International School of Hamburg: English-medium day education in Groß Flottbek

The International School of Hamburg is a not-for-profit day school on Hemmingstedter Weg 130, 22609 Hamburg, in Groß Flottbek, across from the Botanical Garden. The about page calls it an independent, non-profit association. Phone: +49 (0) 40 8000 50 0. Admissions: admissions@ishamburg.org.

The school traces its foundation to 1957, describing itself as Germany’s first international school. It began with about 50 pupils near the Alster before moving to its present purpose-built campus. That history provides context, not a measure of fit for a particular child.

ISH is a day school, with no advertised boarding provision. Relocating families need their own housing and a daily travel plan. Ask about school-bus routes and ordinary public transport before choosing where to live.

The key decisions are English readiness, German-language development and the programme offered in the child’s year. Junior School’s published curriculum and PYP candidacy should be distinguished from full programme authorisation. Obtain a current fee schedule rather than using the 2018–19 document found in the existing research.

Who it is for

ISH suits families who want English-medium schooling from age three through upper secondary and can manage the journey to Groß Flottbek. German lessons begin in Grade 1. If a waiting list is needed, the application page describes first-come, first-served handling, with priority for international pupils who could not manage in the local German school system and whose parents are on a limited assignment in Hamburg. Ask how that priority applies to your application.

The senior route differs from a German Gymnasium, the academic secondary school leading to the Abitur. For university in Germany, ask whether the proposed IB qualification and subject combination provide allgemeine Hochschulzugangsberechtigung, or general eligibility for university entry. Discuss requirements in the German state where the pupil may apply, including a possible later move.

The application page states that the school cannot admit pupils needing a separate, self-contained special-education programme, pupils whose needs cannot be accommodated within the building’s physical limitations, or pupils with poor previous academic or behavioural records. The FAQ describes support for mild to moderate learning needs. Families should submit the child’s reports and ask what support and physical access the school can provide before relying on a place.

Campus and daily facilities

The campus page describes 41,000 square metres of grounds and a 19,000-square-metre building. The school brochure dates the new building’s opening to 11 January 2010 and the three-storey West Wing to 29 August 2015.

Facilities include a Performing Arts Centre with a 400-seat auditorium, seven science laboratories and the Saalfeld Family Library, with about 45,000 items. Sports provision includes three gym halls, a climbing wall, a fitness studio, a 100-metre track and a full-size football pitch.

The Falcons teams compete through NECIS, the Northwest European Council of International Schools. Internal school sport begins in the youngest years. The school also describes tennis, cricket and hockey facilities next door at the Rot-Gelb Club, with a swimming pool a short bus ride away.

There are two playgrounds, one reserved for the youngest pupils, and a Secondary lounge. The cafeteria seats 300. The school lists Katerine GmbH as caterer since 2023, with cashless ordering through foove. Published service hours are 8.00am–4.30pm for the kiosk and 11.30am–1.40pm for hot lunch. Request current meal prices.

The sustainability page reports Eco School certification, Umweltschule Europa, in July 2025. It describes two bee colonies, Grade 9 bird boxes and a ban on single-use plastic bottles. A visit should include ordinary classrooms and dining arrangements as well as the larger facilities.

How the day is organised

The school has Early Years, Junior and Secondary stages, with different starting times and programme choices.

Early Years, ages three to five, comprises EY1, EY2 and EY3. The published programme is the play-based International Early Years Curriculum (IEYC). EY3 adds phonics, reading and writing workshops, and structured mathematics through Number Talks and Math in Focus. Specialist lessons cover music, physical education and library use; EY3 also has information technology and additional English support. The day runs 8.30am–3.00pm.

Junior School, Grades 1–5 (ages 6–10), is described through the International Primary Curriculum (IPC), reading and writing workshops, and Math in Focus. Specialist subjects include music, German, physical education, library use and information technology. Grade 2 has an overnight local trip; Grades 3–5 have three- to five-day trips in Germany. The day runs 8.30am–3.00pm.

The school also lists candidacy for the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP), ages 3–10, with a homepage announcement dated 17 December 2025. Candidacy is not full authorisation. Because the learning pages still described IEYC and IPC at the review date, ask what programme is being taught in the proposed year and how the PYP transition affects it.

Secondary School, Grades 6–12, runs 8.15am–3.00pm, according to the FAQ. Grades 6–10 follow the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP). In Grades 6–8, pupils study English, German, mathematics, history, geography and science. These are complemented by visual arts, music, drama, physical education, design and information technology. French or Spanish begins in Grade 6.

In Grades 9–10, English, mathematics, German and physical education remain core subjects, with choices from sciences, humanities, languages, design, drama and music. In Grades 11–12, pupils may enter the two-year IB Diploma Programme or IB Career-related Programme, subject to departmental recommendation. The Career-related Programme combines IB study with career-related learning; families should discuss its qualification outcomes separately from the Diploma. ISH reports offering the IB since 1979, with a five-year review in 2022.

The about page lists accreditation by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), with its most recent stated evaluation in 2022.

Published calendars: 2025/26 first day 21 August 2025, last day 25 June 2026 (half day). 2026/27 first day 20 August 2026, last day 24 June 2027 (half day). Current parents get the full timetable on the Community Portal.

Most after-school activities finish by 4.30pm; the FAQ gives 3.15pm as the After School Programme’s start. Separately, After School Care for ages 3–11 runs Monday to Thursday, 3.00–6.00pm, excluding vacations, staff training days and public holidays. Families needing Friday care must make separate arrangements. The school describes holiday camps in August, October, February and April; ask about dates, availability and charges.

Languages and English support

English is the main teaching language. German lessons, additional English support and separately arranged home-language tuition serve different purposes.

German starts in Grade 1 and is not taught in Early Years, according to the FAQ. It is a Junior School specialist subject and remains a core subject through Grade 10. Ask how pupils are grouped by proficiency and how the lessons prepare them for using German outside school.

English as an Additional Language (EAL) is available during the school day from EY3, also called P3, through Grade 10. Junior School combines separate support lessons with support in the ordinary classroom:

• Beginners typically have seven separate lessons plus two or three in-class support periods per week.
• Intermediate learners typically have four separate lessons plus two or three in-class support periods.
• Advanced learners are monitored in class.

Secondary newcomers are tested on arrival and placed in MYP Language Acquisition at the appropriate Emergent, Capable or Proficient level. These are the programme’s language-development categories. The reviewed pages did not establish a specific Grade 9 English threshold. Ask whether the child’s current English and the available support are sufficient before paying the application fee.

French and Spanish begin in Grade 6. Home-language tuition, labelled Mother Tongue by the school, has a separate arrangement: ISH finds a teacher and room, and parents pay the tutor. Junior School lists after-school Dutch, French, Spanish and additional German.

In the IB years, a pupil may study Language A, the literature-focused first-language subject, with a privately funded teacher or through a school-supported self-taught option at Standard Level. Ask whether the child’s language is available and what it costs.

The about page still invites parents to the Parent Teacher Association. The FAQ now also names a Parent Engagement Team (PET) for social and fundraising events.

Class sizes

The FAQ gives class limits of 20 in Early Years and 24 in other stages. These are maximums, not average class sizes or current vacancy figures.

How a child actually gets in

Use the inquiry form to arrange a tour; it does not submit an application. The online application portal is for new pupils, with re-enrolment handled separately.

The application portal requests these documents:

• A pupil questionnaire and family and employer information.
• A health form and the school’s required measles documentation before attendance.
• A Learning Support form, even if no support is requested.
• Two years of school reports, a photograph and a passport or official identity document.
• A confidential teacher recommendation.
• An English placement test for Grades 6–12.
• An official transcript for Grade 9 and above.

For diagnosed learning needs, submit psycho-educational reports and any individual education or support plan, with English translations where needed. Ask Admissions which health evidence applies to the child’s circumstances.

The application page lists a €500 application fee per child, payable before the file is processed. It does not guarantee a place.

The completed file goes to the section principal. Offers come by email. Learning support, financial aid, or “special circumstances” may take longer. Mid-year entry is allowed; admissions is rolling.

For the youngest pupils, the age cut-off is 1 October. The child must turn three for EY1, four for EY2, five for EY3 or six for Grade 1 on or before that date. For later placement, the school considers readiness, maturity, previous schooling and motivation.

The FAQ says children arriving in the second semester from a different school-year calendar are usually placed in the grade they have just completed. It names South Africa, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand as examples. Confirm the proposed placement before accepting; a completed year elsewhere does not automatically mean progression to the next grade at ISH.

Fees and financial aid: keep the dates separate

The existing research did not find a public 2025/26 or 2026/27 tuition schedule. The fee PDF located on the official site was for 2018–2019, so it cannot support a current budget. Request the current Schedule of Fees from admissions.

The admissions pages provide the following separately dated information.

The application fee listed in the reviewed information is €500 per child; confirm the amount before applying.

According to the FAQ, fees are due on 1 August for a school-year start, or within 14 days of the invoice for a mid-year start. Payment is by bank transfer only; credit cards are not accepted. Use the payment details in the current Schedule of Fees supplied by admissions.

Financial aid: the published table refers to the 2024–2025 full-tuition schedule. It is not a confirmed 2026/27 price or award schedule. For a one-child family, the upper gross-income threshold is €150,000, with allowances for families with multiple children. The page lists these reduced annual tuition amounts:

Gross income from	Gross income to	Annual tuition on the FinAid page
€0	€50,000	€3,300
€50,001	€75,000	€7,700
€75,001	€100,000	€11,600
€100,001	€110,000	€13,750
€110,001	€150,000	€15,900
above €150,000		Full tuition (2024–2025 schedule)

Assets other than the primary residence can increase the assessed fee. The published description adds nothing below €100,000, then lists additions of €1,000, €2,000, €3,000 and €4,000 in successive €100,000 bands. Above €500,000, full tuition applies. Ask how boundary values are assessed.

At least one parent must work in or near Hamburg. Families receiving significant employer support for school fees are not eligible.

Request the financial-aid form during the admissions process. The school considers it only after an admission offer. Both parents or guardians sign the application, and funds are limited.

Awards last one year. Approval remains provisional until the previous year’s official tax return is supplied. The published table refers to 2024–25 tuition, so it is not a confirmed 2026/27 award schedule.

Buses: the school describes three HVV school-bus routes around the outer Alster and HafenCity for Grades 1–12, with charges varying each year. Request the current routes and price. Separately, its information says Hamburg-resident pupils have been eligible for free ordinary hvv public transport since 1 September 2024; under-sixes already travelled free. Do not assume this also makes the dedicated school bus free.

After School Care: two packages are offered, invoiced through the end of the current trimester, and children from other schools may also attend. The page gives no prices; ask through the care page.

Build the family budget from the current quotation, including any applicable financial-aid decision and additional services.

Learning and specialist support

The Student Support Services Team screens pupils following a teacher referral. Services include learning support, school and university counselling, and nursing. Speech and occupational therapists are independently contracted rather than automatically included in school provision.

Middle Years and Diploma Programme pupils may qualify for assessment adjustments. The school does not provide a separate, self-contained special-education programme. Confirm the child’s required support, available staffing and any additional costs before accepting.

The reviewed pages name Dr Alan Knobloch as Head of School.

Our take

Obtain the current fee schedule and contractual terms from Admissions before making financial commitments. Compare Phorms Campus Hamburg if a bilingual route to the German Abitur better matches the child’s plans.

Friendly orientation, not an application. Dates, fees, and programme details move. Confirm everything with the school.