Understanding the School System in Hamburg

Working together
Education and training are extremely important for girls and boys. All parents are asked to encourage their children as much as possible with school. The schools want to have a good relationship with you. At the same time, German schools also expect you to support the teachers with your child’s school education and upbringing.

All pupils have the same rights and duties.
Germany is a democratic constitutional state. This means that teaching and education in Hamburg’s school system are based on the values set out in the Federal Constitution and the Constitution of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. Section 1 of Hamburg’s Education Act states:

“All young people have the right to an education and upbringing in accordance with their skills and interests, and are expected to gain an education to the best of their ability. This applies irrespective of their gender, origin, race, language, home country and family background, beliefs, religious and political views or disabilities.”

School milestones
Assessment of four-and-a-half year-old children
When your child is aged between four-and-a-half and five-and-a-half years, you will be invited to an important meeting at your local primary school: an introductory interview for four-and-a-half year-old children. See page 20 to find out more.

All children are also examined by a school doctor at regular intervals. The first health check aims to detect any health problems your child may have that could affect his or her learning ability. If any problems are found, they are then treated as quickly as possible.

Compulsory schooling and starting school
All children aged six years and above must attend school. Compulsory schooling ends at 18 years of age. Your child must start school if he or she has turned six years old by 1 July. School then begins in August of that year. At the beginning of the year, you will be invited to a primary school in the area where you live. It doesn’t matter what nationality you are or what your residency status is.

You can generally choose between several different primary schools near your home.

Secondary schools
At the end of primary school, when your child is in year 4, the class teacher will recommend the type of secondary school he or she considers most suitable for your child. However, it is your decision whether you want to enrol your child at a local comprehensive school (Stadtteilschule) or a grammar school (Gymnasium).

Hamburg has state schools and private schools.
The state schools are free of charge. Resources that your child needs to help him or her at school are called learning aids. Schools provide most learning aids free of charge. These are kept at school and used during lessons.

However, there are exceptions. Parents may need to buy the following items for their children, for example:

• Exercise books, pens and pencils, fountain pens, rulers, geometry sets, erasers, calculators and USB sticks
• Sports clothes and trainers

Other possible costs include:

• Class trips
• Trips to the theatre/cinema/concerts during the school year
• School projects (e.g. school circus)

Please note:
All extra costs will be discussed with parents in advance.

Informationen: Bildungspaket

Private schools charge fees, which are set by the schools themselves.

Interpreters for school appointments
Your child’s class teacher can arrange an interpreter for you for school appointments if necessary. The school will pay for this service.

Primary school
Primary school generally covers the first four years of school. Some primary schools have a pre-school. All primary schools offer an all-day option.

Grammar school
The grammar schools in Hamburg provide a standard eight-year course of education leading to an advanced level school leaving certificate (Abitur). Highly academic pupils are given special support in groups with others of a similar ability.

Local comprehensive school
The comprehensive schools in Hamburg are attended by some pupils who have and some who have not been recommended for grammar school, pupils with special and extraordinary talents, as well as children and young people with special educational needs. The comprehensive schools give pupils the opportunity to gain all types of school leaving certificates, including advanced level (Abitur) in nine years. 

The schools prepare pupils for university as well as for vocational training.

Qualifications
At the end of year 9:   general certificate of secondary education
                                      (Erster Schulabschluss)
At the end of year 10: intermediate level certificate of secondary education
                                      (Mittlerer Schulabschluss)
At the end of year 12: advanced level school leaving certificate
                                      (Abitur) at grammar school
At the end of year 13: advanced level school leaving certificate
                                      (Abitur) at comprehensive school

In Germany, young people who have finished school have two routes into the working world. They can either begin vocational training or go on to university.

In Germany, vocational training has an excellent reputation and is a successful stepping stone to a career.

What all parents should know:

1. In Germany, vocational training is subject to high quality standards and provides excellent opportunities to advance in the relevant industry.
2. Many occupations in Germany can only be learned as part of a vocational training programme and not at university, unlike in other countries.
3. Germany has a unique education and training system, known as the “Duale Berufsausbildung” (dual system of vocational education and training). Young people receive vocational training at a vocational school and a training company. The vocational schools teach them the theory and the companies enable them to put their knowledge into practice. Trainees and apprentices already count as employees at the companies and can combine their knowledge and skills. This dual form of vocational training offers excellent preparation for the working world and has an exemplary reputation worldwide.

Each district of Hamburg has a careers centre for young people. The staff offer young people and their parents advice on the transition from school to working life.
www.jba-hamburg.de
www.uebergangschuleberuf.de

All state primary schools have a full-day option up until 4 pm, including lunch for the children. Parents who need their children to be looked after before lessons start can enrol them for early-morning childcare from 6 am or 7 am. Late-afternoon childcare is available from 4 pm to 6 pm. The schools also provide supervision during the school holidays. All-day schools make the most of the extra time by providing additional leisure and interest-based activities, as well as support measures for the pupils. This enables the schools to cater more to the children’s talents and needs. It also gives the pupils the chance to make new friends at school and learn to interact with each other. Finally, allday schools allow parents to combine a career and a family.

The primary schools have different all-day concepts. Most primary schools are based on the concept of all-day education and childcare (GBS).

These schools offer a full-day programme in cooperation with a youth welfare service. Lessons are held in the mornings from 8 am to 1 pm. Before and after lessons and during the holidays, childcare is provided at the schools by a youth welfare partner on the basis of a joint educational concept. This generally includes help with homework, creative arts and sports, as well as time to relax and play.

At GBS schools, teachers work with the children during lessons, while childcare workers look after the children in the afternoons.

Hamburg also has voluntary, semi-compulsory and compulsory all-day schools (GTS), which are responsible for their own organisation. The voluntary, semicompulsory and compulsory all-day schools differ in terms of the required fullday attendance.

At voluntary all-day schools, timetabled lessons are held in the mornings. In the afternoons, pupils can sign up for various voluntary activities. Once they have signed up, their attendance is compulsory.

At compulsory all-day schools, timetabled lessons are spread over the day up until 4 pm. This means that all pupils are also required to stay for the afternoons.

At semi-compulsory all-day schools, pupils are required to stay until 4 pm on days specified by the school. The school day includes lessons, rest periods and play time, as well as help with homework or special courses. The children’s ability to concentrate and learn is taken into account in the planning of the day. These all-day schools employ other educational staff in addition to teachers.

Childcare at all of  the all-day primary schools is free of  charge between       8 am and 4 pm. Fees are charged for early-morning, late-afternoon and holiday childcare, depending on income and family size. Lunch costs are also based on income and family size.

Read more: Ganztag

Inclusion means that everybody – with or without physical disabilities – can take part in everyday life here in Hamburg. That’s why we are working to make Hamburg’s schools accessible to all:

• All rooms are accessible to wheelchair users. New schools are designed to ensure that there are no obstacles.
• In schools, people from many different professions work together. Teachers, child-care workers, special needs teachers and other specialist staff assist all children with learning.
• Your children will be encouraged in a way which strengthens and supports their abilities.

In Hamburg, all children with special needs have the right to attend primary school and secondary school (Section 12 of Hamburg’s Education Act). They also have the option of attending a special school. Parents decide which type of school they want their children to attend. You can find advice and support with these issues in the following places

• At the school your chil:d currently attends
• At the school you want your child to go to
• At the relevant Regional Education and Advice Centres (ReBBZ)
• At special schools,
• At the autism advice centre

Enrolling your child at a mainstream school
If your child has recognised special needs related to learning, language or emotional and social development, you can register him or her at any secondary school.

If your child has recognised special needs related to mental development, physical and motor development, sensory disabilities or is on the autism spectrum, he or she can attend a mainstream school which has suitable staff and equipment and experience with teaching such pupils.

Enrolling your child at a special school
If you wish your child with visual or hearing disabilities, mental development or physical and motor development issues to attend a special school, you can enrol him or her directly at the special school of your choice.
If your child has learning or language difficulties – even if combined with emotional and social development issues – you can enrol him or her directly at a Regional Education and Advice Centre (ReBBZ).

Special needs support plan
A support plan is created specifically for your child. It is drawn up together with you, your child and the teachers at the school. The support plan includes details of the type and amount of assistance. It is reviewed at regular intervals. You will be given the special needs assessment and support plan on paper.

You can support your child by:

• Making sure your child has breakfast every day, arrives at school on time, has a break-time snack and goes to bed early enough to get enough sleep.
• Informing the school by 8 am if your child will be absent from school owing to an important reason such as illness.
• Talking to your child about school, successes and difficulties.
• Checking if your child does his or her homework regularly and helping him or her to complete it.
• Getting to know your child’s teacher and discussing your child’s progress with him or her.
• Visiting the school if you have any questions about or problems with your child’s progress.
• Coming along to parents’ evenings, school open days, progress review sessions and other events at your child’s school.

If you want to talk to the teacher, you can make an appointment in person, by telephone or in writing.

An individual progress review session is held for your child at least once during the school year. This session is for you, your child and the class teacher. Attendance is compulsory for all participants. If you need an interpreter, please ask your child’s class teacher.

During the session, you, your child and the teacher agree on the next steps and targets for your child. These agreements are written down. At the next session, if not before, you will go through the agreements together to check if the steps have been taken.

Of course you can also ask the teacher for an appointment to discuss your child’s development before then.
 

How can you best prepare for a progress review session?
Go through the following questions with your child:

• How does your child get on with other pupils?
• How does your child get on with the class teacher?
• What does your child find easy or difficult in lessons?
• How good is your child at different subjects?
• Where does your child need help?
• How can your child organise his or her work better?
• What should your child work particularly hard at during the coming months?
• What is your child looking forward to in the next school year or term?
• How happy is your child at school?

Hamburg is an international city with many different people and a wide variety of languages and cultures. Many families in Hamburg speak a language other than German. At school, lessons are held in German. That is why it is very important for your child to learn to understand and speak German as quickly as possible.

What if your child doesn‘t speak German yet, but will be starting school soon?
When your child is between four-and-a-half and five-and-a-half years old, you will be invited to an important meeting at your local primary school: an introductory interview for four-and-a-half year-old children. You and your child will be invited to this meeting. It is compulsory for you to bring your child. At the interview at the school, the teachers will check to see if your child’s development is in keeping with his or her age and if your child can speak and understand German.

If your child can’t speak German well enough, he or she must attend pre-school before starting primary school. You can also apply for your child to go to kindergarten or nursery school. Your child will also receive four hours of German lessons per week to improve his or her language skills. You can find out more during the meeting at the school.

This meeting will often be your first contact with the school. Have a think about the following questions to prepare for the important interview:
 

• Which language or languages do you speak at home?
• Which language does your child speak at kindergarten or nursery school?
• Does your child understand and always speak his or her native language? Or does he or she also understand and speak German?
• What is your child particularly good at? (Sport, music, making things, drawing ...)

Please note
By the time your child leaves primary school, he or she must have learned German well enough to be able to participate successfully at secondary school. The earlier a child starts kindergarten or nursery school and begins learning German, the better.

Moving to Hamburg from another country
Children and young people who do not know enough German to attend regular classes start school in an international preparatory class (IVK) or basic class (BK) or a similar offering in the vocational school system (see page 22). This is organised by the School Information Centre (SIZ) and the Information Centre of the Hamburg Institute for Vocational Education and Training (IZ-HIBB).

Education and language are the key to integrating migrants and their children. To make sure that children and young people with no or little knowledge of German feel at home as quickly as possible in Germany, they are offered comprehensive education and supervision by the Office for Schools and Vocational Education (Behörde für Schule und Berufsbildung, BSB). All children must attend school, whatever their residency status.
School-age children and young people who live in an initial reception facility with their families are prepared for everyday school life in Hamburg by teachers in small groups on site or in nearby schools. As well as learning basic German, they are taught about life in Germany.
When a family moves out of an initial reception facility and into state accommodation, the teachers fill in a documentation sheet (EA-Bogen) with their recommendation for the type of follow-on school.
When they move into residential accommodation, children and young people are given a place at a mainstream school: to focus on learning German, the children and young people first attend basic classes (BK) or international preparatory classes (IVK). This also applies to families who have moved to Germany and whose children do not speak enough German.

All children and young people aged 16 years and under who have moved to Germany are allocated a school by the School Information Centre (SIZ): depending on their age and previous education, pupils are either assigned to a basic class or an international preparatory class. Children and young people who cannot read and write the Roman alphabet or who are illiterate attend basic classes first. After a year at the latest, they move to an international preparatory class. When choosing a school, the distance between school and home is taken into account, especially for younger children. Children and young people can start school any time during the year.

During the first six months in an international preparatory class, they receive intensive German language tuition. After that, they are taught other subjects too. The teaching of different subjects (maths, physical education and general studies at primary school; maths, physical education, social studies and English at secondary school) prepares children and young people for the transition to regular classes.

Young people aged 15 years and over have the option of taking the general certificate of secondary education (ESA) as part of a two-year international preparatory class. They can also prepare for the intermediate level certificate (MSA) and the transition to further studies.

Young people aged 16 and 17 years are assigned to the two-year Training Preparation for Migrants (Ausbildungsvorbereitung für Migranten, AvM-Dual) by the Information Centre of the Hamburg Institute for Vocational Training and Education (IZ-HIBB). Young people with a limited basic education who cannot read and write the Roman alphabet or who are illiterate attend a one-year literacy class first.

Following an introductory phase lasting several months, the AvM-Dual programme teaches young people three days a week at school and two days a week in a company. At the companies, the young people are looked after by company integration supervisors who make sure there is a link to the content taught at school. As part of the AvM-Dual educational programme, young people can prepare to take the general (ESA) or intermediate (MSA) certificate of secondary education.
You can find more information on the Internet:

Steigerung der Bildungschancen

 zuschulung@bsb.hamburg.de

Schulinformationszentrum 
(School Information Centre)
Tel.: +49 (0)40. 428 99 22 11 
Hamburger Straße 125a
22083 Hamburg

Informationszentrum-HIBB
(Information Centre of the Hamburg Institute for Vocational Training and Education)
Tel.: +49 (0)40. 428 63 42 36
Hamburger Straße 125a
 22083 Hamburg

For your child’s personal development, it is important that you talk to him or her a lot, look at books together and read out loud – in the language in which you are most comfortable. By talking and reading aloud, you will give your child a feeling for language, which will make a good basis for him or her to learn German. It is an advantage for your child to be able to speak his or her own language well and to read and write it.

Can my child be taught in his or her native language?
Some schools in Hamburg teach children in their native language. The following languages are available: Albanian, Arabic, Bosnian, Dari, Farsi, Italian, Kurdish, Polish, Portuguese, Romany, Russian and Turkish. Ask your child’s class teacher for more information.

If there are at least 15 pupils at a school who want to have lessons in their native language, their parents can submit a request and the school can then apply to the education authorities for a suitable offer. If there are not enough pupils at your school who want to learn your language, ask your school about offers at other schools and institutions nearby.

Schools with bilingual classes
In bilingual classes, pupils are taught in two languages right from the first day. Hamburg has primary schools with German-Italian, German-Portuguese, German-Spanish and German-Turkish classes. The German-Portuguese, German-Spanish and German-Turkish classes are continued up to year 10 or even through to advanced level (Abitur).

Read more:
“Fremdsprachenunterricht” (language teaching) brochure 

Sometimes not everything goes as well as hoped for your child at school. If any problems occur at school, during lessons or socially, teachers, pupils and parents or guardians must work together to find a solution. Take every opportunity to talk so you can resolve any conflicts and look for solutions together.

You have the following possibilities:

• If you think there is a conflict involving your child or your child’s class, your first point of contact is the class teacher.
• If there are conflicts in a class, the pupils can mention and discuss them in the class council. The class council gives pupils the chance to discuss topics relating to school life together. As a parent, you can suggest the topic of conflict for the class council or parents’ evening to the class teacher.
• If your child has a conflict or a problem with a teacher, you can ask another person at the school whom you trust (such as a parent representative) to join you for a meeting. Class conflicts can also be discussed with the school counsellor or headteacher.
• If your child wants to resolve a conflict on his or her own, he or she

can talk to the class teacher and school counsellor, as well as the peer mediators.

All schools have a variety of opportunities for you as a parent to get involved and support your child’s teachers.

What does the Education Act stipulate?
According to the Education Act, all schools must include parents in the workings of the school and in decision-making processes. Parents elect representatives for this purpose.
Each class elects class parent representatives who have the following tasks:

• They represent the interests of all the parents of the class.
• They keep the other parents up-to-date on current issues and decisions at the school, either independently or with the class teacher.
• In the event of conflicts or problems, they liaise between parents and teachers.
• They elect the parents’ council, which plays a decision-making role in all fundamental issues at the school.

You can find out more about the work of class parent representatives in Arabic, German, English, Farsi, French and Turkish in the following brochure

All parents can take part in various activities at school and outside school:

• Arrange or offer private coaching where required.
• Accompany the class to swimming lessons.
• Help out in the library or read stories aloud in your native language.
• Accompany the class on school trips.
• Cook or bake something for school festivities.
• Referee at school football tournaments.
• Get involved in the school’s parent café.
• Become a facilitator and keep other parents informed about the school system.
• Organise an international party.
• Offer courses.

For further information please contact KWB e.V.:

KBW (Coordination Office for Continuing Education and Employment e.V.),

Tel.: + 49 (0)40. 334 24 10

or info@kwb.de

There will always be some situations where you aren’t sure how to react as a parent. Here you can find answers to some of your questions:

Can my child take time off school for important religious reasons?
Pupils can get permission to take one day off school on major religious holidays. Please make sure you talk to your child’s class teacher about this in good time.

Does my child have to take part in a class trip or school excursion?
Class trips and school excursions are not leisure time. They are lessons which take place outside school and are compulsory. Class trips and school excursions help to create a group spirit among the class and teach social interaction. Class teachers are responsible for preparing and leading trips. You will be informed of the schedule and the costs in good time at a parents’ evening and will have the chance to ask questions. If you still have any concerns, please talk to the class teacher.

Can my child be excluded from sex education if it goes against the cultural and religious values of my family?
Sex education is an interdisciplinary subject. In Hamburg, sex education is an educational objective for schools. This means that children and young people cannot be excluded from lessons.
Parents have the right to be told about the lessons and the related materials at a parents’ evening, for example. If you have any other questions, please contact your child’s class teacher.

Why do girls and boys have physical education and swimming lessons together?
Joint physical education and swimming are part of the curriculum. This means that children cannot be excluded from the lessons. If you have any questions, please call the school swimming hotline on +49 (0)40. 188 89 55. Of course, you can also talk to your child’s teacher.

To find out more about class trips and school excursions, physical education lessons, clothing requirements, religious holidays and prayer rooms, please see the multilingual guide for parents: “Diversity in Schools”:
www.li.hamburg.de/bie

Can we take our child on holiday during term time?
In Hamburg, children are not permitted to go on holiday outside the official school holidays. You must make sure your child attends school during term time. You must obtain permission from the school for your child to miss a lesson, otherwise it will be recorded as a non-excused absence. This can have a negative impact on your child’s school report – and on later applications for training or apprenticeships.

Schulinformationszentrum
School Information Centre, (SIZ)
Hamburger Str. 125a
22083 Hamburg
Tel.: + 49 (0)40. 428 99 22 11
schulinformationszentrum@bsb.hamburg.de
www.hamburg.de/bsb/siz

Informationszentrum des Hamburger Instituts für Berufliche Bildung (IZ-HIBB)

(Information Centre of the Hamburg Institute for

Vocational Training and Education, (IZ-HIBB)
Hamburger Str. 125a
22083 Hamburg
Tel.: + 49 (0)40. 428 63 42 36

informationszentrum@hibb.hamburg.de
www.hibb.hamburg.de

Landesinstitut für Lehrerbildung und Schulentwicklung (LI)
Hamburg Institute for Teacher Training and School Development, (LI)
Felix-Dahn-Str. 3
20357 Hamburg
Tel.: + 49 (0)40. 428 84 26 74
li@li.hamburg.de
www.li.hamburg.de

KWB e.V. / Koordinierungsstelle Weiterbildung und Beschäftigung e.V.
KWB e.V./ Coordination Office for Continuing Education and Employment e.V.
Kapstadtring 10
22297 Hamburg
Tel.: + 49 (0)40. 334 24 10
www.kwb.de