Cities / Berlin / Berlin British School
Berlin British School
Founded in 1994 and run on a small-school model with around 500 children across Early Years, Primary and Secondary sites in and near the Grunewald forest.
In brief
Founded in 1994 and run on a small-school model with around 500 children across Early Years, Primary and Secondary sites in and near the Grunewald forest. English-medium with Cambridge IGCSE and the IB Diploma at the senior end, accredited by CIS and a COBIS patron school.
Three campuses with the Early Years site set in the forest itself, Primary on Dickensweg in Charlottenburg and Secondary back in Grunewald. Class sizes are capped at around 20, and the roll is about 45 percent German and the rest from over 50 nationalities.
The school is well-regarded for English-medium academics, fair discipline and the unusual woodland setting. A recurring undercurrent in family conversation is that management presentation can feel polished while operational reality lags, and that long-tenure staff turnover sometimes leaves academically stretched children less well served. For families who want a small, British-flavoured school with IB at the end and are happy with a Charlottenburg-Grunewald commute, it is a serious option to compare against BBIS and BIS.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| K1 (Early Years) | 3 | €13,400 |
| K2 (Early Years) | 4 | €16,300 |
| K3 (Early Years) | 5 | €16,300 |
| Grade 1 (Monolingual) | 6 | €16,950 |
| Grade 2 (Monolingual) | 7 | €16,950 |
| Grade 3 (Monolingual) | 8 | €16,950 |
| Grade 4 (Monolingual) | 9 | €16,950 |
| Grade 5 (Monolingual) | 10 | €16,950 |
| Grade 6 (Monolingual) | 11 | €18,000 |
| Grade 7 (Monolingual) | 12 | €18,000 |
| Grade 8 (Monolingual) | 13 | €18,000 |
| Grade 9 (Monolingual) | 14 | €18,900 |
| Grade 10 (Monolingual) | 15 | €18,900 |
| Grade 11 (Monolingual) | 16 | €19,800 |
| Grade 12 (Monolingual) | 17 | €19,800 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| IGCSE Examination Fee (Grade 10) | €1,625 | |
| IB Examination Fee (Grade 12) | €2,725 | |
| Registration Fee | €2,750 |
Reviews
- Parents recommend it as the main UK-curriculum option in Berlin, often noting it sits on the city's western edge in Charlottenburg-Spandau and has a diplomatic-circuit intake.
- One parent said BBS is doing a wonderful job academically and praised the teachers and the cafeteria.
- A house-system overview from the school is referenced in unrelated discussions, suggesting the British boarding-school traditions are visible in the day-to-day.
- One parent said outright they wouldn't recommend BBS, citing the commute, while another flagged the popular kita as significantly more expensive than other Berlin kindergartens.
Positives
- UK curriculum and English-medium teaching. Online posters point to BBS for IGCSE/A-level pathways and strong English instruction, including for children arriving with little English.
- Academics and teachers. Parent reviews on schools databases describe academically focused teaching and a professional staff.
Considerations
- Location on city outskirts. Multiple Reddit and Mumsnet comments note the Charlottenburg-near-Spandau site adds to commute time for families based in central Berlin.
- Fees and kita costs. One Mumsnet poster called the affiliated kita's fees significantly higher than typical Berlin kindergartens.
Leadership
Caitríona Phelan-Körnig
Having occupied various teaching positions at Early Years, Primary and Secondary, including Senior Leadership positions at BBS, I now, as School Principal, have the added pleasure of overseeing the pedagogical side of our whole school. As an international school, BBS has been providing an inclusive education to both international and local children in Berlin for the past thirty years.
Accreditations
- Council of International Schools 01
- COBIS Patron's Accreditation and Compliance 02
Academic results
- IGCSE Grade C or above required for IB Diploma
- MSA Overall score under 3.0 required for IB Diploma