Berlin Bilingual School

A small, parent-founded German-English bilingual primary and secondary school in Friedrichshain, set up in 2007 by a group of expat families and grown into a settled community of around 450 children from 30-plus nationalities.

The school covers ages roughly 6 to 18 with a genuine bilingual model rather than English-as-a-foreign-language, and has an unusually high level of parent involvement. In practice it is a German state-recognised bilingual school running on the Berlin framework with strong English immersion, not a UK-curriculum school despite some directories listing it that way.

Families talk warmly about the diversity, the welcoming community, and teacher quality. It sits in a different category from the larger IB schools like BIS or BBIS, with fees lower and a more local, neighbourhood feel. For families who want bilingual continuity, are happy with the German school system, and want a small school where they will know other parents, this is the kind of place that gets recommended hand to hand. Less right for families who specifically need an IB Diploma exit.

• Online discussion describes it as a smaller, more affordable east-Berlin option than the bigger international schools, with parents pointing to the bilingual community and engaged teachers as the draw.
• One parent on a school-review site said children and teachers come from many cultures and the atmosphere is welcoming.
• One parent gave a low rating after their son was, in their words, discriminated against, and reported that the administration's response was poor.
• forum threads on Berlin school choices repeatedly mention it as a viable city-centre option for families who can't get into a public bilingual school.