School & co.

You go to primary school at the age of six. Here children learn to read, write, calculate and have lessons in social studies for four years. At the end of the fourth school year there are various options to continue schooling. Depending on the level of performance and personal ambitions, after the fourth class, children can attend three different types of secondary school: “Mittelschule”, “Realschule” or “Gymnasium”. The teachers at the primary school usually make recommendations and provide assistance in selecting the appropriate school.

“Mittelschule”
This covers school years 5 to 9 or 5 to 10. Owing to the curriculum that is geared very much to professional practice, a “Mittelschule” is a good basis for many apprenticeships. There are various leaving qualifications from a “Mittelschule” such as successfully passing the final examination, a qualifying qualification or a middle qualification.

“Realschule”
Here pupils receive a well-grounded general education and basic knowledge for vocational training from class 5 to 10. The “Realschule” prepares pupils for a profession through a middle school leaving qualification and lays the foundations for attending a higher-level school or technical college.

“Gymnasium”
The “Gymnasium” is the most demanding but therefore also the most direct way of gaining the university entrance qualification, the highest school leaving qualification in Bavaria. With the university entrance qualification young people can apply directly to a university of applied sciences or a university.

You can find more details about schools at:  https://www.km.bayern.de/schularten

School grades
In the German school system there are grades from 1 to 6. The 1 stands for “very good” and the 6 meaning “insufficient” is the lowest grade.  Depending on the school, children will receive a performance status report or a general report twice during the school year. At the end of the school year every child receives an annual report.

Lunch time supervision
In the Ingolstadt region school usually finishes between 11 am and 2 pm. As many parents are at work, some schools offer the option of looking after children beyond the official end of school. After eating lunch together there are a range of sporting and leisure activities or the opportunity to do homework. There are also schools which continue teaching during the afternoons in so-called full-day classes.

SIS Swiss International School
If your children have already gone to school in their home country or you believe an international education is important, then perhaps an international school will appeal to you. In Ingolstadt there is the Swiss International School, in which pupils are taught in English and German.
http://www.swissinternationalschool.de/de-DE/Standorte/Ingolstadt

Nursery school / Play school
In contrast to the obligation to attend school, it is not compulsory for children to attend a nursery school. Nursery schools are usually abbreviated to KiTa and are suitable for children between 0 and 2/3 years of age. After this, children move to play school, which is often called “Kindi” or “KiGa” and they stay there until they start primary school. In addition to age-appropriate schemes focussing on various areas, play is the most important activity. There is a charge for both forms of nursery education.
http://www.stmas.bayern.de/kinderbetreuung/gaerten/index.php