Alea School

International Baccalaureate

As an internationally oriented independent school, ALEA SCHOOL combines the Hessian curricula with the philosophy of the IB (International Baccalaureate). The IB is a globally recognized educational program that focuses on developing students with strong academic, social and emotional skills. The goal: lifelong enjoyment of learning. The IB program is designed to encourage students to think critically and engage with the world in a holistic and open-minded way. The joy of learning is promoted through research-based approaches, and core values such as empathy, open-mindedness and intercultural understanding are reinforced. There are four main IB programs, each tailored to different age groups. The curriculum, developed in the 1960s, is now taught in more than 5,700 schools in 160 countries. The program can be completed with the IB Diploma - an international baccalaureate, so to speak.

Project-based learning

One of the central methods of the IB program is inquiry-based learning. Students grow through real-world, complex tasks - beyond just sharing knowledge, the IB program gives them space to experiment, research, create, and present. At ALEA SCHOOL, we combine this educational approach with project-based learning.

An example

Students create a school garden - and nurture and care for it. In the process, they learn a great deal about plant physiology, ecological relationships and sustainable management - natural history in action! The process also develops mathematical and economic skills, from calculating areas and statistically recording growth and weather data to cost planning.

Our conclusion

In practical terms, children gain experience in building raised beds and irrigation systems, in hands-on gardening, and finally in harvesting and processing fresh food. The school garden is a prime example of the IB's fundamental philosophy: think globally, act locally. A garden connects global issues such as food security, biodiversity, and climate protection with local impact.

immersion method

The immersion method is a globally recognized language teaching concept. Unlike traditional foreign language teaching, the focus here is not on learning vocabulary and grammar rules in isolation. Instead, students immerse themselves in the English language as a matter of course—in class, in the hallways, in the ALEA SCHOOL clubs, or during lunch in the cafeteria. Language is used as a natural means of communication - enabling language acquisition that is particularly close to that of a native language. Immersion is considered one of the most effective methods for developing comprehensive language skills.

IB Learner Profile

The IB program’s learning profile encourages students to develop the following characteristics.

Principled

Open-minded

Caring

Balanced

Reflective

Curious

Competent

Courageous

Communicative

Independent-thinking

FAQ

No - a primary school level is perfectly sufficient to start the bilingual curriculum at ALEA SCHOOL in grade 5. No one has to speak perfect English or be a native speaker. What is more important is the willingness to immerse yourself in the English language.
The first weeks and months can be challenging, but thanks to our immersion method, children learn the language very quickly. From the very beginning, you are surrounded by English-speaking teachers - not only in the classroom, but also in everyday school life, in the hallways or in the cafeteria. The focus is on authentic foreign language learning. However, German remains the language of instruction and all teaching staff can also communicate in German if necessary.
Teaching assistants are also available to provide support in English-language subjects. They assist with translations, answer questions and ensure that every child feels understood and can make themselves understood at all times.

ALEA SCHOOL is a candidate school* for the MYP program. This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. These are schools that share a common philosophy - a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that ALEA School believes is important for our students.

*Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer one of its four academic programs: the Primary Years Program (PYP), the Middle Years Program (MYP), the Diploma Program (DP) or the Career-related Program (CP). Candidate status does not guarantee that authorization will be granted. Further information on the IB and its programs can be found at www.ibo.org.

Scholarship framework conditions

In principle, anyone can apply for a scholarship. The award committee will take various criteria into account when selecting the scholarship holders: First and foremost, the economic eligibility of an applicant family. This is based on the average household income (approx. €70,000) in the Main-Kinzig district and the applicant confirms that they have a lower household income. Voluntary commitment, special achievements or a particularly convincing application are also taken into account.

When applying for a scholarship, applicants must provide basic information, a letter of motivation and a letter of recommendation from a (class) teacher. After submission, the awarding committee will review the application and contact the applicants regarding the next steps.

At the present moment, two scholarship programs have already been confirmed.

  1. The Norbert Strauss partial scholarship
    5x per year
    Covers €400 of the school fees
  2. The Bad Orb full scholarship
    2x per year
    Covers the entire school fees

Further scholarship programs are currently being developed.

There will be both full and partial scholarships. Depending on the type of scholarship, either all or part of the school fees will be covered by the scholarship. Both scholarship models cover tuition fees up to the 10th grade to the extent indicated.