GISB’s middle school offers a holistic bilingual program that emphasizes languages, sciences, and artistic-musical education, while also fostering the development of creative and critical thinking skills.

The middle school at GISB follows a German, college-preparatory curriculum with a focus on mathematics, sciences, and languages. Students acquire a variety of social and academic skills to navigate our multifaceted and complex world with awareness and purpose. In addition to subject-specific training, the curriculum includes the development of key competencies such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork. For example, they learn to debate with peers, perform geometric constructions, and analyze lab experiments in groups. These skills are gradually refined and form the foundation for their future success in upper secondary education and beyond.

Curricula for subjects align with the school curriculum in Germany and are approved by the German Kultusministerkonferenz (Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education). Curricula for subjects taught in English follow German requirements and include MA High School standards.

At GISB, preparing students for the digital world is a key part of our educational approach. Middle School students will use school-provided Chromebooks during lessons when digital tools support learning. The devices will stay at school and will not be taken home. At the start of each school year, students receive training to help them stay organized, use digital tools responsibly, and communicate effectively with teachers and classmates.

New in 2025-2026,  the “Fachraumkonzept” introduces a subject-centered room concept in which classrooms are organized by subject rather than assigned to a specific class. Instead of students staying in one room all day, they move between rooms that are tailored to the needs of each subject. This allows for a more focused and well-equipped learning environment, encourages collaboration among subject teachers, and supports clearer structures for classroom routines and responsibilities. It also promotes shared use of space and better maintenance of materials and resources. Unlike the American system, where teachers often stay in one room and students rotate through a fixed schedule of classes, the Fachraumkonzept emphasizes subject-centered spaces and shared teacher responsibility for rooms.

Classes no longer have fixed homerooms, but each grade retains a dedicated base room for class council and key events such as report card distribution and student orientation days. Students enjoy shared spaces throughout the day. From the lunch area for meals, to the library and cafeteria for a change of scenery, to the study hall for working or just relaxing. These areas are open to everyone, providing opportunities to meet up, collaborate, and spend time together.

Your child’s base room teacher is the first point of contact for you as parents. However, as children in this age group grow, their primary connections increasingly become their friends and peers. In line with the holistic development of their personalities, our school program also emphasizes social-emotional learning. The focus is on creating learning opportunities for your child to better understand themselves, others, and their interactions with others. Strengthening social skills and encouraging responsibility help foster an understanding of how to maintain healthy and fulfilling friendships. By developing healthy self-confidence and improving self-regulation skills, your child gains essential tools to manage everyday challenges. These abilities are further enhanced through holistic teaching programs, class council meetings, an active student council, as well as class trips and cross-grade project days.

We believe that teachers and parents are partners in your child’s education. We are always happy to discuss your child’s progress, either during parent conferences in the fall or during an informal parent-teacher meeting. Although most of your child’s teachers will speak only German with children, they look forward to discussions with you in English or German, depending on your preference.

For more information about the orientation level/Beobachtungsstufe in grades 5 and 6 and the different degrees in the German school system, please see the Admissions FAQs.