Yes. Our English-language classes are taught by native English speakers from around the world, and German is taught by native German speakers. Students learn natural pronunciation, idiom and cultural nuance from day one, which is why they move so confidently between languages.

Yes. Students still developing their English join our English as an Additional Language (EAL) program, which runs at three levels (A1, A2, B1, following the Common European Framework) and includes extra support in Science and Social Studies lessons, so no one falls behind in content while they build their language. The goal is full integration into native-level English classes. Free booster lessons are available whenever a student needs additional help, and German as a Foreign Language is also taught at three levels, from beginner to advanced.

Every student learns German, either as a mother tongue or as a foreign language, with courses from beginner to advanced. From Grade 6, students add a third language and choose between French, Spanish, Mandarin and Japanese; Turkish is offered from Grade 9. Beyond the timetable, our afternoon activities program (SEA) includes further language clubs, such as Persian, so students can keep up a heritage language or discover a new one. In the IB Diploma years, languages can be studied at both standard and higher level.

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Yes. In our Kindergarten, every group is led by an Early Years Educator supported by one or two teaching assistants, so younger children benefit from a high adult-to-child ratio and plenty of individual attention. In Elementary School, specialist teachers for German, physical education and the library work alongside the classroom team at every level.

E-books, virtual reality goggles, 3D printers, and modern computer rooms provide an all-encompassing learning experience. In doing so, ISR emphasizes that technology does not replace traditional learning materials, but complement them to reach an in-depth understanding of the subject at hand. For example, ISR's students can use virtual reality goggles to explore ancient Rome in their history lesson or study the solar system in their physics lessons.

Yes. Even during the kindergarten and school closures due to COVID-19, ISR were able to guarantee continuous curriculum instruction at all times through virtual lessons for all students from kindergarten to grade 12. In this way, ISR ensured seamless educational continuance so that the students would never have to miss a class.

No. ISR is a secular, non-denominational school and does not offer religious instruction. Our community brings together families from around 60 nations and many faiths, and we teach our students to understand and respect every one of them.

ISR students follow a clear international pathway. In Grades 9 and 10 they take Cambridge IGCSE courses, sitting the examinations at the end of Grade 10 – in 2026, 100% of entries were graded A*–C and two thirds A*–A. In Grades 11 and 12, most students complete the IB Diploma Programme, which is recognised by universities worldwide and as equivalent to the German Abitur. Our Class of 2026 achieved a 100% pass rate with an average of 36 points, around six above the global average, and 59% earned the bilingual IB Diploma. Every graduate also receives the ISR High School Diploma. Alongside these, students can sit the PSAT, SAT and ACT for US university admission, DELF and DELE language diplomas in French and Spanish, and Cambridge Checkpoint assessments in the middle years.

Average IB Score: 36 with 100% pass rate

Yes, in a measured, age-appropriate way. Younger students take home short tasks and are expected to read one English and one German book each week from our library, building the habit of daily reading early. As students move through Middle and Upper School, homework grows with them, supporting the demands of IGCSE and IB coursework and teaching the independent study skills universities expect. With free before- and after-school care from 7:30 to 17:45 and booster lessons available when needed, students also have time and support to complete their work on campus.

ISR is a leading college-preparatory school, and university entrance is the goal from the first day of Upper School. Our University and Career Counselling team guides every student individually through subject choices, applications and entrance tests. Recent graduates have received offers from the London School of Economics, University College London, King's College London, the University of Edinburgh, UC San Diego, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Maastricht University and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and almost all students who wished to study at a German university met the requirements to do so. The Class of 2026 alone received 4 offers of admission on average from universities worldwide.

Yes. Our Wellbeing Department, with dedicated counsellors for Elementary and Secondary School, is the first point of contact for every question about inclusion and learning support. The team works with specialised teachers, class teachers and parents to identify individual needs early and put the right support in place, from one-on-one sessions and small-group workshops to adjustments in the classroom. Because ISR is an academically selective, college-preparatory school, we discuss each child's needs openly during admissions to make sure we can support them well.

With one teacher for every six students, ISR teachers know exactly where each child stands and can stretch strong learners within the classroom. Differentiated levels in core subjects, Cambridge IGCSE courses from Grade 9 and IB Higher Level options in Grades 11 and 12 let able students work at real depth. Beyond the timetable, they test themselves against the best: ISR students compete in Jugend forscht, Jugend musiziert, Model United Nations, debating competitions and international mathematics contests, and in 2026 a Grade 10 student achieved the highest score in Germany in the International Chemistry Competition. Over 90 afternoon activities, from coding to orchestra, give every talent a place to grow!

Yes. Our Wellbeing Department has three full-time professionals on campus every day, including dedicated counsellors for Elementary and Secondary School. Students can turn to them at any time for confidential one-on-one support, and the team also runs group workshops on resilience, mindfulness and stress management, and offers guidance sessions for parents. Where a child needs further specialist assessment, the team coordinates with external psychologists and therapists.

Yes. Every applicant from Grade 1 upwards completes a Readiness or Knowledge Check, scaled to their age. Families living abroad can complete the assessment virtually. The results are only one part of the picture: we look at each child's school records, motivation, social and emotional development and willingness to learn before making a decision.

All prospective students for Grades 3–11 must sit knowledge checks as part of the admissions process. The students are tested according to applicable age and completed grade level/subjects. For prospective students in Grades 1 and 2 the Primary School Coordinator administers assessments in understanding and motor skills and has a short interview with the student.

ISR accepts applications all year round, and students can join us at any point in the academic year, which is especially valuable for families relocating to the Düsseldorf area mid-year. Because places are allocated on a space-available basis, we recommend starting the process in late winter or early spring for a start in August. Popular year groups fill quickly, so an early application gives your child the best chance of a place.

Yes, at any time. Many of our families move to the Düsseldorf area mid-year, and we are used to welcoming new students whenever they arrive. Our admissions team can arrange the Knowledge Check quickly – also online from abroad – and once a child joins, class teachers, EAL support and our Wellbeing team make sure they settle in fast, academically and socially. With families from 60 nations, being the new student is nothing unusual at ISR!

Lessons begin, depending on the grade, at 8:15. The campus is open much earlier: supervised before-school care is available from 7:30 at no extra cost, so parents with early working hours can drop off their children whenever suits the family. After lessons, students can stay for lunch, afternoon activities and free after-care until 17:45, and our school buses run afternoon routes from Neuss campus across Düsseldorf and the region.

Regular lessons end at 15:15, but for many students the exciting day doesn't stop there. Our afternoon program offers over 90 activities, from sports and music to coding, debating and Model United Nations, and free after-care runs until 17:45. School buses leave at two times in the afternoon, so children can head home straight after lessons or after their activities. Families choose the rhythm that fits them – a full day at ISR is possible from 7:30 to 17:45 without any additional cost.

ISR school hours are adapted to suit the needs of working parents. Extended before and after-care are available for all students from 7:30 to 17:45 without any additional costs.

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More than 90, so there is something for every child. Sports range from football, basketball, volleyball, athletics and tennis to golf, fencing, gymnastics, capoeira and kung fu. Musicians can join the choir, orchestra, rock band or individual instrumental sessions, while creative students find their place in art workshops, crafts and drama. Academic clubs include chess, maths club, coding and reading clubs, and language clubs in Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Turkish and Persian let students keep up a heritage language or discover a new one. Older students take on real challenges through Model United Nations, debating, Jugend forscht and Jugend musiziert. Activities take place in the afternoon on campus, run by our own teachers and by outside instructors, and in the holidays our ISR Summer Program keeps the campus alive for children from Kindergarten to Grade 8.

Sport is a big part of life at ISR – and our campus is built for it!
Our 150,000 m² grounds in Neuss include a three-court sports hall with an indoor climbing wall, seven fully modernized tennis courts, an artificial turf football pitch, a running track with long-jump pit, basketball courts and a beach volleyball court. Every student has a 90-minute double PE lesson each week and rotates through blocks of four to six weeks in different sports, from athletics, football, basketball, handball and volleyball to badminton, hockey and climbing. Grade 2 students receive swimming lessons with qualified coaches as part of PE. Beyond the curriculum, ISR teams from U10 to U18 compete against other schools, and partnerships with local clubs such as PSV Neuss and NTC Stadtwald open up football, athletics, archery, and more.

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Everything a child needs from Kindergarten to Grade 12 is on one campus!
Each age group has its own purpose-built area, from the Kindergarten building with its own playgrounds to specialized classrooms and open learning areas for Elementary and Secondary students. At the heart of the campus is a library with over 25,000 books, magazines and media in many languages, running reading programs such as Antolin and Accelerated Reader from the earliest grades. Fully equipped science laboratories serve Physics, Chemistry and Biology through to IB level, modern computer rooms, 3D printers and virtual reality goggles bring technology into everyday lessons, and dedicated music, art and drama rooms give creative students room to work. Lunch is cooked fresh from 100% organic ingredients and served in our cafeteria, and our fleet of electric school buses connects the campus with Düsseldorf and the region within a 75 km radius. Because all stages share one campus, children grow up in a familiar environment and older students act as reading buddies and mentors for the youngest.

Our 150,000 m² campus in Neuss is one of the largest school sports sites in the region. Indoors, a three-court sports hall with electronic dividing curtains hosts several classes at once, with markings for basketball, volleyball, handball, badminton, futsal and indoor hockey, plus a climbing wall with routes for beginners and advanced climbers. Outdoors, students have an artificial turf football pitch and a grass field, a running track with long-jump and triple-jump pits, seven fully modernized tennis courts, basketball courts, a beach volleyball court and archery facilities. Grade 2 students learn to swim with qualified coaches as part of PE, and ISR teams from U10 to U18 train and compete here against other schools.

ISR International School on the Rhine is a leading college-preparatory school for over 1,200 students from 60 nations, from Kindergarten to Grade 12, with campuses in Neuss, Düsseldorf and Meerbusch. As an IB World School and Cambridge examination centre, we combine a structured, internationally recognised curriculum with the individual attention that only a 1:6 teacher-student ratio makes possible. Our graduates go on to renowned universities in Germany and around the world, guided by our own university and career counselling team. Families value what makes daily life easier, too: guaranteed class coverage, free full-day care from 7:30 to 17:45, organic lunches, electric school buses and over 90 afternoon activities on a 150,000 m² campus. Above all, we believe it is cool to be good – academically, and as a person!

ISR offers an outstanding international, college-preparatory curriculum, individual support for students, a varied extra-curricular program, and a multilingual school environment. Academic excellence, character building, social competence as well as finding individually tailored solutions are the core of the ISR education system!