since 1905
Our mission has been the same since 1905 – “to forge modern thinkers with passion and creativity”. While the composition has evolved, our aim is unchanged.
We are also intent on cultivating excellence and an open mind in our students. We do not compromise on the demands we ask of ourselves or our students; we support them individually every day to reach their potential and flourish as they move on through life, long after their time at school is over.
Our core values: at the heart of education
Since 1905, our actions are guided by the values we cherish.
Aspiring to be the best
Alongside academic excellence, we expect high standards in ourselves and our students to bring out the best in everyone.
Nurturing confidence
We maintain close links with our students and families, creating a strong, united community.
Promoting openness
Esprit Flo, pillar of our educational approach
Since our foundation, the whole community has shared the spirit of Florimont – what we call Esprit Flo, the pillar of our educational approach. The family atmosphere supports students as they grow and develop, and make decisions with confidence. Esprit Flo means being kind, tolerant and selfless, developing strong moral values and knowing when and how to challenge yourself.
It is a philosophy that we nurture constantly both in and outside the classroom. The spirit of Florimont is the very backbone of our ethos and vital to our students’ personal development.
INVOLVEMENT AND SUPPORT – A WAY OF BEING IN THE WORLD
This Esprit Flo manifests itself in the support and involvement shown by students from a very early age. Whether volunteering to mentor their classmates, supporting a charity close to their heart or helping out at a school event, they always step forward.
The many charity and community projects supported by our students of all ages is the best illustration of their outlook on other people and the world.
Salesian heritage: strong spiritual and historical roots
Saint Francis de Sales was born in 1567.
He was ordained Bishop of Geneva in 1602, three days before the famous Escalade that marked the city’s independence from Charles-Emmanuel, the Duke of Savoy. Francis de Sales died in 1622 on returning from a diplomatic mission, and was buried in what is now the Church of St Francis in Annecy. He was canonised in 1665.
CONGREGATION OF ST FRANCIS DE SALES
The first missionaries were a group of priests from the Annecy diocese formed by Fr Pierre-Marie Mermier (1790-1862). They travelled from parish to parish doing “missionary work”, preaching to revive faith in the wake of the French Revolution.
In 1838, this group formed a religious congregation under the patronage of St Francis de Sales, who had been bishop of the region from 1602 to 1622.
