Cambridge Lower Secondary (ages 12-14)

We cannot foresee what kind of expertise our children will need in 10 or 20 years’ time. What we do know is the kind of competences that will enable them to shape their and our society’s future as active decision-makers. The International School Westpfalz ensures that its students develop such essential competences.

Based on the assumption that people are born to learn, we use and foster this capacity by creating an environment where children can develop their skills and grow up to be responsible adults. By offering individual and respectful support and encouragement to our students, our teachers or “mentors”, as we like to call them, do everything to ensure that the children live up to their potential.

The Years 7 and 8 learning partners share a learning environment that consists of a “Lernatelier” (a large common room with individual work stations), and two input rooms where classes or input events take place. As soon as these input sessions finish, the learning partners return to their respective work stations within the Lernatelier (also known as the LA) where they, assisted by their mentors, continue studying more or less independently, in tasks related to the input.

As our mentors have their personal work stations in the Lernatelier too, they are available to the students at all times to answer questions or lend support. This “cohabitation” creates a positive atmosphere of interdependence. In the Lernatelier, the rule of silence – whispering allowed – must be respected. Social skills are the basis and goal for working effectively side by side within a learning environment.