Secondary School

The Secondary School is situated on the northern edge of the Grunewald, Berlin’s city forest, in tranquil surroundings. Transport connections are excellent, with a school-run service that provides buses to residential areas and a connecting service that links with the city’s comprehensive public transport system.

At Secondary School, students in Years 7 – 9 (Key Stage 3) follow the outline of the National Curriculum for England and Wales, modified to suit the needs of an international student body. Between Years 7 – 11, the school is not academically selective, but we do insist that students have enough English to access the curriculum successfully. To that end, a three-day visit is offered and encouraged for all students who wish to join us, so that some standard tests can be administered. In Years 10 and 11 (Key Stage 4), a two-year course is followed, leading to the qualification of International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) in up to ten subjects. Students who are successful at IGCSE then move into Year 12 and 13, where they prepare for the International Baccalaureate Diploma programme, a well respected and recognised qualification by universities throughout the world.

Throughout Secondary School, our method of teaching encourages and incorporates

• The development of oral, aural, written and practical skills in a range of subjects
• An investigative approach
• Critical thinking
• The use of initiative to solve problems
• The application of skills, knowledge and understanding
• The ability to undertake individual projects, and to work as part of a team

We aim to provide a valuable educational experience for all students, and reward them for positive achievement – what they know, understand and can do – rather than penalise them for what they do not know or get wrong.  We want our students to become interested, inquisitive, independent and life-long learners, who take their place confidently in the world, whilst appreciating the cultural diversity of the world around them.

The School Day

Learning Support

Whilst we expect all students at Secondary School to have enough English to access the curriculum successfully, we have a Learning Support co-ordinator based at Secondary School.  Students whose mother tongue is not English are assessed, and given EAL (English as an Additional Language) support if it is deemed necessary. Our Learning Support co-ordinator also assesses new students for any Special Educational Needs (SEN), and will draw up Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for those students who need additional help. Students identified as ‘Gifted and Talented’ have the opportunity to join ‘enrichment’ clubs, and may have the opportunity to take some IGCSE subjects early.

Modern Languages

Modern Foreign Languages are an essential component of an international education.  At Secondary School, all students learn German, either as a Native or Foreign language.  In addition, from Year 7 onwards, students study either French or Spanish, and can take this second language right through to IGCSE and IB. Cultural trips and exchanges for both languages take place annually.

Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities play an important part in the life of the school.  The Secondary School has a strong music and drama programme.  Students are offered the opportunity to receive instrumental lessons on a wide range of instruments, and orchestral players and vocalists have the opportunity to join the Berlin International Schools Music Project, where they can perform with students in all the International Schools in Berlin.  There is a ‘Vocal Ensemble’ which last year joined with Ardvreck School in Scotland on a very successful exchange visit which saw them perform in both countries.

Drama productions have been a highlight of Secondary School life – in the last few years, plays  as diverse as ‘The Crucible’ and ‘Terry’ have been performed by our students:

Sport plays an important part in school life at BBS.  All students in Years 7 – 11 receive weekly sports lessons, and there are many opportunities to join after-school clubs.  The school belongs to the GISST (German International Schools Sports Tournaments) organisation, and students travel all over Germany to participate in tournaments in a range of sports – for example, Football, Basketball, Swimming, Cross-Country, Athletics, Tennis, Badminton – throughout the school year.

Trips and Residentials

At BBS, our teachers all believe passionately that learning does not just take place within the classroom, and so at Secondary School there is a wide range of team-building activities, school excursions and off-site learning experiences which take place during the academic year. Early in the Autumn Term, students in Years 7-10 are invited to participate in our ‘Adventure Weekend’ to Blossin, a youth and outdoor centre some 50km south west of the city.  Here, they undertake a short programme of sporting, water-based and team building activities, an ideal way for new students to easily become integrated into the student body, while having fun in an outdoor environment.

February sees the annual Ski Trip to St Michael in Austria, where students of all ability levels are instructed in both skiing and snowboarding.

For students who are interested in challenging themselves physically, an annual trip is taken to the Lake District of the UK, where students have the opportunity to do some serious hill walking, and climb to the top of Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in Cumbria.  Secondary students have also taken part in World Challenge Expeditions; in 2009 a group travelled to Morocco, where in addition to hiking and sight-seeing, they were involved in community work, helping to decorate a school.

Of course, living in an exciting city such as Berlin is also a wonderful resource for our students, and frequent local trips to art galleries, museums, concert halls and academic institutes help widen the learning experience for our students.