Our annual tuition fees vary according to the student’s grade level: 

Kindergarten and Reception:      € 12.000
Grade 1 - 3:                                       € 17.420
Grade 4 - 5:                                       € 18.520
Grade 6 - 10:                                     € 19.610
Grade 11 - 12:                                   € 20.730

For detailed information concerning our fees, discounts and additional costs please click here.

Yes, we have an open enrolment policy and accept applications throughout the school year, subject to certain academic and linguistic requirements which depend on the Grade level.

Generally, it takes about 10 days to process an application. If necessary, applications can be dealt with more quickly. Sometimes, applications that require extra discussion (for example in relation to individual learning needs or subject choices) can take longer.

We do tests in Mathematics and English to assess students' numeracy, English literacy and general reasoning abilities.

A personal tour for parents or families can be organised at any point throughout the year. If you would like to arrange for a tour please complete the simple visit request form.  

Alternatively, you can come to one of our information evenings or open house days, which are held throughout the year.

Yes, in general we do accept students with little or no English skills. Nevertheless, there are requirements by age for English language competency.  Students aged eight and up joining the school with very little or no English will be assessed and parents will be advised if extra intensive tuition is necessary.

Yes, students with specific learning needs qualify for direct teaching and learning support by one of our specially trained teachers. Support can include both in class and individual educational provision. Please find more information here.

Yes! As Germany is our host country all students have to learn German in all programmes. German is taught as two different subjects: “German as a Foreign Language and German acquisition” and “German as mother Tongue and German language and literature”. In the foreign language classes, there are one or two different levels in PYP and six language phases in MYP. German mother tongue in PYP is taught through inquiry with reference to the state of Hesse curriculum. In MYP, German is part of the language and literature programme and also involves elements of the Hesse curriculum.

What are the advantages of the Primary Years Programme?
The Primary Years Programme (PYP) is an internationally recognized curriculum framework. By attending a PYP school, your child will be able to transfer to any other PYP school in the world and feel right at home within the programme. The other key advantage when deciding which school is right for your child is that PYP schools always place their emphasis on developing the whole child. At Strothoff International School we support everyone’s unique potential to become responsible members of their communities.

What are the advantages of the Middle Years Programme?
Students who complete the Middle Years Programme (MYP) acquire the concepts and skills to prepare them for our changing world and learn how to be successful as global citizens. They learn to apply effective research, communication, thinking and social skills to 8 different subject areas.

What are the advantages of the Diploma Programme?
The IB Diploma is widely recognised as excellent university preparation and is internationally accepted for university and college entrance. Students take six subjects across at least five disciplines. Mathematics and two languages are compulsory (this is not the case in other systems such as A level and Abitur).The core components - Theory of Knowledge, Extended Essay and CAS (Creativity, Activity and Service) are unique to the IB DP, and sets it apart from other school systems.

Yes, the MYP certificate at Strothoff International School is recognized as equivalent to the Mittlere Reife* by the Kultusministerkoferenz (literally "conference of ministers of education"). This makes Strothoff International School one of only 10 schools in Germany and the only one in Hesse whose MYP certificate is recognized as Mittlere Reife.

For more information please go to: http://www.kmk.org/fileadmin/Dateien/veroeffentlichungen_beschluesse/2011/2011_12_08-MYP.pdf

If you have further questions please contact Ms. Bettina Otto (b.otto@strothoff-international-school.de)

*The Mittlere Reife is a school leaving certificate in Germany that is roughly comparable with the American high school diploma or the British GCSE. It is regularly awarded after ten years of schooling.

Will my child be expected to do homework in the Primary Years Programme?
Yes, student learning does not stop when children go home for the day. There is an age-appropriate amount of reading that should be done on a daily basis. This reading can be done in English and/or the student's mother tongue.

Will my child be expected to do homework in the Middle Years Programme?
Yes, students are expected to do homework if a required task is not completed during the lesson at school. Students can also complete assigned work during their study hall sessions scheduled twice per week, at the homework club on Monday-Thursday from 3:15-4pm and/or in a subject tutorial at the teacher’s discretion.

Will my child be expected to do homework in the Diploma Programme?
Yes, students should expect to do 2-3 hours of homework per night.  This will need to become a habit which is supported within the family home.

What grading system do you use in PYP?
In the PYP we do not use a typical grading system. Our philosophy is that all children are on their own learning path. We use benchmarks to assess students on a four-point continuum. The four points are: requires support, developing, achieving and excelling.

What grading system do you use in MYP?
The Middle Years Programme uses the International Baccalaureate (IB) criterion-referenced grading system. Each of the eight subject areas has four criteria. Students are graded on each criterion twice per semester. Each semester, students are given a grade from 1-7 (1 being the lowest, 7 the highest). These grades are determined by calculating criterion scores to fit with the grade boundaries determined by the IB.

What grading system do you use in DP?
The IB grades go from 1-7, with a 7 being the highest. There are 45 points available for the Diploma (42 from the six subjects, plus 3 additional “bonus” points for TOK and Extended Essay). It is not possible to pass with fewer than 24 points, although certificates can be awarded for individual examination passes in academic subjects without the Diploma being awarded.

The examinations are held over a three-week period in May. Final examinations make up between 50% and 80% of the final grade in each subject.  Internal assessments (lab reports, essays, individual projects, orals and exhibitions) make up the rest of the grade.

Higher education institutions around the world admit students based on their IB credentials, and many have specific admissions policies and guidelines for IB students. Admissions criteria can vary widely across educational systems and institutions. For information on universities that recognize the IB, and details on their recognition policies please click here.

The Diploma Programme has been designed as a “stand-alone” educational programme – in other words, any student of the appropriate age with a good level of general knowledge and the required study skills should be able to complete the Diploma successfully, even if they have limited subject-specific experience.

This in turn means that the Middle Years Programme is designed to teach concepts and skills first and foremost, and there is less emphasis on in-depth subject content than in many other school systems.

The result of this is that it generally becomes increasingly difficult for students to transfer to alternative school systems with increasing age. However, academically strong students who have completed MYP programmes have previously chosen to follow A-level courses, for example, and have successfully completed these.

In some countries, such as Germany and Switzerland, the transfer to schools such as the Gymnasium is made more complicated by the bureaucratic hurdles which must be overcome, which in some cases require additional, subject-specific examinations.

Transfers to national systems which rely heavily on rote learning rather than independent study, such as in Asia or Russia, can be particularly challenging above a certain age – typically 13 or 14.

The school will always discourage students who have commenced DP1 from switching to another school, even one offering the Diploma Programme. Experience has shown that such a move almost invariably results in a lower IB Diploma score than the student could have achieved otherwise.

We have a bring-your-own-device laptop programme that begins in PYP5. Students are free to choose the laptop that fits their needs and budget. This freedom to choose hardware is made possible by the school’s use of G Suite. G Suite is a cloud-based system that enables our school community to communicate more efficiently and collaborate more effectively to improve student learning.

All students from MYP 1 to MYP 4 have mandatory Design Technology classes. All technology students are introduced to the Google applications to make their workflow in school both efficient and effective. They also have cyber-safety lessons to ensure that they understand how to engage with others appropriately and protect their privacy online.

Students in MYP5 may select Design Technology as an optional course. In addition to basic cyber safety, this group will also explore digital journalism, create short films by experiencing the entire film-making process, make their own mini-PC using Raspberry Pi kits and assist in creating the school’s yearbook.

Diploma students have the option of taking online courses through Pamoja Education, the exclusive online provider of IBDP courses. For the 2015-2016 school year, for example, we have five students studying DP Psychology. Online courses will enable us to significantly expand our course offerings despite the small size of our school.