Platanus School Berlin

Platanus Schule Berlin is located at Berliner Straße 12, 13187 Berlin, Germany. The building is the former Pankow Post Office, a listed historic property housing the school. It lies in the Berlin-Pankow district with access to local public transport links. The school comprises a bilingual kindergarten and a Gemeinschaftsschule offering primary and secondary education, with an upper secondary level approved to start in August 2024.

Kindergarten; Primary and Secondary School (Years 1–10). Upper secondary level (Years 11–13) approved to start in August 2024.

Bilingual Gemeinschaftsschule (community school) and state-recognised private school with a STEM (MINT) focus.

Erzieherinnen provide class-based support, including language acquisition and assistance during Ganztag and study periods; the school emphasises individual attention and small classes as part of its learning support.

Germany

Ganztag provides full-day learning from morning to afternoon with a rhythmised daily routine. Each class is supported by a Class Erzieherinnen during lessons and in the Ganztag, with over 30 clubs offered and meals in the canteen. All-day care runs from 6 am to 6 pm for Years 1–6 as part of an extended program.

Platanus Schule Berlin is a bilingual educational institution (German/English) with a kindergarten and a primary and secondary school in Berlin-Pankow. It has a MINT (Mathematics, Informatics, Natural Sciences, Technology) focus across the primary and secondary levels. The kindergarten and school are a state-recognised private school from Year 1 to Year 10 and are undergoing recognition for the upper secondary level (gymnasiale Oberstufe – Years 11 to 13), with approval to start in August 2024. It is housed in the heritage-listed former Pankow Post Office and uses adjacent buildings for learning. The Platanus Gemeinschaftsschule offers Grades 1 to 13 with small classes of up to 25 students. Immersive bilingualism and personal attention are key features of the early years.

Small classes with max. 25 students.

The school supports students' personality development and social behaviour through lessons and the Co-Curricular Enrichment Program. Teachers and educators guide this development in lessons and through the Co-Curricular Enrichment Program, and a secure, supportive environment is maintained to help all students feel a sense of achievement.

Learning is designed with internal differentiation, Team-Teaching and Support-Teaching, plus small-group work and cross-curricular projects to accommodate diverse learning needs and provide appropriate challenge. The school emphasizes inclusive education and ongoing assessment to support each learner's development.

The school is bilingual German-English. All students must be able to speak German or English at native level for admission. German-speaking students study English as a first foreign language from Years 3 to 10, and English is taught as a first foreign language at Year 11 at a high level. English-speaking students study German as a first foreign language with progression to higher levels (German at least B2 by Years 7–10 and at least C1 by Years 11–13). From Year 7, Spanish is taught as a second foreign language, with French offered as a beginners' course.

During the admission process, a safe and supportive atmosphere is provided for a get-to-know-you visit and trial days, with attention to physical and cognitive development, social interaction, and language development. A personal meeting with the child and parent, and the possibility of trial days, help ensure a secure and welcoming environment. The school communicates with families and provides ongoing support throughout the onboarding process.

1. Submit online application via the online application portal. The enrolment period for the new school year begins on August 1 of the preceding year. If places are available, admission during the current school year is possible for students with the necessary linguistic and academic aptitude. The school is a state-recognised private school from Year 1 to Year 10.

2. After the online application, the school reviews the complete documents and conducts a pre-selection. Because applications exceed places, not all applicants are invited to an interview. If the child meets the admission criteria, the child is invited to a get-to-know-you appointment, several trial days or a trial week, depending on the grade; a meeting with the parents also takes place. A decision on admission is made afterwards.

3. For the start of the 2026/27 school year, 50 places are offered in two Grade 1 classes. The preliminary selection from all submitted applications takes place after the Open Day. All applications received by October 17, 2025 are considered; applications submitted after this date can only be placed on the waiting list.

4. Introductory meetings are held in November 2025, and the allocation of school places occurs shortly afterwards. If a place is offered, the school will contact you by email or phone. If offered, you will receive contract documents by email and must schedule an appointment with the school office to sign the enrollment contract. The process is designed to allow the school and families to get to know each other.

5. Admission to Year 7 is limited to high-achieving students with a Gymnasium recommendation; final decisions are communicated by June 2026. Admission to Year 11–13 is possible only if all official requirements of the Berlin school authority are met. The decisions follow the current Berlin School Act and related regulations.

6. For applications in all current grades and available school places, the school will contact you as quickly as possible to determine whether your child can be invited to trial days. If a place is not available, your child will be placed on the waiting list. This process continues until a decision is reached.

7. For future first graders, an introductory visit is organised in autumn prior to the start. Your child spends a morning at our school with a small group of around 11 children, together with teachers and educators. The activities focus on physical and cognitive development, social interaction, and language development.

8. For students wishing to transfer into an already existing class, several trial days or a full trial week are offered. There are short written assessments in German, Mathematics, and English, followed by a personal interview and participation in lessons; feedback is gathered from teaching staff at the end of the trial.

9. What does waiting list mean? If there is no place available, the application will be placed on the waiting list. A waiting list is not a rejection, nor a guarantee of admission. Admission depends on class balance and capacity; if a place becomes available, the school will contact you by email or phone. No binding information about when a place might open up is provided.

Waiting list: If no place is offered, the child's application goes on the waiting list. A place on the waiting list is not a rejection, nor a guarantee of admission. Admission depends on class balance and capacity; if a place becomes available, the school will contact you by email or phone. The school cannot provide binding information about when a place might open up.