Schultypen in Deutschland

Germany has several types of schools and the path is not fixed at age 10. The main types are: Grundschule (primary, ages 6 to 10 or 12 depending on state), Gymnasium (leads to Abitur), Realschule (leads to mittlere Reife), Hauptschule (vocational path), Gesamtschule (comprehensive, all paths under one roof), and Gemeinschaftsschule (similar to Gesamtschule, common in Berlin and BW).

In Berlin, after Grundschule most students go to either Gymnasium or Integrierte Sekundarschule (ISS), which is the equivalent of Gesamtschule.

No. Recommendations are made at the end of year 4 but families can often choose regardless of the recommendation. Students can move between school types at transition points. A student at ISS can still reach Abitur, it just takes one extra year (year 13 instead of 12).

G8 means 8 years of Gymnasium, finishing Abitur at the end of year 12. G9 means 9 years, finishing at the end of year 13. Most states are switching back to G9. Berlin Gymnasium is currently G8. Check with your school.

Berlin has a number of private and state-recognized bilingual schools, including English-German, French-German, and other language combinations. These are particularly relevant for international families. Admission processes and fees vary. Spielwiese has a Kita and school directory where many are listed.