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We see our Kindergarten as a “House of Education” (Haus für Bildung) focussing on the needs of the children and the expectations of the parents. The children we provide care for learn to accept and appreciate the diversity of people. We encourage them to try out new things, to respect themselves and others, to be thoughtful, tolerant, and patient, and to develop their skills and competencies. Kindergarten and Preschool groups consist of 22 children, Crèche groups of 12 children. The teaching staff of three looks after each group during the core hours. One teacher is an English native speaker, one a German native speaker, and the third one either of the two. With the help of the immersion method, the children are exposed to the two languages and grow up bilingually in a very natural way. Reliability and trust are key elements in our relationship with each child. Each child is part of a fixed (feste) group and has one main contact during the settling-in period. In our state-recognized Primary School, our children study in German and English, using the immersion method. A teaching team consisting of a teacher and a teaching assistant look after a class, one being a German and the other an English native speaker. The use of the two languages is well balanced throughout the school day. The primary school follows the Bavarian curriculum and, in addition, elements of the Cambridge Primary program are used, especially in respect to the English program. Our classrooms are decorated jointly by the teachers and students in a welcoming and appealing way to create a positive learning environment. Every classroom is equipped with an interactive whiteboard that supports a wide range of teaching methods. Differentiation is a key aspect of our school. Every child should be challenged and, at the same time, receive individual support to be able to work up to their full potential. This applies to children who need more support and also those children who are gifted. In addition to differentiation in the classroom, we offer in-depth teaching of mathematics to students whose skills are above the current curriculum, for example. We also offer German as a foreign language for children whose native language is not German. In our secondary school, we continue with the bilingual concept. Our state-recognized secondary school specializes in modern languages and economics. In general, each class consists of 24 students. As in primary school, all classrooms are equipped with an interactive whiteboard which makes it possible to engage students in modern lessons that are rich in variety. Furthermore, laptops are used during lessons regularly. Our secondary school also offers a range of specialist rooms to the students such as a science laboratory, music and art room, and a bilingual library. View full school

Our private school in Berlin-Zehlendorf is housed in a listed building in the quiet and green area in Southwestern Berlin. Our bilingual campus houses a nursery, primary and secondary school all under one roof. Here we offer a German-English community for approximately 500 children and young adults aged 1 to 18 years. We seek to maintain a cosmopolitan, warm and welcoming environment. Our children at the nursery, educators, students, teachers, and parents very much enjoy the familiar atmosphere we have created. We see our nursery as a place of learning with a main focus on the children’s and parents’ needs. All children entrusted to PhorMinis learn to accept and appreciate the diversity of people. We encourage them to try out new things, respect themselves and others, be caring, tolerant, and patient, and develop their abilities in a self-confident manner. Thereto, we provide the children with a safe, loving, and stimulating environment. We familiarise them with the variety of cultures, languages, and religions of the world and help them learn confidently and curiously, express their own opinions, and to develop personal skills and interests. At PhorMinis, the children take the first steps of their course of education. Accompanying them and their parents on this exciting journey is a great pleasure for us! During the first 4 years of school, most of the teaching at our bilingual primary school takes place in English. We use the Cambridge International Primary Programme (CIPP), which enables us to provide our students with a good foundation to study or work abroad at later stages. Our teachers deliver their lessons at the native speaker level, using the immersion method. At the same time, our program is based on the framework curriculum of the Federal State of Berlin (Berliner Rahmenlehrplan) and we attach great importance to good quality teaching in German. Our Campus combines the benefits of living amongst nature with those of urban life. On the one hand, we use the unbeatable range of cultural attractions of Berlin for a variety of trips and excursions. On the other hand, our private school located in the greenery of Steglitz-Zehlendorf offers lots of space for playing outside and numerous possibilities for excursions in nature. At present, 45 educators teach a total of 272 girls and boys in our Primary School. Bilingualism promotes cognitive development in such areas as awareness of language, creativity, and flexible thinking. Students who have been learning in a bilingual environment for many years perform above average in foreign languages, in their mother tongue, and other subjects. Our Secondary School continues the bilingual concept introduced in our nursery and Primary School. Teaching takes place by the immersion method, meaning that all content is delivered exclusively in either German or English. All our students sit exams for the Intermediate Secondary School Certificate (MSA) at the end of Year 10 and the Upper Secondary School Certificate (Abitur) in Year 12. Students in their last two years at Phorms may enroll for the C1 level of English proficiency exam, the Cambridge Advanced English Certificate (CAE), to confirm professional-level English for tertiary institutions or future employment. View full school

Our bilingual Phorms Campus Hamburg comprises a daycare center with preschool, a primary school, and a secondary school. We accompany our children through their educational development from early childhood to senior secondary school. From the beginning we educate children in both German and English each language has equal value and the children are taught using the immersion method by educators who are native speakers. Following its expansion in summer 2017, our daycare center now offers room for 80-85 crèche and elementary children, as well as 60 preschool-aged children. In mixed-age groups, the crèche children (1.5 – 3 years) and the elementary level children (3 – 5 years) are introduced to using two languages by taking a playful approach. In the preschool groups (5 – 6 years) children are prepared inhomogeneous age groups to begin primary school. From the beginning, children are part of the Phorms family and are cared for in a personal and familial environment. Learning two languages in an immersive, bilingual environment is a key component of our concept which is itself based on the Hamburg curriculum recommendations for daycare centers. Communication with parents also plays an important role: information is offered regularly and frequent development discussions along with parent evenings enable an active exchange between home and school. Our primary school with preschool in Hamburg can be found in the centrally located Hammerbrook. Here, 250 children between the ages of five and ten years old bring our bilingual school community in German and English to life. They learn, play, and discover the world together with our engaged and motivated educators. The shared campus with the nursery and secondary school reminds us each day not only of where we have come from but also where we want to go. A school bus service follows two routes, one near the Elbe and the other near the Alster. The independent, state-approved Phorms Hamburg bilingual secondary school was founded in 2011 and continues to grow by one year group every 12 months. The oldest year group is currently year 11. After nursery and primary school, the upper secondary school is the final stop on our Hamburg campus for those wishing to go on to take the ‘Abitur’ school-leaving examination. Our students then acquire a fully recognized general qualification for university entrance. The teaching program is based on the Hamburg curriculum for secondary schools with eight-year groups. We assist the personal development of our students with one-to-one support measures (through a low student-to-teacher ratio) and by giving them sufficient scope to develop their strengths. They are also taught to become more independent with daily phases of self-organized learning. View full school

Our multilingual nursery (daycare center) comprises a crèche and a kindergarten. Since February 2015, the nursery is part of the idyllically situated Phorms Taunus Campus. The premises are shared with the Phorms primary school and secondary school. Here we offer a community in German and English for 520 children and young people from the age of six months to 18 years. At our nursery, we provide room for 53 children from the age of 6 months to about 5.5 years. We have one crèche group (ages 0-3) and two kindergarten groups (3 years and above). We offer a separate reception class (preschool) to children who are five years of age, which belongs to the primary school. We view the Phorms Taunus Campus as an educational establishment where the needs of the children come first. Our nursery is another important pillar of social life on campus. We see education as a lifelong process that begins at birth: it takes place everywhere and all the time, not only during the day at nursery or in school. Children are curious, active and often build on their education without any prompting. We develop, support, and encourage these crucial natural tendencies in our nursery with a carefully designed and stimulating environment that promotes learning. The primary school with reception is part of the Phorms Taunus Campus. The premises are shared with the daycare center and the secondary school. Here we offer a community in German and English for 520 children and young people from the age of six months to 18 years. With our school bus, children from Frankfurt also have the opportunity to visit our beautiful school in the countryside. In addition, the Taunus Campus is well connected to public transport. The secondary school is part of the Phorms Frankfurt Taunus Campus. The premises are shared with the daycare center and the primary school with reception. This allows all students to benefit from learning together with older and younger students. With our school bus, children and young adults from Frankfurt also have the opportunity to visit our beautiful school in the countryside. In addition, the Taunus Campus is well connected to public transport. Our goal at the secondary school is that every student who leaves with the German Abitur is fully prepared to undertake and complete challenging vocational training or tertiary studies anywhere in the world to pursue his or her chosen career. The Phorms bilingual secondary school in Frankfurt is conceived as a comprehensive educational institution. We provide students with optimal preparation for the style of work that we expect to see an increase soon when changing careers several times and surviving in international society will be regarded as a matter of course. View full school

In our bilingual private schools, we teach children and young people to understand the world in all its cultural and linguistic diversity, local characteristics, and global contexts. We allow each child to be different – which is why we foster individual talents and interests. Browse through the following pages and learn more about our German-English private schools including nurseries, primary and secondary schools located in Berlin, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Munich, Frankfurt, and Neckarsulm. We aim to enrich the educational landscape with high-quality bilingual schools. Working together with local authorities, educational institutions, and companies, we design each of our establishments as an integrated living space. The Phorms network includes 13 locations throughout Germany in Berlin-Mitte and Berlin-Zehlendorf, Frankfurt City and Frankfurt Taunus, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Munich and Neckarsulm. Our bilingual, German-English nurseries, primary and secondary schools as well as the Heidelberg International School (H.I.S.) are independently managed. Our private schools are supported by local companies that work on a not-for-profit basis. They are state-approved alternative independent schools – students attend them instead of an equivalent state school. Both our primary and secondary schools are subject to state inspection, and teaching is based on the framework curriculum of the respective state. Similarly, students are prepared for standard school-leaving certificates such as the Mittlerer Schulabschluss (a certificate of intermediate education after year 10) and the Abitur. We are making a valuable contribution to a better world through education. We combine our strengths to help the next generation become holistic thinkers and responsible people who promote global unity through their individuality and open-mindedness. Bilingualism is at the heart of Phorms’ philosophy. Bilingual education represents an advanced educational model in which two languages and two cultures are treated and used with equal importance. This results in high-quality education and a unique learning experience. Children taught under this model are in a position to make their way in two or more different cultures. Bilingual education has the additional benefit of fostering the development of more creative and flexible thinking, problem-solving abilities, and analytical skills. This means the students reach a broader range of learning goals. At Phorms, the children learn their non-native language through the immersion method, which ensures optimal language acquisition. They are completely immersed in the new language, and thus learn it without certain pressures. This is all made possible by qualified teachers, each of whom communicates with the children in one of the two languages at a mother-tongue level. View full school