Quick summary of key school information
School details
| 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 (ELL) 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 during emergencies) |
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. BFA also offers ELL to support English Language 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. |