# Berlin with a 10 yr old



## Violet234 (May 3, 2015)

So we are considering a move to Berlin towards the end of this year. Few concerns we have...one being schooling for our son. We understand there are a few international public schools available and are wondering is it easy to get accepted or would this prove to be an issue? Alternatively, how much would private schooling cost and does anyone have experience in sending their kids to private school?

Secondly which neighboorhood to choose...Our Budget would be about 1.200 max for rent. We want to stay central as we would like to stay car-free. We like being in a lively neighborhood with restaurants and shops and easy access to pretty much all amenities. 

And last but not least...any expereince on life in Berin. Is Berlin still very German or more of a multi cultural hub these days? How is life in Berlin for families? School reputations?Friendlines of people? How safe is it? Lots of Ex-pats?

Looking forward to getting some replies and input. I haven`t lived in Germany in quite some time and would love to get a better idea of life in the capital of Germany. Merci.


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

We've had a fair bit of experience going back and forth with our daughter, most recently half a year when she was 13, where she did grade 8 at a regular Gymnasium.

Part of the school decision would depend on whether it's a long-term move, and whether your son has any German. At ten it might still be feasible to put him into a normal public school. If you were staying for the long haul he'll need to learn German as quickly as possible. If it's only a year then it might not be worth the trauma.

Otherwise there aren't too many alternatives. The Mandela school is the only free public school teaching in English; not sure how difficult it is to get in as a visiting foreigner. You can research the private schools online, but I think they are quite expensive, probably well over 10k euro/year.

The rest of your questions could lead to an essay. Berlin is pretty cosmopolitan and expat-friendly, though that's a bit hard for me to judge as I speak German. We've found it to be safe and fun. Anywhere central that wasn't obviously sketchy would meet your basic housing needs; Prenzlauer Berg, Kreuzberg, Schöneberg etc. are the obvious trendy expat choices though your budget might be a bit tight for a reasonable amount of space. The choice might well come down to school and work commuting distances, however.


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## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

Violet234 said:


> So we are considering a move to Berlin towards the end of this year. Few concerns we have...one being schooling for our son. We understand there are a few international public schools available and are wondering is it easy to get accepted or would this prove to be an issue? Alternatively, how much would private schooling cost and does anyone have experience in sending their kids to private school?
> 
> Secondly which neighboorhood to choose...Our Budget would be about 1.200 max for rent. We want to stay central as we would like to stay car-free. We like being in a lively neighborhood with restaurants and shops and easy access to pretty much all amenities.
> 
> ...



We recently had a thread with Berlin school options here:

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/ge...3778-job-interview-international-schools.html

This is part of one of my posts on it, sorry about the copy-paste - I got to run bake a castle-shaped cake with my daughter for school (I am not even kidding):

In Berlin, high school/secondary school starts at 7th grade.

Depending on ability, pupils can leave school after 10th grade or go on to do Abitur which qualifies for direct entry to university.

If you are opting for a German school, that is.

As far as I can remember, all the private international schools cost way more than 5000 US Dollars, so I'll stick with the free state options.

Starting with John F. Kennedy High School, you can opt to follow an American curriculum there and either opt for American High School Diploma or German Abitur. Very hard to get into:

http://jfks.de/

Then there is Nelson Mandela International school, an English medium state school aimed at highly mobile families. They have compulsory entry exams twice a year, I think:

http://www.sisberlin.de/en/

Last but not least, Schiller Oberschule, a bilingual Europa School with a really good reputation:

http://sgym.de/

You might want to make appointments with all of these schools for when you are in Berlin for your interview (hopefully not during Easter School Holidays?) and have a look around. Officially you can only apply for a school place in a state school once you have an address in Berlin but getting a preliminary opinion about whether they might have a place and seeing for yourself how you like the location, the building and atmosphere is always worth the effort.

As schooling is compulsory until the age of 16, he will get a school place in any case. It might just not be where you want it to be, so best to start your enquiries now. Regular applications fora start in August were due in February but as far as I know, the bilingual schools usually make space for native speakers.

EDIT:

These private ones actually look affordable:

http://www.cosmopolitanschool.de/ber...an-school.html

http://berlin-bilingual-school.de/se...school/welcome

They also look more convenient for your commute to Friedrichshain. I hadn't heard of the schools before and can't say anything about how hard it is to get in or anything else.

There is also an affordable private bilingual school in Potsdam, if you want to consider widening your search area.

ALSO: don't limit yourself too much regarding where you look for a flat. Berlin has an excellent public transportation system and even if something is not very central, each part of Berlin has its own little centre and you can usually get wherever you need to be quite quickly on the U- and S-Bahn.


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## Tavis.Ibiza (Oct 16, 2021)

Hi

My ex-wife is moving to Belin with our 10-year-old daughter. I'm wondering how this went for you and if you can share anything useful that you've learned in your experience.

We are trying to find a good and affordable bilingual school (German & English). But it also occurs to me that it may be difficult to find a good school, for a good price, in an easy location.

We're considering a public all-german school. But my daughter's German is not so good and it's not clear how long they will be staying there.

Any feedback would be much appreciated.

thx


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## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

Tavis.Ibiza said:


> Hi
> 
> My ex-wife is moving to Belin with our 10-year-old daughter. I'm wondering how this went for you and if you can share anything useful that you've learned in your experience.
> 
> ...


What kind of languages are you looking for in the school?


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## Tavis.Ibiza (Oct 16, 2021)

German & English


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## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

Tavis.Ibiza said:


> German & English


There are two Europa bilingual state schools: Charles Dickens and Quentin Blake. Give them a call to see whether they have a place in that year group.


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## *Sunshine* (Mar 13, 2016)

Tavis.Ibiza said:


> My ex-wife is moving to Belin with our 10-year-old daughter. I'm wondering how this went for you and if you can share anything useful that you've learned in your experience.
> 
> We are trying to find a good and affordable bilingual school (German & English). But it also occurs to me that it may be difficult to find a good school, for a good price, in an easy location.
> 
> We're considering a public all-german school. But my daughter's German is not so good and it's not clear how long they will be staying there.


Is you ex-wife a native German speaker who is willing and able to help your daughter daily with her homework?

After a year and a half of intermittent schooling teachers are already overwhelmed and will not have the time to adequately assist children who can't even speak proper German. Furthermore, due to the pandemic it is almost impossible to find good tutors who are still taking on new students (however, there are many new online tutoring companies).


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