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FAQs - frequently asked questions
Daily school life
We intentionally do not use homework because our experience shows that it is easy to teach the relevant content as well as generic competences, such as self-organisation and planning one’s own learning, within regular school hours. We want to support joyful learning and give the children space for other joys in their free time. Therefore, they can leave all their material at school and do not need a school bag.
Of course, it sometimes happens that our students do something for school at home. For example, children may interview family members as experts, map their way to school or work on longer-term projects. Some also simply enjoy continuing projects they work on at school at home.
Last but not least, we think it’s great when the whole family has free time in the afternoon and there are no conflicts about homework in the first place.
We are convinced that learning succeeds best without pressure in a safe and stress-free environment. That is why we do not use exams or tests as a performance review and accompany our students individually in their learning. We focus on personally meaningful learning that is regularly reviewed, documented and always mirrored with qualitative and personal feedback.
We certainly take part in the quality assurance tests prescribed in Hamburg, for example KERMIT.
We deliberately refrain from assessing the learning successes of the children and young people at Zukunftsschule Alsterpalais with grades. This was agreed upon by the students, parents and teachers a few years ago – and we still think this is a good decision.
Our pedagogues keep a very close eye on the learning processes of the individual students, give differentiated feedback and are in constant exchange with them about their successes and difficulties. Furthermore, the students at our school learn to critically evaluate their own learning from the very beginning. They practise recognising and overcoming their strengths and individual challenges.
From year seven up, students can ask for numerical grades in order to learn about this way of assessing performance. In year 9, the they get G grades (Basic grades) and in year 10 G and E grades (Extended grades).
No, in our experience this is not a problem. The assessments behind the grades usually do not surprise the students, they are just much less differentiated than the assessments they are used to. The individual, human and very differentiated feedback is very much appreciated by our students.
As at other schools in Hamburg, students take the first general school-leaving certificate (ESA) and the intermediate school-leaving certificate (MSA). Unlike at state schools, these examinations take place in accordance with the External Examination Regulations (ExPO). The pupils of year 9 take the external ESA examination, those of year 10 the external MSA examination.
The final exams consist of a written and an verbal part. If a student has passed the written part, he or she is admitted to the spoken examination.
In the ESA, the basic competences German, mathematics and English are tested in writing and mathematics, social sciences, biology and chemistry or physics are tested verbally. The spoken examination is a team examination; all those to be examined take part together. The topics are set each year by the authorities.
In the MSA, the three basic competences and one elective subject from history, biology, chemistry or physics are examined in writing. The spoken examination is also a team examination in which two students are tested together. It covers the basic competences, history, biology and chemistry or physics.
In the MSA, there is a wide choice of subjects so that our students can set their learning focus according to their interests.
The primary school includes years 1 to 6 at the Zukunftsschule Alsterpalais. In this name is the idea of a six-year „primary school“ instead of the four-year primary school. We want the children to learn together for as long as possible and reject the idea that they and their families have to decide after year 4 which school-leaving certificate a child will one day choose. In our school, children continue to go to school after Year 4 and decide in due course which school-leaving certificate is right for them.
The primary school consists of a large team 1 (year 1 to 3) and a large team 2 (year 4 to 6). The team rooms are located in the modern part of the school building, which is under a preservation order.
The secondary school includes the years 7 to 10 at the Zukunftsschule Alsterpalais. The students learn mainly in the bright and newly equipped rooms at Alsterdorfer Straße 534, diagonally opposite the Zukunftsschule Alsterpalais.
Participation and co-determination
The Primary Council is an important committee that promotes the participation of students from the primary school (years 1 to 6) and encourages them to take responsibility for helping to shape daily school life. Each team elects two students as representatives to the Primary Council once per term. There are now 12 Primary Council delegates. They represent the interests of the students in their team and lead the team conferences. The Primary Council meets every two weeks. In addition, the teachers elect two representatives from their own team to the Primary Council.
The children learn to express and represent their interests in a safe environment. They practise democratic processes in the company of trusted teachers.
The Primary Council discusses all kinds of issues that are significant to the students and have been raised in the team conferences. All members of the school community, whether from among the teachers, the building services or the kitchen, can bring topics to the primary council or be invited by the children. Once a year, the primary council receives a financial donation from the „Förderverein der Flachsland Zukunftsschulen“ to make purchases for the students.
The team conference takes place once a week. It is chaired and moderated by the „delegates“ from the primary council. Which students represent the team in the primary council is decided by the team once a term in an election.
In the team conference, the students discuss topics, that move them. A vote is taken on whether a topic should move on to the Primary Council, for example because it could be relevant to the whole school. The „delegates“ from the primary council bring topics from the primary council to the team conference. This ensures that the entire student community is involved.
The Secondary Council is a committee made up of students from Year 7 and above and teachers from Team 3. In the Secondary Council, topics that are collected in the team conferences are discussed. The representatives of the Secondary Council then take the topics back to the teams.
The Secondary Council functions like the Primary Council, so it is the representation of interests for the older students. Here too, the students continue to practise expressing and representing their interests in a safe environment.
The Secondary Council discusses all kinds of issues that are important to the students and have been raised in the team conferences. All members of the school community, whether from among the teachers, the building services or the kitchen, can bring topics to the Secondary Council or be invited to do so by the children. Once a year, the secondary council receives a financial donation from the „Förderverein der Flachsland Zukunftsschulen“ to make purchases for the students.
Way to school
Our students come from many areas of the city. Most of them use public transport, because the Ohlsdorf U-Bahn and S-Bahn station is just around the corner. From the station, the students can reach the Alsterpalais by foot in less than ten minutes. They cross the streets at traffic lights or Zebrastreifen („zebra crossings“).
Many students as well as the staff and families of the childcare centre come by bicycle. Some can even come by foot. To reach the Zukunftsschule Alsterpalais by car, take Alsterdorfer Straße or Rathenaustraße. There are flexible arrival and pick-up times, which also alleviates the parking situation in the morning and afternoon.
We have bicycle racks in the schoolyard towards Rathenaustraße as well as directly next to the building on the side of Alsterdorfer Straße, where students, parents and staff can safely lock up their bikes.
We usually manage well with the few parking spaces directly in front of the building on the Alsterdorfer Straße side. Most of the families who visit the school or childcare centre have a high level of environmental awareness and use public transport or the bicycle – some also come by foot.
We also have flexible drop-off and pick-up times,. Still, the small parking lot is often very full, especially during the drop-off and pick-up times of the childcare centre.
The driveway is also a fire station driveway, so we are very careful that no one is blocking the road.
Finances
As an independent, all-day school we finance some of our school operations ourselves. The City of Hamburg pays 85% of the costs. We finance the remaining 15% from school fees and vouchers issued by the city for all-day care and school lunches.
The parents pay the school fees while the voucher for all-day care comprises a portion paid by the parents and a portion paid by the City of Hamburg.
Assistance is possible for families that find it difficult to pay the school fee and the parental portion of the care voucher.
We charge a monthly school fee of a maximum of 200 Euros. Siblings pay 70%.
In addition to this there is also the parental portion of the voucher from the City of Hamburg for all-day care and the school lunch. This is also staggered by income. Currently the parents pay a maximum of 174 Euros for a so-called 3-hour voucher (as at December 2020).
Children who need to be cared for before 8 am and after 4 pm need a voucher for more hours of care.
For more detailed information and a contribution calculator consult the website of the City of Hamburg by clicking here!
When a child reaches the age of 14 the City no longer pays towards all-day care or lunch. At this point the school agrees a so-called ‘private care contract’ with the parents and the ‘private’ contribution rate is oriented to the portion of the care voucher that was previously paid by the parents. A fixed price of 54 Euros per month is add for the organic lunch. (As at December 2020).
Assistance is possible for families that find it difficult to pay the school fee and the parental portion for care. Please contact the management of the school through the school office to arrange a confidential meeting. Up to now we have always managed to reach agreement and find a solution.
Assistance is possible for families that find it difficult to pay the school fee and the parental portion for care. Please contact the management of the school through the school office to arrange a confidential meeting. Up to now we have always managed to reach agreement and find a solution.
Even though we only have a limited number of places we would like, in principle, to allow all families who identify with our concept to send their children to our Kita and Zukunftsschule Alsterpalais.
We will also try to find a solution for families that are not entitled to a care voucher from the City of Hamburg. Please contact the management of the school through the school office to arrange a confidential meeting if you identify with our concept and would like your child to attend our Bildungshaus.