In the German International Stream Kindergarten, we encourage children to be confident and independent learners. We provide them with a broad and balanced curriculum to prepare them for the future, while fostering intercultural learning with German culture and traditions.

We offer different language immersion programmes with bilingualism, multiculturalism and a nurturing environment being at the centre of our Kindergarten’s curriculum. Our students come first and our priority is to deliver an exceptional education within a safe, caring and happy environment. Each child is individual and learns at their own pace. We emphasise on learning through play and follow a child centred and holistic approach.

We offer a well balanced mix of teacher-led activities which are shaped around a combination of opportunities to play freely, through which they have many opportunities to speak and listen with others. In the German International Stream, we sincerely believe that this helps develop children’s social and communication skills as well as a dual way of thinking.

In all three classes, we have a maximum of 20 students per class with mixed age groups from 2.8 to 5 years.

In the fully German class, we have a class teacher and teaching assistant. In the bilingual classes, each class has a native speaker for both languages.

German Primary

The German Primary Department is made up of classes K01 – K04. There is one year of Pre-school.

The Pre-school and Primary timetable comprises six lessons of 40 minutes every day. It includes enough playtime for younger children. The normal school morning begins at 7:40 am and ends at 12:30 pm.

The Primary Department has fully trained primary school teachers from Germany (with first and second state examination), teachers with comparable qualifications from Switzerland and Austria and a special needs teacher. There are two trained kindergarten teachers and an assistant teacher in Pre-school.

German Secondary

GSIS is part of the worldwide German Schools Abroad network, which consists of over 140 schools, governed by the Central Agency for German Schools Abroad (Zentralstelle für das Auslandsschulwesen, ZfA) of the German Federal Office of Administrations and teaches to the worldwide highly regarded German educational standards.

In K05 students have the opportunity to try out academic-track learning content and working methods and to qualify for Gymnasium, or to indicate that they are better suited to a vocational-track approach in Realschule/Hauptschule. In this class, particularly close contact with parents is essential in order to ensure they receive information and advice on students’ development, attainment levels and progress in good time. At the end of K05, a decision is taken on which school type students should attend from K06 on.

From K06, internal differentiation is practised. Students at all school types will generally remain in their own class. The school has support systems in place to help new students to adapt and address individual learning needs if required through parallel classes in German, English and Mathematics, catch-up lessons, support and extension classes.

Fast Track Programme

It is an accelerated language learning programme with intensive language support for students new to the German language starting in K06 (Y07). Students will be part of the GSIS dual-stream community where academic excellence is valued highly, as is hard work and personal achievement. It prepares students to participate in the German International Stream´s regular bilingual curriculum and our methods rely on structured language immersion and student engagement.

The German education gives each student a base of solid skills and encourages independent, critical thinking, nurtures curiosity and promotes self-confidence. It encourages students to take initiatives and to become self-sufficient, educated and responsible adults. Academic excellence is valued highly, as is hard work and personal achievement.

ENGLISH INTERNATonAL STREAM

Kindergarten-English International Stream

General conditions
Kindergarten Hours
7:40 am to 12:30 pm

Location
Our Kindergarten is based at GSIS's Campus in Pokfulam, 162 Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong Island

Classes
Four homogeneous age groups.
Two EKG 1 classes - Bumblebees and Crickets (children are aged between 3-4 years)
Two EKG2 classes - Dragonflies and Ladybirds (children are aged between 4-5 years)

Human resources
In each class, a trained and qualified teacher (native English speaker) and an assistant teacher care for the children.

Kindergarten Environment
Each classroom is fully equipped with appropriate furniture and toys and has a children's computer and an interactive whiteboard.
Two Kindergarten Classes share a Multi-Purpose room that is used for cooking classes, arts and crafts and experiments.
Furthermore we have a library, a sports hall and an outside playground with a gym area, sandpit and tricycles/cars.

Pedagogical aims and key aspects
“Goals are dreams
we convert to plans
and take action to fulfill."
(Zig Ziglar)

We encourage children to be confident and independent learners and provide them with a broad and balanced curriculum to prepare them for the future. We follow the criteria and goals of the Early Years Foundation Stage of the British National Curriculum.

English Primary

In the English Primary department we have classes from Year One to Year Six with two classes in each year band. Our teachers emphasise the enjoyment of learning and the mastery of skills whilst developing the whole child both in the classroom and in the wider world. Our programme is designed to provide the highest academic quality of education. 

In our department we encourage the development of the traits described in our learner profile. It describes the qualities our students develop and display as they learn.

The Written Curriculum

The EPD Written Curriculum for Integrated Studies Is organised into 6 ‘Cross Curricular Themes’ which are about concepts that are relevant, challenging and engaging for us all and allow children to go beyond the confines of subject areas.

Health, Wellbeing, Identity, Culture
Time and Place
Science and Technology
Community systems & responsibility
Environment and Sustainability
Arts and Creativity
Through these themes, students gain knowledge in six subject areas.

Language (English, German, Mandarin)
Mathematics
Social Studies (History & Geography)
Science and Technology
Arts
Personal, Social and Health Education

The Taught Curriculum

The six cross curricular themes help teachers to develop a comprehensive long term plan for Integrated Studies with in-depth investigations into important conceptual ideas, identified by the teachers, and requiring a high level of involvement on the part of the students. These inquiries are substantial, in-depth and usually last for several weeks.

The Assessed Curriculum

Assessment is an important part of each Integrated Studies unit as it both enhances learning and provides opportunities for students to reflect on what they know, understand and can do. The teacher’s feedback to the students provides the guidance, the tools and the incentive for them to become more competent, more skillful and better at understanding how to learn.

English Secondary

The English Secondary Department (ESD) is similar to a traditional English grammar school as we have high expectations of our students. However, we are unique in that we form part of the German Swiss International School and so are able to provide our students with enhanced exposure to the German language and to the culture of German speaking countries.

Years 7 to 9
For the first three years in the ESD we determine our own curriculum, which aims to give students the strong foundation of knowledge and skills that they will need for their later studies. Our curriculum is broadly based on the National Curriculum of England but it has been adapted and extended to suit the selective and international nature of our students, drawing upon best practice in education worldwide.

Strong emphasis is placed on learning the German language, with French and Mandarin available as second foreign languages. The foreign languages (from Y07) and Mathematics (from Y08) are taught in streamed groups, which cater to the varied strengths of the students and allow us to offer accelerated programmes in these subjects. In addition to the more traditional subjects, classes in Art, Drama, ICT and Music enhance the students’ creativity and presentation skills.

Years 10 and 11
Over the course of these two years, students are prepared for the International/General Certificate of Secondary Education (I/GCSE) in eight to ten subjects. The Examination Boards in the UK determine the syllabus for each subject and set and mark the public examination papers. Students must study English Language and English Literature, Mathematics and German. They can then select an additional four to six subjects, which must include one from science and one from the humanities, to ensure sufficient breadth of study. In response to the interest and ability of our students, GSIS offers the single award sciences, allowing students to choose, one, two or all three of the science disciplines. Students in our accelerated programmes, who sit for their I/GCSEs early, are able to continue their studies at AS level in Mandarin and German. Our accelerated programme in Mathematics may lead to the Additional Mathematics I/GCSE qualification.

Years 12 and 13
At GSIS, we strive to enable our students to access opportunities that will see them grow into balanced and open-minded global citizens. The programme of study in Y12-Y13 is the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). A student taking the IBDP must take six discrete subjects and complete the requirements of a core programme.