All about Elementary school (Grundschule) in Germany
In Germany, education is regulated at the state level. Therefore, there are slight variations in the schooling system from state to state. However, there are more similarities than differences between them. This article is a generic article that gives you a basic understanding of how elementary schools work in Germany. There may be slight changes depending on which state you are in. For specific information, please check the website of Schulamt in your city.
Now, let’s start.
What is Grundschule?
Elementary school is called Primarstufe or Grundschule in Germany. It typically comprises four years: 1st,2nd,3rd, and 4th grade, starting when the child completes six years. In some cases, it can be more ( more about it further in the article). In some cases, it can start earlier (before the child turns 6), which is also explained below.
When can I start sending my child to elementary school?
In Germany, there exists something called Schulpflicht, which means that after the child turns 6, it is compulsory to send the child to school. All children born up to and including July 1st and, therefore, turn six by June 30th are mandated to go to school from the beginning of the academic year. This means that let’s say your child turns six on 1st July 2024 (or before), you are mandated to send him/her to school from September 2024.
Note that younger children who turn six after June 30th (called kann Kinder in German) can start school at the request of their parents. Parents have to send a written request to the school. The school, after consultation with the doctor (who does the checkups described below) and your child’s kindergarten teacher, decides whether to allow it or not.
If the child is born after December, which means that the child will be a few months short of 6 years when the academic year starts, can also get admission to the school. In that case, the written request by parents should be supported by a psychological assessment of mental and psychological development.
Some schools also offer something called Eingangsstufe, in which children are enrolled in a school when they are five years old. They undergo a 2-year programme, after which they enter 2nd grade and complete their elementary school in 5 years instead of 4, i.e. two years in Eingangsstufe followed by 2nd grade, 3rd grade and 4th grade ( which makes a total of 5 years), as opposed to 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade (which makes a total of 4 years).
Based on your requirements, please discuss these possibilities and what needs to be done, by you as a parent, with the school.
How and when does the admission process start?
Typically, a school in your area would get in touch with you and fix an appointment with you sometime around March/April of the year in which the academic year will start. This means that if your child is expected to start school in September 2024, your appointment with the school will be around March/April 2024.
In this meeting, apart from checking the birth certificate (called Geburtschein), the German-speaking level of the child will be gauged. If the school feels that the child needs extra support with German learning, they may offer a program called Vorlaufkurse, which will take place before the academic year starts. The idea of conducting a meeting as early as March is to have enough time to prepare the child before the academic year starts.
Note that if, for any reason, you want to put your child in a school that is not in your area, you must support your written request with a good reason.
What are the next steps after registration of the child at a school is confirmed?
Every school has its own method of carrying out the admission process, but some basic things remain the same:
Once your child’s admission is confirmed, the school will ask you to take your child for a medical checkup. You have to make an appointment with the local health authority (called Gesundheitsamt). Sometimes, the school helps with an appointment, and sometimes the authorities contact you. During this checkup, the speaking, hearing, language skills and gross motor skills of the child are checked, and a report is generated.
The school may organize a meeting day for all parents (called Kennenlerntag), in which they would make the parents aware of how the school functions, specific plans for the child (extra German learning class), etc.
What is meant by Flexible School Start (Flexibler Schulanfang)?
In some states, there is a concept of Flexibler Schulanfang in elementary schools, wherein Years 1 and 2 of elementary school are combined into one educational unit. All school-age children in a year group are admitted to school without being assessed for their school readiness. Children can go through the combined grades 1 and 2 in one, two or three school years, depending on their individual learning and performance abilities.
How does a typical day in elementary school go?
Children are taught fundamental concepts. They are introduced to the concept of a timetable (called Stundenplan) and pack their bags accordingly. They are taught basic concepts in German, Maths, English, Religion/Ethics, Science, Sports, etc. There are a whole lot of extracurricular activities, school trips, etc. They usually have a class teacher who stays with the class for their entire time in elementary school. However, there are teachers for other subjects. The school also offers AGs (Arbeitsgemeinschaften), which are hobby classes after school hours, which the children can enrol in if they are interested.
The school hours are shorter in 1st and 2nd grade (typically around 21 hours per week) and get increased in 3rd and 4th grades ( around 25 hours per week). The school typically gets over by 1:00 pm or before, depending on the grade in which the child is. There are breaks between classes (called Pause) and a relatively more extended break for lunch.
Schools also offer after-school care for children of working parents.
How is assessment done in elementary schools in Germany?
Children are evaluated on a regular basis through tests, classwork, homework, participation in the class, and their social behaviour. Noten System is introduced, in which, at the end of each half year (1st half of the year ends in Feb and the second half ends in July), they receive their report cards in which they are graded on their performance in subjects as well as their work and social behaviour (called Arbeitsverhalten and Sozialverhalten respectively).
Note 1-6 can be interpreted as:
1 =Sehr Gut ( Very good )
2=Gut ( good )
3=befriedigend ( satisfactory )
4=ausreichend ( adequate )
5=mangelhalft (unsatisfactory)
6=ungenugend ( insufficient )
What happens at the end of elementary school? What are the further steps?
At the end of Grundschule, the teacher fixes up a time with the parents for a meeting and gives her final feedback about the child. She/he also suggests a further course of action, i.e. based on his/her evaluation; they may suggest Realschule, Hauptschule, or Gymnasium for the child. Read my article about the German Schooling System to get an understanding of middle school and high school in Germany.
What if you are new in Germany and want to enrol your child into an elementary school?
If you are new in Germany, after registering yourself and your child at the city office (Rathaus), you must make an appointment at Schulamt in your city and meet them along with your child. The authorized person would discuss with the parents, gauge the child’s German language level and suggest further steps. Depending on your child’s age/grade he or she has completed/Geman language level/ place availability in schools/your location/ availability of language and other support programmes, etc, they would suggest a school for your child. Then, you must make an appointment with the school and take it forward.
In some cities, it is the case that if your child is between 6 and 10, you can directly contact the school in your area, and if your child is above 10, you go through the Schulamt. You must check the Schulamt website in your city for the latest information about this. Also, read my article: First Steps towards German Schooling for foreigners.
To read other articles about education in Germany, click here.
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