Quick summary of key school information
All the details about this school in their own words
| Number of students |
250 |
| Number of nationalities represented in the school |
62 |
| Most common nationality |
American |
| Ratio of local students to international students |
High School, 50% home students and 50% boarding students |
| Native English speaking teachers |
Yes |
| Language support for students not fluent in English |
Yes, English Language Learning available |
| Additional language classes offered by the school |
French, German, and Spanish |
| Max. number of students per class |
20 |
| Average number of students per class |
Average 12 |
| Does the school employ teaching assistants? |
No |
| Use of technology in the classroom |
Google Classroom, Power Point, Videos, Projectors |
| Is the school ready to use virtual classrooms when needed? (e.g. teaching lessons online if the school is closed, e.g. during COVID-19 closures) |
Yes, BFA is set up and ready for virtual classrooms with video conferencing, Google Classrooms and Zooms. |
| Do students practice religion at the school? What religion? |
Yes, Christian. |
| How does the school accommodate non-religious students or students of a different religion? |
Non-Christian parents must sign a Statement of Agreement that they understand Christian values are taught at school. |
| External examinations or assessments available |
BFA offers the SAT and ACT, along with the AP International Diploma (APID) for students who pass the required AP courses. |
| Results in these examinations |
SAT average 1185
|
| Do teachers assign homework to their students? |
Yes |
| Approximate hours of homework given |
The length of time required to complete the assigned homework will vary from child to child, but in general terms, students should expect to spend, on average, 1-1.5 hours working on homework each day (15-20 minutes per class on average). |
| Percentage of students who pursue further education post-graduation |
For the 2021-2022 school year, 76% attend four year university, 11% attend a Gap year program, 7% attend Military and work, 6% Vocational School or other. |
| Dedicated staff/programs for students with special learning needs |
Yes, The Discovery Program is our academic support program. |
| Learning support offered |
The Discovery Program is designed to meet the specific needs of students who have been classified with a developmental delay or a specific learning disability. Rather than receiving tutoring or learning strategies to compensate for their areas of weakness, the Discovery Program provides intense language-based educational therapy that targets areas of weakness in memory, attention, auditory and visual processing, visual-motor skills, oral and written language, reading, spelling, and math. The educational therapy program is designed to improve academic performance and to enable students to become independent learners. |
| The school supports gifted, able and talented students |
Students can take advanced math classes and 15 AP courses are offered on our campus. |
| Student access to education psychologist |
Yes. |
| Entry evaluation for students |
Yes. |
| Brief description of entry evaluation required |
BFA requires a complete application, school records, screenings, and student essays. |
| Waiting list |
For home students, no wait list. For boarding students, possibly, so prompt enrollment is vital to secure a spot in the dorms. |
| Deadline for registration (new academic year) |
Registration opens Sept 1st and continues throughout the academic year for the following year. |
| Students can join after academic year begins |
Yes. |
| School start time |
8:40am |
| School finish time |
3:40pm |
| Supervised care before/after school |
No |
| School bus service available |
Yes. |
| School provided lunches |
Yes |
| Food alternatives for special dietary needs (ie. vegan, kosher, halal etc) |
Yes. |
| Uniform required |
No |
| Extracurricular activities or clubs offered |
National Honor Society, Student Council, drama, international service trips, choir, instrumental ensembles, field trips, volleyball, basketball, soccer, track and field, and cross country. |
| Sports activities included |
PE, volleyball, basketball, soccer, track and field, cross country, and personal fitness. |
| Sports teams or sport competitions available for students |
Yes |
| Facilities at the school |
Boarding facilities, 5 private music studios, 3 science labs, 2 art studios, graphic arts room, gymnasium, auditorium, library, choir room, and two student centers. |
| Sports facilities at the school |
Gymnasium, outdoor multi-purpose court, and weight room. |
| Qualities and characteristics best defining the school |
Located in southwest Germany, Black Forest Academy provides quality, international, Christian education for students grades 5-12.
|
| Teaching approach of the school |
BFA has a distinctly Christian philosophy of education, which strives to develop students intellectually, spiritually and socially. The program emphasizes a Christian worldview in which values, beliefs and attitudes are rooted in biblical teaching. BFA believes its educational program develops a biblical perspective on life so students can fulfill God’s purpose for their lives personally and vocationally. |