Primary School

About 250 students attend the DSJ primary school. Most grades are made up of three classes. We are privileged to offer our students a quality-learning environment with an average of 18-19 students per class.

Children from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds are taught in a child-friendly learning atmosphere. As a team of teachers at the German International School Johannesburg, we see the diversity and heterogeneity of our students as both an opportunity and a challenge.

The lessons cover all subjects of a German primary school, based on the education plan of the state of Baden-Württemberg of 2016. The heterogeneity of our students requires individual and differentiated teaching. We therefore pay particular attention and importance to internal differentiation and the strengthening of personal, social and methodological competences. A holistic and varied teaching supports meaningful learning. English is introduced in Grade 2 taught at the home language level.

We pay particular attention and importance to the promotion of the active language skills in Grade 1. The Language Concept allows additional support to be given to the children in their German lessons. The children learn in smaller groups with the additional help of two primary school assistants in these classes.

In order to provide intensive and targeted support to students with individual and special support needs in their learning process, the Phoenix Learning Center offers further support and extension opportunities.

Intercultural encounters, for example with the partner school Thabisile from Soweto as well as school trips in class 4 enrich school life and promote understanding, tolerance and empathy for other cultures through a better mutual acquaintance.

Our school’s Conflict Resolution programme supports students on the road to a peaceful solution to the conflict where necessary and children, who have worked through the programme, are guided to assist others.

With numerous and diverse Friday Club groups from the music, art and sports, the primary school offers a comprehensive range of extracurricular activities. Sports festivals, swimming galas, “assemblies” and class trips make everyday school life lively and colourful. The highlights of our school life include the Grade 1 Welcome Ceremony and celebration as well as our Variety Show.

It is important to us to give continuous feedback on learning progress and to have a close exchange with parents. In order to ensure efficient and targeted support for every child, constructive cooperation between the home and the school is a fundamental part of this. A constructive exchange between children and school is very important and vital. Our parents support at various activities enrich our school life.

The primary school team continuously reflects on its work and is always in professional and pedagogical exchange. To maintain our teaching quality and for the integration of new methodological-didactic elements, the team-teaching in all class levels, as well as classroom visits and training of our colleagues, team and feedback afternoons contribute to this excellence and developments.