Parent's Review of International School Hamburg in Hamburg, Germany

What is the name of your child's school? (Please report on one school per survey.)

International School Hamburg

In what town or city is this school located?

Hamburg

How would you describe this school? (i.e. American, British, International, Local, etc.)

International, IB program, British reading series at Junior level

What grade levels are represented at this school?

preschool thru grade 12

How do most children get to school everyday? (bus, train, walk, etc.)

There is a school bus, but my experience has been that the vast majority are driven to school. There is a terrible traffic jam every am and pm, due to lack of parking facilities. Some use public transportation-train or bus, and some cycle.

How would you describe the facilities at this school? What extra-curricular activities are available?

The facilities of this school are quite outdated and seem rather haphazard. The updating doesn't appear to make sense-a huge amount was paid to update the aula, but it is definitely NOT child friendly. The children are constantly being yelled at to keep their feet off the cushions, etc. Is this not their school too? Extracurricular activities are primarily organized by parents, not the school. Recently a scout group was begun for boys.

What has this school done to help your child transition from the curriculum in your home country into the curriculum in your new country? Are there programs to prepare your child for repatriation?

Nothing was done to assist my child or my family in any way, to my knowledge there are no programs to assist in repatriation. Any assistance I was given came from networking with parents.

How would you describe the social activities available for parents through this school? Are there parent-teacher organizations?

There is a PTA, however I haven't experienced it doing a great deal. I hope this changes. Most of the social activies for parents are organized by parents. There is a bulletin board for posting notices.

What advice would you give to someone considering enrolling their child in this school?

Unfortunately this is the only option in Hamburg. There needs to be a stronger expectation of the teaching staff. There are a great many teachers for have become lazy and simply pass out worksheet after worksheet. In my mind, this is not teaching. This school has potential, however the standards must be raised and the children must become a bigger priority.

William Russell
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William Russell

William Russell's private medical insurance will cover you and your family wherever you may be. Whether you need primary care or complex surgery, you'll have access to the best hospitals & doctors available. Unlike some insurers, we also include medical evacuation and mental health cover in our plans (except SilverLite). Get a quote from our partner, William Russell.
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