Tuition payments
Our school fees are based on the family income. Thus we make it possible for many children and young people with different family backgrounds to attend our school. In our community we attach great importance to equal opportunities and social diversity.
Our school tuition payment structure:
- Tuition payments are the same for all children in the Gemeinschaftsschule, from Years 1 to 10.
- The amount of the school fee for the first child is calculated from the total annual gross income of the parents/contractual partners with custody. Please use our tuition calculator on this page.
- For your second child and each additional child at Platanus Schule Berlin, the monthly tuition payment will be 100 EUR (exceptions see below “What other regulations are there for siblings?”).
- After a child has been part of our community for 4 years, whether in the Platanus kindergarten, the lara.kita and/or in Platanus Schule Berlin, they will receive a loyalty discount of 50 EUR from the 5th year.
- The monthly parental fees amount to at least 100 EUR per child, even if sibling and/or loyalty discounts apply.
Additional to the tuition payments are costs for after school care (Years 3-6), lunch, general material costs (Years 1-10), class trips, additonal teaching and learning materials for secondary school (Years 7-10).
Questions and Answers regarding the Costs
All students in Years 1 to 6 are required to attend lunch. In secondary school from Years 7 to 10, participation in lunchis optional.
- In primary school (Years 1 to 6): The costs for lunch are waived due to the Berlin Senate’s regulation on free lunch.
- In secondary school (Years 7 to 10): 69 EUR for lunch (i.e. 4.36 EUR on approx. 190 school days per year distributed over 12 months).
The lunch will be delivered by the catering company “Löwenzahn” and sugar-free drinks as well as fresh fruit or vegetables are available to the students in the cafeteria throughout the day.
In addition to school fees, all-day care and meals, the following costs are incurred:
- Years 1 to 10: 95 EUR per year – collective fund for work equipment, class fund, entrance fees and solidarity contribution
- Years 7 to 10: 100 EUR per year – participation in teaching and learning materials
- Excursions and class trips
- Optional: special extra-curricular activities of co-operation partners (e.g. climbing, swimming, individual instrumental lessons)
We offer before and after school care continuously from 6 am to 6pm. Students are offered a rigorous schedule and wide array of activities from our Erzieher*innen and teachers. All students attend school from 8:10 am to 3:30 pm. Before and after school care, from 6am to 8am and from 4pm to 6 pm is possible.
Parents will be asked to sign an additional contract for additional activities and care. You can apply for vouchers (the EFöB-Gutschein) at the Jugendamt (initially for 1st through 4th grade, and then again for 5th and 6th grade).
The amount of money that parents must pay for before and after school care is not included in the tuition payments and is subject to Berlin law. The amount is set by the EFöB-Kostenbescheid of the Berliner Senatsverwaltung and is further dependent on the extent of extra care, the income of the parents and the number of siblings attending the school. Since the 2019/20 school year, the parent’s sharing for Years 1 and 2 was being omitted.
For one child per family and after school care from 1:30 pm to 6 pm, parents currently pay 16 to 194 Euros.
You can always contact our school office for further information.
After lessons, the secondary school students can take part in our extensive range of clubs.
Per 15 minute club duration, there will be a participation fee of 40 EUR per school year (e. g. 160 EUR for a 60 minutes clubs over the whole school year).
The tuition is a yearly contribution, broken down in twelve monthly rates. The first payment rate must be paid by the beginning of the school year, on August 1st and the last payment be paid by July 1st of the following year.
The yearly gross income is the sum of the earnings of both caregivers or affiliates of the school contract of the previous calendar year (for example: calendar year 2021 for the school year 2022/2023). The tax assessment notice lists the yearly gross income under “Gesamtbetrag der Einkünfte”. Verification of the yearly gross income is the tax assessment notice of the previous year. The wage and tax statement could also be handed in as a preliminary verification. If the yearly gross income is above 150.000 Euros, no verification of yearly gross income is necessary. For further information please consult the school fee rules that you received with your school contract.
At our school, the monthly school fee for siblings (the second and each additional child) is in principle a maximum of EUR 100, regardless of the parents’ income. Should the school fees, calculated according to the following formula, be less than 100 EUR, this will be applied:
- first sibling: 25% discount on the tuition fee of the 1st child
- second sibling: 50% discount on the tuition fee of the 1st child
- third and each additional sibling: 75% discount on the 1st child’s tuition.
This formula applies to:
- Annual gross income less than or equal to 34.000 EUR for the second child
- Annual gross income less than or equal to 42.300 EUR for the third child
- Annual gross income less than or equal to 96.000 EUR for the fourth and each subsequent child.
The school fees for the first child are always calculated according to the gross annual income of the contracting parties. This discount only applies to siblings.
In accordance with § 2.5 of our school fees regulation, applications for a reduction of, or an exemption from, school fees in justified cases of hardship (e.g. in the case of gross annual incomes below 30.000 EUR) can be made to the management of Platanus Bildungs gGmbH.
Parental contributions for schools of general education are tax deductable up to 30% under “Sonderausgaben” (special payments). Payments towards care, room and board are not tax deductable. Since 2008, there is a ceiling amount to this tax deduction of 5.000 EUR per child, set of parents and year (= 30% of 16.667 EUR)
Case pending, the costs for the pre- and post-school care can be tax deductable if parents depend on the additional child care hours to be able to work. These costs are only tax deductable, if the child resides in the home of the parent in question and has not yet turned 14. If both parents work, and the child is raised by a single parent, then 2/3 of the additional child care costs can be tax deductable, maximum deduction is 4.000 EUR per child, per year.
Any information about tax deduction is subject to change and we assume no liablitity. Please contact your accountant with more detailed questions.