Wangari-Maathai International School

Located at Babelsberger Straße 2, Berlin, Germany. It is a Berlin public international school. It is a bilingual (English/German) state-run international school categorized in the Berlin school system.

Elementary School and Integrated Secondary School (primary, lower secondary and upper secondary).

Public international school

Extended Support and Supervision (eFöB) is available, offering care modules outside regular hours, including early care, late care, and holiday care.

Germany

All-day school; attendance 8:00–16:00 on at least four days a week; homework is not assigned, though occasional tasks may be given and logged; mathematics is usually taught in German; English classes are taught by native speakers.

WMIS integrates Berlin Senate curricula with an international bilingual program. German and mathematics follow the Berlin framework curricula, and primary curricula can be combined with the National Curriculum for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Bilingualism is based on immersion. At the end of grade 10, students take the MSA exams, which are conducted in German, and mathematics is taught in German from primary. In grades 3 and 8, students participate in the German-language VERA 3/8 tests. Reports and evaluation follow the Berlin framework, with orientation marks introduced in grade 4 and indicator-based reports.

All pupils are required to take the MSA examinations in Year 10. Depending on path, the school awards the Berufsbildungsreife (BBR), the erweiterte Berufsbildungsreife (eBBR), the MSA, or the MSA+ (MSA with progression to the Gymnasiale Oberstufe). All English-language students are taught according to the Cambridge Curriculum and can take the IGCSE examinations in English. Abitur and IB are offered for Grades 11–13.

Abitur and IB are offered for Grades 11–13. English-language instruction follows the Cambridge Curriculum with IGCSE examinations available in English. The program uses the Berlin Framework Curriculum for primary and English bilingual schooling (in cooperation with Nelson Mandela School) and Cambridge Lower and Higher Secondary programs. These qualifications enable study in Germany or abroad.

BEGA (Begabungsförderung) supports gifted and talented students. BEGA is part of LEMAS (Leistung macht Schule), linking WMIS with resources to advance talent in science. Learning in the learning lab includes TU WAS boxes for experiments. Earth Arts Action (EA) is taught in the 3rd and 4th grades with cross-year projects; Elective lessons (2 hours) include photography, ceramics, drama, orchestra and mediation.

WMIS admissions overview: Admissions are available for Grade 1 and for grades 2–8 for students considered internationally mobile. For Grade 1, WMIS accepts children from internationally mobile families and from families living permanently in Berlin per class. A distinction is made between highly mobile and mobile international families. If your child was born between October 1, 2019, and September 30, 2020, they will start school in 2026. Registration for 2026/27 uses an Enrollment Form. Admission for Grade 1 only is welcome; registration is possible from October 6, 2025 to October 17, 2025 without an appointment, with office hours Monday–Friday 8:00–12:00. Before applying to WMIS for Grade 1, Berlin-address families register during the official Berlin-wide registration period at the local public elementary school (Schule im Einzugsgebiet). To apply to WMIS, families must first apply for a school change at the catchment-area elementary school and then submit the WMIS application together with the Umschulungsantrag. Multiple school registrations as first, second, or third choice are not allowed. If WMIS is a second or third choice and the first choice is Nelson Mandela School, submit the registration there; if the first-choice school rejects the application, the documents can be forwarded to WMIS. If the first choice is a different primary school, you can apply with all documents. Families without a Berlin address should contact the WMIS secretary.

3. Print two copies, sign them, and present them to WMIS with two copies of the other required documents (do not staple). A measles vaccination certificate in original plus two copies is required. Please read the Datenschutz documents. The school notes that language tests determine admission for Year 1, and the status of the application cannot be shared during the process; documents are rechecked after language tests and are not forwarded to the Senate before December; the Senate will inform applicants not before May 2026.

5. LANGUAGE TESTS: All children must complete a language test in the mother tongue (English or German) in which they are registered and must achieve at least 80% to be offered a place. Language tests are scheduled for November 10–12, 2025, from 8:00 to 14:00.

6. ADMISSION GRADES 2–9 (Side-entry): WMIS accepts students in grades 2–8 who are internationally mobile. The oldest pupils will be in Year 9 in the 2025/26 school year. WMIS does not participate in the ‘Transition to Secondary School' enrolment process. Applications for Year 2 and higher are accepted from April 1, 2025. Lateral entry to grades other than the first grade is only possible for students from internationally mobile families, with the legal definition of international mobility available here. Applicants must pass an age-appropriate English language test. If an English test has already been completed at Nelson Mandela School or Kennedy School, admission to WMIS is not possible. If criteria are met and the child is accepted, proof of Berlin residence must be provided no later than one week before the registration date (first day of the new school year); failure to provide proof may result in no admission. To apply, submit in duplicate: a completed application form; a written employer confirmation showing membership in one of the internationally mobile categories; the last two school reports (translations accepted if not in German or English); a copy of the child's birth certificate and a copy of the child's identity card or passport; and any further documents listed on the site. Application forms for grades 2–6 and 7–10 are available.