We are a bilingual kindergarten with a focus on the English and German languages and offer places for 180 children between the ages of 3-6 years. They usually transfer to the Berlin International School, whose campus we share. The organization and pedagogical proximity to Berlin International School is reflected in our location: Kita International is located on the campus of Berlin International School in the beautiful neighbourhood of Dahlem. Parks, playgrounds and the Grunewald forest are all easily accessible either by foot or public transportation.

Our families come from all over the world and our joint language is English. Children are placed in eleven age-homogenous groups, taking into consideration nationality and languages spoken at home.

Our open-minded educators and teachers come from many different countries and bring their shared passion for young children’s education to the job. We all enjoy sharing our home culture with the children and look forward to welcoming the children’s cultures in our Kita to create the vibrant international community for which we are known throughout Berlin and beyond.

Parents are an important part of our community. Shared events are held at various times of the year, for example to celebrate the German holidays of St Martin in November and Christmas in December. Throughout the year, there are numerous occasions on which parents, children and staff come together and mingle.

Often, we may be out and about to make ample use of the many exciting opportunities to enhance our classroom learning by conducting field trips. Museums, parks and gardens, forests, theatre performances… all this is fortunately at our doorstep. For our fieldtrips, we use public transportation or, when required, our school bus company.

If you are interested in learning more about Kita International (and we sincerely hope you are!), you are welcome to attend one of our regular Information Mornings. Information Mornings take place approximately once a month and offer an opportunity to come and see our Kita, meet the administration and get a feel for what we offer. Schedules of Information Mornings throughout the Kita year can be found on our website.

It is our responsibility as educators to recognize the importance of our work with children during this crucial stage of development and learning. Considering the diverse community we work with, the development of international-mindedness is of key importance and permeates all areas of our work with the children.

To this end, we are committed to the development of specific attributes that are further developed in our partner school, the Berlin International School (B.I.S.). These attributes have been adopted from the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) and encompass the values and ethos of the Berliner Bildungsprogramm as well, thus offering a unique opportunity at the intersection of two curriculum models.

The State Curriculum for Early Childhood in Berlin, the Berliner Bildungsprogramm is a holistic programme that has the development of well-balanced children at heart. Its focus is the development of children who are resilient, independent and aware of their rights and role in the community. The Berliner Bildungsprogramm outlines the following 6 areas of learning:

• Health
• Social and cultural life
• Communication: Language, Written Culture and the Media
• Art: Artistic expression, Music and Drama
• Mathematics
• Nature, Environment and Technology

These areas of learning are addressed through our Programme of Inquiry, which takes elements from the IB Primary Years Programme and facilitates the development of children’s competencies in all 6 areas of learning.

As a framework of inquiry-based education, the PYP offers us an opportunity to connect with the curriculum of the Berlin International School, whose Dahlem campus we share. We share the PYP’s vision of developing internationally-minded children, and the IB Learner Profile outlines the attributes that we strive to cultivate in our community.

Our programme meaningfully differentiates between our older children (K2 and Starters), where the age and level of development allows for more focused and sustained work on units, and our youngest children in the K1 groups. These inquire into two broad units over the course of the entire year, enriched by spontaneous inquiries that reflect the interests of the children at any given time and highlight the best of developmentally appropriate practice.

The main language of communication at Kita International is English, both in communication between parents and staff as well as in our daily work with the children. As our community is made up of many different cultures and nationalities, we place great emphasis on developing a shared language of communication that is inclusive for everyone. Children frequently join Kita International with no or very little prior knowledge of the English language. Our dedicated educators and teachers are familiar with the needs of children who learn English as an Additional Language (EAL), and children’s English language development is fostered within the group setting.

As the host country language, German plays a big part in our Kita. Every child receives German lessons, and this can take many different forms to cater for the needs of young children.

With both languages, our staff are well aware of the processes involved in young children learning new languages and offer an exciting and inspiring programme that allows for differentiation and consideration of the varying needs within each group.

Originating from a German government initiative Haus der Kleinen Forscher, literally translated as, House of Little Scientists’ is a concept that places emphasis on developing scientific thinking and inquiry through a cooperative and child-centered approach. Our educators have participated in extensive training and workshops in order to achieve the status of a Haus der Kleinen Forscher.

To apply for a place, please kindly download the Kita Application Form and return the completed form to the Kita office by post, fax or via email.

Kita International ∙ Lentzeallee 8/14 ∙ 14195 Berlin
international@kant-kindergarten.de

We will contact you when a place has become available for your child.

25.04.2024, 10:00-11:00 AM

Due to the huge amount of interest, the information morning on 25. April is already fully booked. Please watch this space for the upcoming schedules of the Information Morning.