Cities / Berlin / BBIS Berlin Brandenburg International School
BBIS Berlin Brandenburg International School
Established in 1990 and now on a 36-hectare campus in Kleinmachnow southwest of Berlin, BBIS is one of a small number of schools worldwide authorised to offer the full IB continuum from PYP through Diploma and Career-related Programme.
In brief
Established in 1990 and now on a 36-hectare campus in Kleinmachnow southwest of Berlin, BBIS is one of a small number of schools worldwide authorised to offer the full IB continuum from PYP through Diploma and Career-related Programme. Around 900 students, of whom roughly 80 board.
The boarding programme is a genuine part of the school rather than a marketing line, and the leafy out-of-town campus is one of the larger international school sites in Europe. The mix is roughly a third German, a third American, and a third everything else, with embassy families a steady part of the roll.
Parent reaction is split. Families with strong learning support needs report serious teacher engagement and small class sizes, and the diplomatic community generally rates the school. The recurring complaints are administrative communication, IB scoring corrections handled poorly, and an 8 to 3 school day with thinner after-school care than peers, which working parents notice fast given the fee level. For families who want the full IB continuum and a campus with space, the benefits usually outweigh the friction.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Early Education (3-4 years) | 3 | €15,300 |
| Early Education (5 years) | 5 | €16,400 |
| Grade 1 | 6 | €19,400 |
| Grade 2 | 7 | €20,000 |
| Grade 3 | 8 | €20,300 |
| Grade 4 | 9 | €21,400 |
| Grade 5 | 10 | €21,600 |
| Grade 6 | 11 | €22,500 |
| Grade 7 | 12 | €22,700 |
| Grade 8 | 13 | €22,900 |
| Grade 9 | 14 | €23,900 |
| Grade 10 | 15 | €24,200 |
| Grade 11 | 16 | €25,000 |
| Grade 12 | 17 | €25,100 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | €100 | |
| Book deposit | €300 | |
| Registration fee | €7,500 |
Reviews
A full IB-continuum day and boarding school on a wooded 36-hectare campus in Kleinmachnow, on the southwest edge of Berlin. The school has run all three IB programmes for decades, sits at around 900 day students plus a small boarding cohort drawn from 60-plus nationalities, and since 2021 has been owned by its own charitable foundation rather than a commercial group. Parent feedback splits clearly: the campus, learning support and teacher engagement draw warm comments, while communication, administrative handling and the gap between fee level and wraparound provision come up as recurring frictions.
Positives
- Campus and facilities. Forested 36-hectare site in Kleinmachnow with full-size sports pitch, three-gym sports hall, STEM labs, robotics and coding spaces. The setting and the breadth of specialist facilities are consistent positives.
- Learning support. Parents speak well of the support on offer for children with learning differences, alongside strong EAL provision. Class sizes average around fifteen, which helps.
- Teaching. Individual teachers are described as caring, professional and engaged. The 2024 IB Diploma cohort averaged 34 points, with a notable group earning the bilingual diploma.
- Ownership and identity. Owned since 2021 by the BBIS Foundation, a charitable endowment set up by former shareholders. The foundation model removes the for-profit overlay that sits over many international schools in the region.
Considerations
- Communication and administration. Patchy communication is a repeat theme in recent parent feedback. One account describes an administrative error around an IB score result, with limited responsiveness from leadership when the family pushed for a correction.
- Wraparound care and cost stack. The school day runs roughly 8am to 3pm with limited late-afternoon care. Add-on costs for clubs, lunches, trips and uniform stack on top of the EUR 14,900 to EUR 24,400 tuition range, and parents flag that external activity providers on campus pay high fees that pass through to families.
- Academic register. Most accounts are content with academic progress; some are not, and a few feel the academic level does not match the school's reputation. German instruction draws criticism from families thinking ahead to a German university route.
- Location and commute. Kleinmachnow sits roughly 17km southwest of central Berlin, between the city and Potsdam. The green setting is part of the appeal; the commute from central or eastern Berlin is the trade for it.
Leadership
Trixie Siemens
Trixie Siemens joined BBIS after working in schools in Canada, China, Romania and Tanzania. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of British Columbia in Canada, and holds a Masters of Arts in Educational Leadership from the University of Bath in the UK. She began her teaching career in the field of science and was an IB DP Examiner and IB MYP Moderator for the Personal Project. Currently, Trixie serves as a chair for international accreditations for both New England Association of Schools & Colleges and the Council of International Schools, giving her an opportunity to support educational review and development for schools around the world. Trixie is passionate about supporting holistic student development.
Accreditations
- Council of International Schools 01
- Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools 02