Key Facts
| School type | Independent day school, co-educational, 3 to 18, with German International Abitur and optional IB |
|---|---|
| Location | Richmond, Richmond upon Thames |
| Entry points | 3+, 7+ |
| Assessment | Year 1 to 11 application form and language questionnaire, last two school reports, birth certificate and any existing assessments; language skills are assessed during admission. |
| Test provider | No external test provider is named; the school assesses each child's language skills during admission. |
| Day fees (2026/27) | £13,280 per school year including VAT (£11,067 net of VAT) for Years 1 to 12, payable in two instalments; Kinderhaus £4,500 net per term |
| Scholarships and bursaries | No scholarships listed; means-tested bursaries for school fees, discretionary and reassessed annually |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly. Compare fees at other independent schools.
You get into The German School by submitting an application form (one for the Kinderhaus, one for Years 1 to 11) with a language questionnaire, the last two school reports and a birth certificate, after which the school assesses the child's language skills. The school describes no fixed entrance exam, no named test provider and no single intake year, so families can apply for Kinderhaus at age 3 or for any year group from Year 1 to Year 11.
The pages read give no interview, group activity or published number of places, and they set no registration date. Where a year group is oversubscribed, the school offers a waiting list, so early contact with the admissions office tends to matter more than any test preparation.
| Entry point | Year group | Assessment | Interview | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3+ | Kinderhaus (Tiny, Mini and Maxi Explorers) | Separate Kinderhaus application form and language questionnaire, with the last school reports, birth certificate and any assessments if available. | Not stated | Not published |
| 7+ | Year 3 (the school accepts applicants into any year group from Year 1 to Year 11) | Year 1 to 11 application form and language questionnaire, last two school reports, birth certificate and any existing assessments; language skills are assessed during admission. | No interview or group activity is described on the pages read. | Not published |
Entry points and places
The school takes children from age 3 in the Kinderhaus (Tiny, Mini and Maxi Explorers) through to the Abitur or IB, and it accepts applicants into any year group from Year 1 up to the start of Year 11. There is therefore no single 7+, 11+ or 13+ gate; a child aged 7 applies for Year 3 on the same form as an older pupil.
Numbers of places and forms of entry are not published on the pages read. Starting at the beginning of a school year or at mid-year is recommended, although other start dates are possible by agreement with the admissions coordinator.
- Kinderhaus: separate application form, ages 3 to 5
- Years 1 to 11: one application form for every year group
- Year 12: generally not available as an entry point
How the language assessment works
Admission depends on language, and there is no competitive entrance exam: the school assesses each child's German and English during the admission process, and the German level required varies with the entry stage. The pages give no paper format, subjects, length or test provider.
The school aims for pupils to be fluent in German and English at an academic level, and it can offer targeted language support where a child needs it. Asking the admissions coordinator at the start avoids surprises later, since they confirm the expected level for a given year group.
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Registration runs in a fixed order, and the school publishes no closing date for it. Families complete the Kinderhaus or Year 1 to 11 form together with the language questionnaire, then email everything to the admissions office, which processes an application only after the registration fee has been received.
A place is then offered, or the child joins a waiting list if the year group is full. An accepted place is secured by paying the deposit and development contribution promptly, since a late payment may mean the place is offered to someone else.
- Step 1: attend an Open Day, arrange a visit or take the virtual tour
- Step 2: submit the application form and language questionnaire by email
- Step 3: send the last two school reports, birth certificate and any existing assessments
- Step 4: pay the registration fee so the application can be processed
- Step 5: language assessment during admission
- Step 6: offer of a place or waiting-list place
- Step 7: acceptance deposit and School Development Fund contribution
Documents, visits and who to contact
Applicants send the last two school reports, a birth certificate and any available assessments of the child, all by email to the admissions coordinator at the admissions office. These replace a reference form, since the pages read describe no separate reference from the current school and no interview.
Visits are open to families through a school tour arranged with the coordinator, an Open Day, or a virtual school tour on the website. The school is at Douglas House in Petersham Road, Richmond.
Scholarships and bursaries
The school lists no scholarships on the pages read, and its financial help comes as means-tested bursaries and fee reductions on school fees only. Applications can generally be made only after a place has been offered and accepted, and they close on an annual deadline for the following school year.
Awards are discretionary, limited by available funds, reassessed every year and may require a parental contribution. Income thresholds apply and differ for families with one child and with two or more. Fee reductions are also possible in cases of unforeseen financial hardship, and the commercial director handles enquiries.
Fees and what they include
Fees are charged per school year for Years 1 to 12, due in two instalments (first and second semester), and per term for Kinderhaus, with the current figures shown in the fees field above. The fees page does not say what the year fee includes beyond tuition.
Afternoon programmes, extended days, extracurricular activities, books, excursions, cafeteria and the school bus are charged separately and are not eligible for discounts. A loyalty discount of 15 per cent of net school fees applies after more than five combined full academic years at the school or its Sudbrook Kinderhaus, and to the third and later children in a family. Optional extras include a Swiss teacher contribution and German School Association membership.
Where pupils join from
Many families enter through the school's own Kinderhaus, and children moving up from the Sudbrook Kinderhaus branch have the registration fee waived. No other feeder or partner schools are named on the pages read.
Pupils arriving from other schools send their last two school reports and any assessments, and the school judges German and English level case by case. Children from German-system schools in particular can follow the sixth form routes described below.
Sixth form entry
The sixth form covers Years 10 to 12 and leads to the German International Abitur, with the International Baccalaureate available as an option, and the way in depends on the school the student comes from. Gymnasium students join Year 11 with their Year 10 report, whilst Realschule students need a school note confirming suitability for the upper school before repeating Year 10 at Gymnasium level.
Students with another qualification recognised by the KMK can also join Year 11. Joining Year 12 is generally not possible, and students admitted to Year 10 or 11 at G9 schools face a three-month probation period. German is the main language of instruction, with some subjects available in English.
How to prepare
Preparation centres on language and paperwork, because the published process has no named exam. Children benefit from regular reading and speaking practice in both German and English at a level suited to the year group they are joining, and the language questionnaire is best completed carefully with the child's real experience in mind.
Gather the last two school reports, the birth certificate and any assessments before starting the form, pay the registration fee at submission, and ask the admissions coordinator which German level the target year group expects. Calm, early contact also helps with any waiting list.
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Preparing for the German School 3+ and 7+ with Taylor Tuition
Families preparing for the German School 3+ and 7+ usually come to us a year or so before the assessment, though shorter runs work where the foundations are already sound. Having prepared pupils for entry to leading independent and grammar schools, with placements including Westminster, St Paul's, Wycombe Abbey and Eton, our tutors build each programme around the format the school actually uses, whether a written paper, an online pre-test, an interview or a combination of them.
More than half of our tutors hold Qualified Teacher Status and around three in five hold a master's degree or doctorate, and the pool includes former heads of department, exam-board examiners and teachers from independent and boarding schools, so the preparation is led by people who know how selective schools assess. Every tutor who works with children holds an enhanced DBS check.
Families in London and further afield work with us online, and in person in central London. Fees start from £50 per 50-minute session and depend on tutor level and subject, with no registration fee and a free initial consultation to talk through your child's current level and the timeline to the 7+. Families receive progress reports after sessions and have a dedicated point of contact.
Read more about our 7+ entrance exam tutors, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there an entrance exam for The German School?
- The pages read describe no fixed entrance exam and name no test provider. Applicants submit an application form, a language questionnaire, their last two school reports, a birth certificate and any existing assessments, and the school assesses each child's language skills during admission. The German level required depends on the entry stage.
- How much are The German School fees?
- Fees are published by the school on its school fees page and are charged per school year for Years 1 to 12, due in two instalments, and per term for Kinderhaus. A registration fee is paid at application and a deposit with a development contribution on acceptance. The current figures appear in the fees field above.
- Does The German School offer scholarships or bursaries?
- No scholarships appear on the pages read. Means-tested bursaries and fee reductions are available for school fees only, usually after a place has been offered and accepted, with an annual deadline. Awards are discretionary, limited by funds, reassessed each year and may require a parental contribution.
- When and how should a family register at The German School?
- Complete the Kinderhaus or Year 1 to 11 application form and the language questionnaire, then email them with the last two school reports, birth certificate and any assessments to the admissions coordinator. The registration fee must be paid before the application is processed. No closing date is published.
- Can my child join the sixth form at The German School?
- Yes, usually into Year 11 and not Year 12. Gymnasium students join with their Year 10 report, and Realschule students need a school note, typically an average of 2.5 in key subjects, then repeat Year 10 at Gymnasium level. The sixth form leads to the German International Abitur, with the IB as an option.
- Is there a waiting list at The German School?
- Yes, where a year group is oversubscribed the school offers a place on a waiting list. Because these lists change quickly, the school recommends contacting the admissions coordinator early. Mid-year starts are possible, although the beginning of a school year is recommended.
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