The primary school has an open atmosphere for all children in their diversity and their individual strengths and weaknesses.

We use a variety of methods, activities and support programmes to do justice to the heterogeneity of our learners and to encourage and challenge all children in their learning in the best possible way. We work closely as a team and also with parents and carers in order to keep an eye on the joint educational partnership. Every child is important to us.

We accept pupils in grades 1 to 4. We conduct a personal, detailed parent-child interview with all newly enrolled children and their parents at the time of enrolment.

Admission criteria

An essential prerequisite for the admission of children to the DSL primary school is that they have knowledge of the German language. Parents must actively support the use of German.

Priority is given:

• Children from Germany who need to join the German system

• Siblings (assessment in individual cases)

• Date of receipt of enrolment

School enrolment

Pupils at the DSL are required to attend school when they turn 6 years old by 30 September, i.e. one month after the start of the new school year.

Learning assessment/ getting to know each other

All children in Year 1 are invited to an initial meeting with their future class teacher at the beginning of the new school year, before they officially start school. You will receive further information with the school enrolment documents around mid-July.

The DSL student body is largely made up of bi- and multinational families with diverse linguistic, cultural and academic backgrounds. In German lessons, all pupils are guided by the school's internal German curriculum, which is based on the Baden-Württemberg curriculum. The learning process is individualised, with compulsory and optional tasks in the learning plans to allow pupils to work at their own pace without frustration.

The language of instruction in primary school is German and the vast majority of subjects are taught in German. English, PE in year 3 and art in year 4 are taught in English.

The focus on the German language is elementary in Years 1 and 2, in which literacy is taught in a linear fashion and the sounds and graphemes are clearly categorised in a language. The "Deutsch für den Schulstart" (German for the start of school) language support concept for children with a German language level that is not age-appropriate is continued in Years 1 and 2 and serves as a support programme (focusing on vocabulary, sentence structure and genre acquisition). Children with language support needs also receive remedial lessons in small groups in years 3 and 4.

The English curriculum is partly based on the curricula of the English system. English lessons are taught for three hours in years 1 and 2 and for four hours in years 3 and 4. The pupils learn in mixed ability groups. Children with little or no knowledge of English are supported in class by support staff and receive additional remedial lessons in small groups.

In the afternoon, the children can practise and deepen the language skills they have learnt in the numerous extracurricular activities.

The breaks and free play allow the children to choose their language freely.

It is our aim to provide a dynamic and productive English curriculum that is designed around the particular needs of our pupils.

Taking into consideration the uniqueness of the DSL with its high mobility, native English speakers and children who have no prior knowledge of English, we have developed our own distinct and original vision for English and designed our own schemes of work.

The children have three English lessons in Years 1 / 2 and four lessons in Years 3 / 4. English is taught in mixed ability groups within each class. Children with little or no English are taught parallel in a small group.

At the DSL primary school, pupils choose between religion and ethics, whereby the decision is binding for the entire primary school period. A change is only possible at the end of the school year with a written application to the school management.

Ethics:
Ethics lessons emphasise a global perspective and intercultural learning due to cultural diversity. The aim is to provide pupils with a sound basis for ethical thinking and action in a globalised world. Questions about living together, moral judgement and solutions to ethical dilemmas are addressed. The pupils' personal convictions are not relevant to their performance.

Religion:
Religious education focuses on a global perspective and ecumenical learning. This means accepting one's "neighbour" and learning from each other in tolerance, peace and respect. The aim is to anchor the children in the Christian community and to promote coexistence between the denominations. The lessons emphasise the similarities and differences between the Protestant and Catholic faiths and cover other world religions in the 3rd or 4th school year.

Both subjects promote skills such as asking existential questions, expressing oneself in various forms and interpreting religious language. The pupils' religious beliefs are not part of the performance assessment. Ecumenical school services and activities during the church year emphasise the shared experience and cultivation of traditions.

From pre-school to primary school:

To ensure that the children have a smooth start to primary school, there is intensive co-operation between pre-school and primary school.

This exists:

• Through regular dialogue

• Through a joint information evening in autumn

• Through offering a taster day for pre-school children at primary school

• Through the visit of primary school teacher to the pre-school

• Through the visit of the pre-school teachers to the primary school

• Through the advice on the formation of classes

From Year 4 to Year 5

• After completing Year 4, our pupils move on to Year 5, the orientation level. The teachers at both school levels work closely together to make the transition as easy as possible.

• They observe each other and the secondary school teachers find out about the learning style and level of the fourth-graders so that they can pick up the children where they are.

• We prepare the children for their new learning environment as early as the second half of the school year with mutual observations and questionnaires.

• As part of a parents' evening in the second half of the school year (organised by the lower school coordinator of the secondary level), parents are informed about the learning pathways on offer. Any questions that arise are clarified immediately.

• An information letter at the beginning of Year 5 rounds off the preparatory programme.