Our mission

Gustav-Meyer-Schule serves the borough Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg of Berlin, the capital of Germany. We accept students 6-18 years of age with intellectual disabilities of all ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds. Our students have moderate and profound learning difficulties, severe developmental delays or multiple disabilities. Currently there about 140 students on the roll.

Enrollment.

We respect our students’ individual needs and value their special capabilities. Therefore, we provide a wide range of learning opportunities and individually tailored tasks to develop their range of competencies. We believe in learning through activities within every-day-settings and in learning through try-and-error.

Have a look at our Graduation 2018 and the Graduation Boat Trip 2018

Our Frame

The Gustav-Meyer-Schule (GMS) is a full scale Special Help School, run by the federal state and municipality of Berlin, from grade 1 to grade 12, open Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 15:00 (35 clock hours per week).

GMS complies with the Special Education Act (“Sonderpädagogik-Verordnung”, 2005) and the Public School Act “Berliner Schulgesetz” (2004).

Each class is formed by students of mixed ages and diverse abilities and talents. Average class size is approx. seven students, ranging from four up to ten, with three full-time staff in most of our classes. Three classes are located next door in the Jens-Nydahl-Primary-School and one in the August-Sander-Schule (Vocational Training School).

Inclusion

Our goal is to play a supportive role to the concept of inclusion. This means – first of all – providing quality special education and related services to the most handicapped of the young generation and appropriate support to their families.

Residents of Berlin have the legal right to chose the most appropriate educational environment for their child. Gustav-Meyer-Schule represents a reliable and strong option within the school district of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. Through an individually meaningful program spanning 12 years of schooling we feel to safeguard tangible long term results in our students’ full participation in society.

Our Approach

Each student receives an individual educational plan (IEP). Our special education efforts aim in particular to the development of cognitive and communicative abilities, of sensory and psychomotor awareness, of emotional and social skills including basic life skills.

We teach reading, writing and math – the traditional terms – using a wider concept of these subjects and individual developmental criteria. We teach these academic skills to all of our students as part of teaching communicative skills embedded in projects.

Building on individual short term objectives, we persue a life long learning approach for our students. The long term goal is to lead an independant and active life  in their community to the biggest extend possible and to enable self-determined development of their unique personalities.

Accordingly, we favor specific key concepts in teaching like:

• activity based learning,
• community based education,
• teaching in cross-curricular projects,
• (alternative) communication emphasis,
• psychomotor emphasis …

Compuslory Schooling

Most of our students start school at the age of 6 years. They move through consecutive classes – or levels, for that purpuse –  and finsh compulsory schooling after ten years.

There are no grades given for accomplishments in certain subjects taught. Instead, we evaluate each students’  IEP twice a year. We write down the results in a detailed report which we discuss with their parent(s). Students receive a written appreciation of their efforts and their individual developmental progress at the end of each school year.

The structure of our school.

Welcome: Interns & Visitors

If you wish to apply for an internship, we’d be happy to offer you a position. If you would like to visit us, your are most welcome. Our multilingual staff will show you around and answer your questions.

Any questions? Interested ? Just get in touch with us