Primary Level
We facilitate a smooth transition from kindergarten to school and support the children as they start school so that they can begin this new phase of their lives with enthusiasm and joy. We support our students from the start of school to achieve the best possible academic performance and prepare them for the transition to secondary school. The primary school years not only lay the foundations for further learning at school, but also develop important social skills.
Diverse learning opportunities
During their primary years, children not only learn reading, writing and arithmetic, but also a wide range of other skills that are of great importance for their personal development. Our curriculum includes:
- Language development: Teaching reading and spelling skills in both languages is at the heart of the early learning process. A systematic, structured approach that emphasizes phonological awareness and letter-sound mapping promotes understanding of language structure. Through regular exercises, differentiated tasks and targeted feedback, our students are taught to read and write confidently and without errors at an early age. Details on learning to read and write in Year 1 can be found in the FAQs below.
- Basic knowledge of mathematics: Thanks to our STEM focus, the emphasis in teaching basic mathematical skills at primary level is on practical, problem-oriented lessons. Right from the start, the children are taught basic mathematical concepts such as number sense and basic arithmetic operations through activity-based tasks and playful exercises. Particular emphasis is placed on analytical thinking and the application of mathematics in everyday life. If mathematics is taught creatively and vividly, it can also be fun for the children and arouse their curiosity.
- Natural sciences: In the school subjects of sciences and social science (Years 1 to 4) and natural sciences (Years 5 and 6), children are motivated to actively explore their environment and discover scientific connections. Through stimulating lessons, exciting experiments, practical projects and excursions, they learn how natural phenomena work and what role science plays in everyday life. This not only promotes knowledge, but also awakens curiosity and interest in scientific thinking. This hands-on approach strengthens the children’s understanding of science and shows them how fascinating and tangible these topics can be.
- Kunst und Musik: In the subjects art and music, our primary school children are encouraged to discover their creativity and ability to express themselves. Through practical design, drawing, handicrafts and singing and making music together, the children experience art and music as inspiring activities. In the process, they learn basic techniques and expand their aesthetic sensibilities. The creative process not only promotes artistic skills, but also self-confidence and teamwork. The joy of artistic expression and the development of one’s own imagination take center stage and make art and music popular, emotionally enriching subjects.
- Sports and exercise: Our sports lessons not only promote physical fitness and health, but also important social and personal skills. Through exercise, children improve their motor skills as well as their concentration and well-being. At the same time, they learn teamwork, communication and adherence to rules through team sports. Discipline, fairness and dealing with success and defeat are skills that are of great importance in everyday life.
Our detailed timetable with all school subjects and the number of lessons per week can be found below.
Social and emotional development
Another important aspect of our work is the social and emotional development of the children. We promote team spirit, empathy and respectful interaction with one another. Our school projects and class activities are designed to strengthen the sense of community and help the children to develop self-confidence and a sense of responsibility. We actively prevent bullying and exclusion through various prevention programs. We take care of each other!
Should individual problems or difficulties arise in class dynamics, both our school social worker and our school psychologist are on hand to help.
Timetable Primary Level – Years 1 to 6
We base our timetable on the standard Berliner Rahmenlehrplan (Berlin curriculum) and the Berliner Stundentafel (Berlin timetable). We complement this timetable by placing emphasis on the following:
- English from Year 1
- Strengthened Science and Social Studies teaching
- Computer Skills in Years 4 to 6
- Swimming lessons in Year 3
- n Bicycle riding test in Year 4
- Elective courses in Year 5 and 6 in school year 2024/25: Robotics, Computer Skills, STEAM, Detectives and their exciting cases, Theatre, Ceramics, Art, Spanish und Chinese Language & culture. Please note that the range of electives on offer may vary from year to year.
- 8 to 10 project days per year in our school and outside of school
- In Year 5 “Fairplayer” program against bullying and for social competence
| Subject | Years 1 to 4 | Years 5 and 6 |
|---|---|---|
| German | 6 | 5 |
| English (1st foreign language) | 5 | 5 |
| Mathematics | 5 | 5 |
| Science and Social Studies | 4 | – |
| Natural Sciences | – | 4 |
| Social Sciences | – | 3 |
| Music | 2 | 2 |
| Art | 2 | 2 |
| Physical Education | 3 | 3 |
| Elective Courses | – | 2 |
| Weekly Hours | 27 | 31 |
Qeustions & Answers Primary Level
In principle, children at our Platanus Kindergarten and our cooperation partner, lara.kita, have the advantage of learning bilingually while still at kindergarten. Families from these two institutions will be invited to an introductory appointment if they are interested in a school place and send in their complete application documents in good time (exception: from an educational point of view, the colleagues at the kindergarten clearly recommend deferral or a monolingual elementary school at the start of school for the best interests of the child). However, there is no guarantee of admission after the introductory meeting.
In the primary level, there are always 25 students in a class and we have two classes from Year 1 to Year 6. In terms of class composition, we pay attention to a balanced mix of girls and boys, German-speaking, English-speaking and bilingual children as well as social and cultural diversity.
In the initial school phase, the assessment period is the entire school year and there are no grades or class tests. At the end of the school year, a so-called indicator-based report card is prepared in which the learning objectives for the 1st or 2nd Year are assessed for each subject on a 4-level scale. At the end of the first semester, the class teacher prepares a learning report – in their working language – on the development of skills. From grade 3 onwards, we award school grades to assess performance.
Our experienced teachers are well prepared for children attending our school who have grown up speaking only German, only English or bilingually and our concept is adapted to this particularity. It is not a problem if children are not yet able to speak one of the two languages in year 1. The prerequisite is that all children speak German or English at a native level and it is important that they are generally open and curious about the new language. At the beginning, some children are reluctant to learn the new language, but experience has shown that this soon subsides. By the end of primary school, all children can communicate fluently in both languages.
German: After lengthy discussion in research and specialist literature about the best method, it is now generally agreed that a combination of several methods leads to the best result. We agree with this result and use an analytical-synthetic reading and writing learning method. To this end, we work with a primer and a writing course for literacy in German lessons in Year 1. We initially use the materials in such a way that the children learn to read the words synthetically (letter by letter – sound by sound) before they learn to grasp words as a whole and to focus on the content of the word. Accordingly, they first learn to write individual letters before moving on to letter combinations and words.
English: At the beginning of Year 1, the focus of English lessons is on speaking and listening. When the teachers feel that the students are ready, they begin to learn to read and write. The students work with the phonics program “Read Write Inc.” and deal with the sounds and sound combinations of the English language. Teachers also use the appropriate ruler (ruler 1), pay attention to the correct pencil position and writing posture, the correct letter shape and, if necessary, spelling and the correction of spelling mistakes. In English lessons, letter combinations are introduced and practiced in Year 1 due to the complex sound structure.
If we have free places, we accept students with linguistic and academic aptitude into our foundation stage. As bilingual learning is a special challenge, we only accept students with good performance and good work and social behaviour. Detailed information on our admission requirements can be found here.
During study time, the children practise and repeat lesson content independently, complete tasks from lessons, do their homework and study for tests or class tests. Students bring home homework, as well as schoolwork that was not completed during study time.
Study time takes place weekly for students in Years 1-6 in class during the school day and is supervised by the class Erzieher*in.
Years 1 and 2: 3 Study times
Year 3: 4 Study times
Year 4: 4 Study times
Year 5 und 6: 5 Study times
It is particularly important to us that the children try out various learning techniques during this time – in addition to the opportunities in class – and practise working independently and in a concentrated manner on questions from the lessons over a longer period of time and solving problems that arise by thinking and researching before asking a classmate or class teacher for help.
The study periods reduce the amount of home learning and leave more time at home for family and leisure. Nevertheless, we recommend that parents regularly practise reading, writing and maths with their children – in the native language of the respective parent – and support their children in practising their schoolwork.