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Our school

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School authorities

History

Team & faculty

Forms

Our curriculum

WILUK

Gallery

Full-time

Formal

Enrolment

School authorities

History

Team & faculty

Forms

Our curriculum

WILUK

Gallery

Full-time

Formal

Enrolment

 

  

School authorities

Sternenschule Duisburg is a state-recognized private school. This means that our school is operated conform to the educational guidelines and curricula of the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia and that our teaching staff meets a certain standard. Therefore, parents and students can always relocate to another German town within or outside of North Rhine-Westphalia, even if there are only public schools available, be it primary or secondary schools.
Sternenschule Duisburg has no obligation towards any political, religious or specific educational school of thought.

History

What prompts people to initiate a project such as Sternenschule? The original idea for our school arose from our ‘Zaubersterne’ kindergardens. When the first of those nurseries had been established in Duisburg, the question arose quickly: what would happen with the children afterwards? And, equally important, what about the pedagogical principles and values?

We imagined a place where learning and living would go hand in hand, where individuality and interests provide a high educational standard, instead of standardized systems that measure our children. To us, an international orientation, small study groups, state-of-the-art equipment and guaranteed lessons are a necessity.

But first and foremost, there was our strong wish for a consistent concept that would accompany our children from kindergarden age to graduation, based on equally high educational standards. By founding Sternenschule Duisburg, we have done a huge step towards that ultimate goal. The next step that has us reaching for the stars yet again is the foundation of a secondary school to complete our concept.

Team and faculty

Motivation is contagious! Our teaching staff is composed of enthusiastic educators who know exactly where the focus at Sternenschule Duisburg lies – on the children.
Our teachers see themselves as companions to the children in their educational process. They live and learn in a pleasant atmosphere of empathy and communication. Their passion is the key for the children to actually enjoy going to school. Our teachers and educational professionals are carefully selected and offer a high grade of educational competence and qualification. But it is just as important to us that their personality fits in with the rest of the team. Our educators are well versed with modern teaching methods and arrange their lessons due to German and international educational standards.

Forms

Our forms in the school year of 2023/24:

Our curriculum

The curricula of the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia are mandatory for every school. But at the same time, we try to think outside the box and include internationally acclaimed curricular into our own. We teach our students to understand local connections, so that they will feel at home in our globalized world without forgetting about their roots. The bilingual lessons we offer in some subjects are a specific feature in our timetable.

The following subjects are taught in German only at Sternenschule Duisburg:

• German
• Mathematics (1^st and 2^nd form)
• Religious education
• Special tuition

The following subjects are taught bilingually in German and English:

• General studies
• Mathematics (from 3^rd form onward)
• Arts
• Music
• Sports (including swimming)

English language lessons are offered as a separate subject 2 hours a week as of 1st form (as of 3rd form 3 hours weekly) as an additional subject.

Getting to know each other - Programme supporting the transition from kindergarden to primary school

“Children experience demanding changes during the transition from early childhood programs to primary school […], research shows that children’s initial academic and social success at school can affect their long-term adjustment, achievement, and success.“
Lee S, Goh G: Early Childhood Research & Practice, 2012

As cited above, the transition from kindergarden to primary school is an important step for every child. Kindergarden and school are equally responsible for securing a continuous process of development and education for the children. By collaborating in every step of the way, all involved parties accept and cater to this responsibility. The collective educational task at hand is to perceive the children in their different stages of development, to support them wherever possible and to ensure that the transition from one stage to the next is formed into a bridge instead of a breach. To meet this challenge, Sternenschule Duisburg, in collaboration with the Zaubersterne kindergardens has developed the WILUK project, to provide a smooth access for all participants.

The following programme, which has already been realised successfully in the past two years, will be implemented again in the following year: 

1. A day of trial lessons at Sternenschule Duisburg (usually beginning directly after the Easter holiday).
   The newly enrolled students are broken up into 2 or 3 groups (6 to 8 children maximum per group) and participate in the normal lessons along with the 1st form students.
   • 8.30h, 1^st period: school game (only the new students), to compile a profile of their abilities with regard to our school
   • 9:15h: 2^nd period: shared mathematics lesson / topic: Adventures in Numberland
   • 10:00h: Breakfast, outdoors break on the schoolyard with rally around the school grounds
   • 10:45h: 3^rd period: joint bilingual general studies / topic: Research and experimenting, afterwards: shared lunch
   • End of the trial lessons: 12:30h
2. Trial afternoons at Sternenschule Duisburg (usually in June). On 4 weekdays in different weeks, the children have the opportunity of participating in the school’s afternoon programme along with the 1st form students (multiple students on the same day are permitted!). The afternoon programme usually takes place between 14:00h and 15.20h. Some examples from last year:
• Monday: early childhood musical education
• Wednesday: Arts/colour workshop
• Thursday: English indoor activities
• Friday: Sports adventures
3. Family adventure day (near the end of the school year) at Sternenschule Duisburg.
   The children have the chance to participate in the adventure and experimental educational offers, while the parents can reflect on the WILUK-days in a relaxed atmosphere. Cold drinks and a tasty BBQ are a great foundation for a functioning school community.
4. Mentoring 1st form students will become mentors to the new students from the first trial days up to the first half year of their education at Sternenschule Duisburg.

 

Gallery