Colegio Alemán San Bonifacio / Deutsche Schule Bilbao
Primary and secondary school in Bilbao, Spain
The Colegio Alemán de Bilbao (Deutsche Schule Bilbao, DSBilbao) is one of more than 140 official German schools abroad, which receive funding and teaching staff from Germany. In the German government's regular inspections of schools abroad it has been certified as an "excellent school" (Colegio Excelente). The school homologates its qualifications with the education department of the Basque Government, so its courses are recognised as the equivalent Spanish ESO and Bachillerato.
Pupils usually join at age three in the German-style Kindergarten, and the school continues through primary (Grundschule) and Gymnasium up to Klasse 12 and the German Abitur. A grade-conversion table lets Abitur holders apply to Spanish universities, and the school prepares students for university in Germany or Spain. Subjects such as maths, physics, chemistry, history, biology, art, music and sport are taught in German, with methods designed for non-native speakers: for more than 90 percent of pupils German is not their first language. Students also learn Spanish and English, and French and Basque. The school also runs Spanish courses for foreign students.
Children starting in the nursery or Kindergarten need no German and no German nationality. Pupils can join any year up to the start of Klasse 11, but from the third year of primary admission depends on their level of German.
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Programmes
German school system, with homologation to Spanish qualifications:
- Nursery (Krippe)
- Kindergarten (KG1-KG3), ages 3-5
- Grundschule (G1-G4), ages 6-9
- Gymnasium (Klasse 5-10), with Spanish ESO equivalence
- Upper secondary (Klasse 11-12) and the German Abitur, with Spanish Bachillerato equivalence
Klasse 5 and 6 correspond to the last two years of Spanish primary school.
Admission
Children can start in the nursery or Kindergarten without any German and without German nationality. Pupils can join every year group up to the start of Klasse 11 (first year of Bachillerato), and up to Klasse 10 at any point during the school year. From the third year of primary school, admission depends on the child's level of German. The school management decides on each admission; families can book an individual visit through the school office.
Language requirements
No German is needed to start in the nursery or Kindergarten. From the third year of primary school, admission depends on the applicant's German. German is the main language of teaching: subjects such as maths, sciences, history, art and music are taught in German with methods designed for non-native speakers. Students also study Spanish and English.