Possibility of A-Levels in Berlin - Germany

A new and exciting development in the International School market is developing fast. The International School Villa Amalienhof, a wonderful old building set in beautiful grounds on the Heerstrasse, offers the unique possibility in Berlin of studying the National Curriculum of England and Wales, and following IGCSE’s with A-Levels. The IGCSE’s are taken at the age of 16. These are International General Certificates of Secondary Education and the students usually take around eight different subjects. A-Level, short for Advanced Level, is a General Certificate of Education qualification in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, usually taken by students during the final two years of secondary school, the 16-19 year old stage. Many international schools around the world choose to use the British system of A-Levels as the examinations are widely recognised internationally and are used as a sort of entrance exam for many universities. A-Levels were first introduced in 1951, but were most recently changed in 2000 to consist of two parts, taken consecutively, the AS Levels (the Advanced Subsidiary) and then the so called A2 examinations. These are each worth 50% of the final A-Level. Students apply to University with their AS grades already in hand, and are, in the UK, made an offer, so that their entry will depend on their final A-Level grades.

What are the advantages of A-Levels as compared with IB, Abitur or the French Baccalaureate? Compared with the curricula of secondary schools in many countries, the A-Level system provides more depth into the subjects being studied. The students have the freedom to concentrate on the subjects they really enjoy and excel in whilst not being forced to study subjects in which they have little interest. If the students already know what they want to do, for example medicine, or engineering etc., then they can study their subjects to a far greater depth with A-Levels. Students are encouraged to take four or even five subjects at AS Level, before specialising further to three or four A2 Levels in their final school year. With this combination of a broad education, with in-depth specialism in the second year, A-Levels are a passport to top universities all over the world. Prestigious universities anywhere will welcome a student with good A-Level grades and may also allow them to skip the first year, as they are already so far advanced in their A-Level subject areas. In Germany, for example, students can easily get admittance to University with A-Levels, so long as the chosen A-Level subjects cover a broad enough spectrum. They could select a science subject, a language and a couple of others of their choice and this would be a good combination for German universities.

Villa Amalienhof offers these possibilities in small classes, with a lot of individual attention. Here, all the teaching is in the English language and the majority of the teachers are from the UK. The infrastructure and technology is superb, for example all teaching rooms have interactive white boards and computers. A visit to the school is highly recommended. If you have any further queries or wish to make an appointment to see the school, please contact the school secretary.

International School Villa Amalienhof gGmbH
Heerstrasse 465
D-13593 Berlin
P: +49 (0)30 3643 9820
F: +49 (0)30 3643 9821
E: info@is-va.com
I: www.is-va.com
Presscontact: Cornelia Mueller

The International School Villa Amalienhof is a non-profit, international, English-language day school for children from the age of 3 to 18. Our unique premises are located in the in idyllic woodland in Berlin – Spandau (Germany). Our modern facilities and wonderful grounds provide the perfect learning environment for local and international children.

This release was published on openPR.