Mostly, yes. All teachers have a C2 level proficiency in the language in which they instruct students.

Yes, and more. Non-German-speaking learners in the German section preschool are immersed in the language with activities and programs designed for them to absorb vocabulary and speech in a playful and encouraging way. The same is true for non-English-speakers in the English section Early Years.

For older pupils, an EAL (English as an Additional Language) is in place in the English section. In our German section, the school runs a fast-tracked language acquisition program customized to the student's grade level and starting proficiency level.

Spanish and French are offered as options for a 2nd foreign language starting Grade 6. This applies for both German and English sections. Both French and Spanish are also available starting Grade 11 as ab initio courses.

When possible, GESM can offer other languages in the interest of continuity for a transferee. In the past years, this has been done for Latin and Italian.

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The average class size is 13 as of S.Y. 2023-24, although German section classes tend to be smaller than in those in the English section.

Yes. All preschool classes have designated teaching assistants and aides. In the Primary Department (Grades 1-5), all classes with more than 12 students have two teachers: a homeroom and an assistant teacher.

Each classroom is equipped with a touchscreen Smart TV that functions as the blackboard. Additionally, all Primary classrooms have at least two sets of personal computers, one tablet, and other smaller devices. PCs in designated rooms are available for use for Secondary students, and a lounge for those with their own laptops.

Yes. Each GESM student receives their own personal Microsoft account upon enrollment, which includes MS Teams. If classes are suspended by the government due to inclement weather or other unexpected reasons, GESM automatically shifts to online classes using MS Teams as the main platform.

Aside from MS Teams, students have access to MS Word, MS Excel and MS PowerPoint at the minimum, plus up to 1TB of cloud storage space via OneDrive.

As a secular school, GESM does not adhere to any specific belief system, nor does it prescribe any kind of faith to its students. Religions are tackled in the classroom, and short school trips are often organized to visit synagogues, temples, and churches.

GESM's German section Grade 10 students sit middle school concluding examinations set by the KMK (Kultusministerkonferez, www.kmk.org).
English Section Grade 10 students sit the IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) set by Pearson Edexcel.
Grade 12 students sit exams from and get assessed by the International Baccalaureate (IB) for either the Diploma Programme (DP) or the Career-related Programme (CP).

German language certification:
All Grade 9 students sit the DSD I (Deutsches Sprachdiplom Stufe I) exam.
All Grade 11 students sit the DSD II (Deutsches Sprachdiplom Stufe II) exam.

GESM's passing rates for the IBDP and IGCSE exams are generally comparable or better than the world average, while KMK exam results consistently yield 100% or near it.

This depends on the Grade level and the section. Students in Primary get regular assignments, for which study periods within the school hours are allocated. Provided they finish the assignments in school, there is little school work given for them to do at home. Homework research is assigned for Grade 5 students in the English section preparing for their PYP exhibition.

Homework is assigned to students in Secondary.

This varies greatly depending on the Grade level. Primary students are encouraged to do all school work within school hours. Three periods of 40 minutes each are allotted for assignments within the week.

Close to 100% of students attend a higher educational institution after graduation, if not immediately afterward or after a gap year.

Yes. GESM has an Additional Needs Program with a team of specialist teachers. Additionally, the school has what's called in German a Sonder- und Sozialpädagoge who provides support in the form of extra lessons for those in need.

Push-in and pull-out sessions for students in need, mainly for subject-specific academic support, or language support. Depending on the grade level, the subject, and the actual needs of the students, students are given extra lessons separately or are joined in the classroom by a support teacher.

Exceptionally able students are also considered for the additional needs program. Such students aren't given any push-in sessions, but depending on the need, are given extra tasks or pull-out sessions. Special talents and abilities are honed and encouraged via an extensive offering of afternoon clubs.

If needed, yes. The special pedagogical teacher (Sonder- und Sozialpädagoge) and the coordinator of the school's Additional Needs Programme (ANP) act as the go-between for students and an educational psychologist, should the need arise.

Yes. The evaluation of new enrollees may take the form of an interview and/or an entrance exam.

New students are normally evaluated through an interview with the head teacher of the pedagogical department (e.g. preschool, primary, secondary, etc.) they are enrolling in. Our teachers reserve the right to ask for additional requirements if they deem it necessary. An entrance exam is normally given for enrollees who wish to join Secondary. A language assessment is normally done for students joining from a non-English or non-German-speaking school.

For certain classes in the English section, yes.

With the exception of classes in the higher years, GESM admits new students all year round, and thus do not have a hard deadline for enrollment. However, to ensure that a student can start in the beginning of the coming school year (August), we ask that families submit the application forms by April 30.

Yes.

All classes start at 7:30am.

From Kindergarten to Primary, classes end at 2:00pm every day. For Secondary, classes are held until 3:30pm on one or two days in the week, and until 2:00pm the rest of the days.
All students have the option to register for an afternoon extracurricular activity ("clubs") on days when they finish at 2:00pm.

Yes. Supervised care is provided for all primary students without afternoon activities until 3:30pm at no extra cost to parents.

Yes.

There is an optional canteen service for students, yes.

At the moment, our canteen service only offers vegetarian options.

No, but they are very much encouraged to wear school clothing (GESM Tshirts, poloshirts, etc.).

We offer afternoon clubs from 2:00pm to 3:30pm from Mondays to Thursdays. Students have the option to participate in multiple sports (e.g. football, swimming, jiu jitsu), cultural activities (e.g. arts, music), and other endeavors (e.g. robotics, woodworking). As of S.Y. 2023-24, registration to all afternoon clubs are free-of-charge except for Jiu Jitsu & Robotics.

Swimming, different ballgames including football and basketball, track and field sports, badminton, etc.

Yes. GESM joins tournaments and competes against other international schools in the Philippines. The school also organizes matches between GESM student houses.

GESM has an auditorium, a library, science laboratories, a student lounge, a garden with an aquaponics system, computer rooms, etc.

GESM has an indoor gym with a climbing wall, football field, basketball/volleyball court, racetrack, long jump sandpit, shot put ring, swimming pools, etc.

GESM fosters a tight-knit community, providing many opportunities for parents, teachers, administrators and students to meet and work together. The school values the holistic development of each and every child, just as much as it values academic excellence. As a German-European institution, GESM puts strong emphasis on language learning, among others as a vehicle towards cultural tolerance and international citizenship.

GESM adheres to the concept of "Bildung", a German term that encompasses the idea of holistic education, personal development, and the cultivation of character and values. At GESM, we aim to provide a well-rounded education that goes beyond academic achievement, nurturing students to become informed, compassionate, and reflective individuals, critical thinkers with a sense of responsibility to the broader world.