First of all: thank you for your interest in Leibniz Gymnasium Dortmund International School.
On this page we try to answer some of the most basic and important questions of anybody not familiar with the German school system and Leibniz Gymnasium Dortmund International School in particular.
We are a secondary state school for girls and boys at the age of about 10 to 18 years (There is no primary school section in our school). About 900 to 1000 students and about 70 to 80 teachers learn and teach here.
If you are looking for a primary school (age 6 to 10), here is a list of some of “Dortmund’s International Primary Schools (DIPS)”:
http://www.kreuz-grundschule
http://winfried-grundschule.de
http://www.landgrafenschule.de
http://ostenberg-grundschule.de
We are not a boarding school. Therefore we cannot provide you with any sort of accommodation. We also regret that we cannot assist with matters pertaining to visas, etc. The Dortmund link at the bottom of this page may prove to be helpful with those questions, though.
What about school fees and admission?
Being a state school, Leibniz Gymnasium Dortmund International School does not charge any school fees (apart from the IB programme). There is no admission test, neither.
You will have to understand, though, that in Germany’s selective school system attending a “Gymnasium” is first and foremost meant for the more talented and motivated students. The school leaving certificate (German “Abitur”) is a Certification of General University Entrance Qualification at the same time.
How is school organized in (the Dortmund region of) Germany?
Here you can find a quick and easy guide to the school system of North Rhine Westphalia: flyer-schulsystem-englisch
What is international about Leibniz Gymnasium Dortmund International School?
We offer German-English bilingual classes in Geography, Biology and History. That means those classes are taught entirely in English at certain age levels. Furthermore, at upper school, we also offer the IB Diploma Programme with all of its subjects being taught in English (including Mathematics, Physics, etc.).
Apart from English, we also teach French, Latin, Chinese and Spanish.
What language skills are expected?
We believe that a good command of the German language is mandatory for every student to be able to succeed at Leibniz Gymnasium Dortmund International School. Most English speaking students will benefit from the school’s bilingual and IB programme, though.
For those students who struggle with the German language or are beginners altogether there are preparation classes at Leibniz Gymnasium Dortmund International School. Here, the main focus is on improving their German skills in order to integrate them into the regular classes as soon as possible.
Students needing intensive German language courses in Dortmund may find this link helpful: auslandsgesellschaft-english
Which IB Programmes does the school offer?
We offer the IB (International Baccalaureate) Diploma Programme at upper school. This program aims at students at the age of 16 to 19 years (http://ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/).
Generally, students at Leibniz Gymnasium Dortmund International School do the IB Diploma Programme alongside (i. e. parallel) to the German “Abitur” program. They will therefore leave school holding two University Entrance Qualification Certificates in their hands.
Our students do not have to pay any school fees. Those students opting for the IB Diploma Programme, however, will have to meet the costs of the IB exam registration once at the end of their second year, which (at the moment) is 610 € for a full diploma.
What can I expect from the city of Dortmund?
Here you can find a good introduction and lots of information for anybody new to Dortmund: dortmund-project/welcome_letter_englisch
For any further questions, comments and suggestions please do not hesitate to contact: