Upper Secondary School

We are planning to introduce the Gymnasiale Oberstufe (upper secondary education) next school year 2024/25, starting with Year 11 and then successively growing up to Year 13. With the decision to introduce the Gymnasiale Oberstufe, we have fulfilled the wish of many students and their parents. In recent years, graduates were reluctant to leave our school and found the change of school unpleasant; most families would have liked to stay.

In the future, all students at our school shall have the opportunity to study bilingually from the 1st grade until they take the Abitur in the 13th grade – depending, of course, on the required performance and motivation to enter the Gymnasiale Oberstufe. During the introduction to the Gymnasiale Oberstufe in Year 11, high-achieving students with very good grades and good work and social behaviour have the opportunity to complete a half or full year abroad, subject to the approval of the school administration.

There will be a tailored course offer with a focus on our main areas of bilingualism/languages and MINT (Mathematics, Informatics, Natural Sciences, Technology). We are currently planning our specific course offerings in consultation with our students and parents.

We only admit students to the Gymnasiale Oberstufe after they have successfully passed the Mittlerer Schulabschluss (MSA) or equivalent abroad, have good work and social behaviour and have a recommendation for the Gymnasiale Oberstufe. DaZ (German as a Second Language) and EAL (English as an Additional Language) are generally offered to all lateral entrants – however, for the Gymnasiale Oberstufe it must be ensured that the language requirements for successful learning are met in both German and English according to the course selection. For the admission of external students, we will arrange appointments and/or trial days so that we can personally get an impression of the performance level, the work and social behavior and the language level German/English.

About the premises: Next to our school, we have built a new, modern building with 4 classrooms for secondary level I and II students, our “Second House”. We have also opened up new classrooms, course rooms and break rooms for secondary levels I and II on the ground floor of the neighbouring building at Berliner Straße 13. We are also converting our current Platanus Kindergarten building at Benjamin-Vogelsdorff-Str. 1 in Berlin-Pankow by the start of the 2025/26 school year, thereby expanding our campus for secondary level II and looking forward to new, modern and energy-efficient premises for our upper secondary school.

The purpose of a Gemeinschaftsschule is joint learning up to the qualification that suits each student individually and corresponds to their performance and their own plans for the future. The students do not have to decide on a new school in the initial phase of puberty, which, as experience shows, is a time full of developmental tasks and challenges even without major external changes. They do not have the pressure of a grade point average of currently less than 1.3 at the popular Gymnasien or Integrierte Sekundarschulen in order to get a school place. Depending on their performance, skills and interests, they can study until Year 10 and then graduate with the Mittlerer Schulabschluss (intermediate school leaving certificate) or, after Year 13, with the Abitur (German high school diploma). As a bilingual school with many international and highly mobile families, we will offer the “Bilingual Abitur” with optional Cambridge Certificate. With this certificate, our students would be able to study at every university worldwide where German and/or English are spoken as the languages of study. We also offer the Duke of Edinburgh Award in Years 9 to 11.

If you have any questions about our concept or admission, please do not hesitate to contact us!