Conditions of Admission

Requirements for admission for Y5 to Y10 students to the SISS Secondary at Schuldorf Bergstraße                                               

The State International School Seeheim-Jugenheim, to which we belong as the Secondary branch, is the international school branch of the state cooperative comprehensive school Schuldorf Bergstraße. For this reason, the admission criteria outlined in the Hessian Education Law (Hessisches Schulgesetz) must always be applied to a student’s admission. Further information can be found under "Schulrecht" on the homepage of the Hessian Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs (https://kultusministerium.hessen.de/).

The year group structure and curriculum taught is as follows:

The curriculum taught in each year group is appropriate to the age and academic level of the students; it is not necessarily related to the number of years they might had in other educational systems.

The main language of instruction is English.

Applications from students coming from other educational systems will be considered on an individual basis. Applicants are required to fulfil at least the following criteria:

The school offers places to all students whose command of the English language satisfies the standard of English needed to respond effectively to the requirements of our Secondary 1 curriculum leading to the Cambridge IGCSE preparation in Years 9 and 10.

Year 5/Year 6:

Your child should have sufficient English skills to follow our curriculum.

Year 7:

In addition, your child should have either German or Spanish/French as a second language in order to meet our requirements. We cannot offer any other language as a foreign language.

Year 8:

In addition, your child should have Spanish or French in order to meet the requirements of the second language programme at this level. We cannot offer any other language as a foreign language.

Year 9/Year 10:

In addition your child should have the second languages (German, Spanish/French) to fulfil our Y9/Y10 IGCSE programme. Otherwise the requirements for admission to the SISS Secondary are not met. We cannot offer any other language as a foreign language.

Requirements for admission to the IB Diploma Programme to the SISS Secondary at Schuldorf Bergstraße

Introduction

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at SISS (short: IB DP) is a challenging and rigorous course of study that prepares students very thoroughly for further study at university. The IB DP demands very high standards of personal organization, motivation and academic ability though prior academic success is less an indicator of ability to earn the IB diploma than are a student’s determination to do his or her best. Additionally, willingness to be organized in order to complete the work while leading a full, balanced life and a strong commitment to learning in and beyond the classroom constitute an essential pre-condition for successful completion of the IB DP.

The school offers places to all students whose command of the English language satisfies the standard of English needed to master the tasks of the IB DP and for whom it has the resources. However, SISS will not knowingly give a place to any student who we consider to be beyond the scope of support that we can provide.

Requirements for students enrolled in Grade 10 at the SISS

The basis for the requirements below is in accordance with the official decree1 issued by the Hessisches Kultusministerium (Hessian Ministry of Education) for the recognition of IGCSE qualifications as the equivalent of the “Mittlerer Abschluss” or “Hauptschulabschluss”.

To enter the IB DP in Grade 11, Year 10 students have to fulfil the requirements for a ”Mittlerer Abschluss in Form des qualifizierenden Realschulabschlusses“. Consequently they must have a better average than 3.0 in the main subjects English, one Science, Mathematics, and German and a better average than 3.0 for all the other subjects on the report issued at the end of the second semester of Year 10.

Additionally, students are required to have obtained a minimum grade C in the following five IGCSE core subjects: Double Coordinated Sciences, English First Language, International Mathematics, History or Geography, and one foreign language (either German, French or Spanish) or German First Language.2

Students should normally have at least A grades in the subjects they intend to study at higher level. Students must also have an excellent attendance record in year 10.

If a student has achieved a grade D or lower in one of the five IGCSE core subjects, They must repeat year 10, transfer to the Realschule or seek alternative training. Should a student choose to repeat SISS Year 10, they need to retake those exams in which the grade was D or below. If they wish, arrangements can also be made to retake other subjects in the hope of achieving a higher grade.

Where a student fails the retake of a subject, the student will leave the school with a Hauptschul-abschluss if a grade G or above has been achieved in the five core IGCSE subjects. It is not possible to retake examinations for a second time.

Requirements for students applying from other schools

English is the main language of instruction in the International School Seeheim-Jugenheim/Schuldorf Bergstraße. For this reason students will only be admitted to the IB DP if their command of the English language satisfies the standard of English required for successfully completing the tasks of the final two years at SISS Secondary.

All applicants will be expected to have achieved a standard shown in their present report cards that will enable them to be successful in the IB DP.

Applications from students coming from other educational systems will be considered on an individual basis.

Those applying from schools offering (I)GCSE courses are required to have obtained a minimum grade C in the five IGCSE core subjects. Students should normally have at least A grades in the subjects they intend to study at higher level. Students must also have an excellent attendance record in year 10. Additionally, these applicants may still be required to sit subject tests, particularly for potential higher level subjects, and attend interviews if considered appropriate.

Applicants from schools not offering (I)GCSE courses are required to fulfil at least the following criteria:

• Demonstrate a satisfactory level of English usage both in writing and speaking
• A foreign language (German or Spanish) must have been successfully studied for at least three school years or equivalent proof of language proficiency in one of these languages can be shown at level B1
• Either Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Combined Sciences has been studied (to be checked with Hessian state regulations and the Sciences department)
• Knowledge and skills in Mathematics must be equivalent to having passed IGCSE International Mathematics examinations.

In instances where a year 10 student applies with insufficient prior knowledge of a subject from groups 2 to 5 (IB DP), we may offer the possibility of a retake of year 10 at SISS.

Application for admission

Students wishing to be admitted to the IB DP at SISS should have applied at the International School Seeheim-Schuldorf-Bergstraße prior to their commencement. Applications should be made via the school‘s secretary following instructions on the school’s website. The final decision of acceptance is made by the SISS leadership team.

Updated version: March 2021

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