Goals

Through bilingual lessons in English and German, pupils learn English intensively right from the first school day and develop speaking skills comparative with native speakers.

A central part of integrating technology into children’s education at our school are child-friendly computer lessons where we help pupils to learn about computer hardware, software and its use, and to regularly practise and implement its use.

Bilingual Concept

Learning a foreign language already at a primary school age trains the child early and systematically to develop the skills to learn another foreign language more easily.  Pupils understand the lessons from the first school day, mainly through gestures, mimicking, games, songs and flashcards.

Bilingual primary education has been proven to contribute to a higher level of openness, cultural awareness, and greater tolerance of people from other countries and their languages and cultures.

Parents and their involvement

The support of parents is an integral part of our educational concept.  Some of the most important educational goals we emphasise include cooperativeness and taking responsibility for others.  Parents are not required to have a prior knowledge of English, to enrol their child at our school.

Lessons and the timetable

The class number of 20 guarantees individual and effective learning.  The learning content (curriculum) is in accordance with the state guidelines.

In addition to the state curriculum being covered, we also provide English from Year 1, a portion of the lessons in various subjects are also taught in English, and computer lessons are offered weekly from Year 1.

The English-speaking lessons are preferably taught by English native speakers where possible.

Daily Routine

As an open all-day school, Altmark Blingual Primary  is open from 7:00am to 3:00pm.  Any care outside these hours must be arranged additionally through the After School Care facility.

Generally, the morning is spent having lessons according to the state curriculum, with active and relaxation breaks interspersed.  After lunch and a final lesson, students have a play or resting phase, before completing homework and participating in any extra-curricular activities.

Continuation of  Bilingual Education

From the school year 2008/2009, the 5th grade pupils as one class should be able to continue their bilingual education at the Privatgymnasium in Stendal where it is continued and developed further, with the possibility of beginning study in another foreign language.  In addition to this, the computer lessons will be continued at a higher level from Year 7.

At the end of Year 4 at Altmark Bilingual, there is the possibility to sit an international language Test from Cambridge University through a language school in Berlin.  The Cambridge Young Learners Tests (3 – Reading and Writing, Listening, and Speaking) lead to an internationally recognised certificate.  The Flyers Level that the children sit, is equivalent to A2 level of the common European Framework for language learning from the European Union.  To read more about the Common European Framework, please click here.   

English Version:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_European_Framework_of_Reference_for_Languages

German Version :

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemeinsamer_Europ%C3%A4ischer_Referenzrahmen

Financing

The school is financed through school fees.  In the first 3 years, the school supporting organisation (Schulträger) provided advance financing.  State funding was only provided from the 4^th year of operation.

School fees are € 160 per child per month.

School Location

From the school year 2006/2007 the school moved to a brand new modern purpose-built school building in Stendal, Bruchweg 3, which is conveniently located in close proximity to the city centre.