Frequently asked questions
Yes, all the people who teach foreign languages at Zürich Schule Barcelona are native speaker teachers and educators, because we believe that there is no better way to transmit a language.
The Zürich Schule Barcelona Educational Project is designed so that pupils with parents without notions of German language do not suffer in class: we respect the pace of learning of each pupil and focus the German classes so that the pupil can work at home autonomously. In preschool the German language is transmitted to the children as an integrated component in the daily programme and is present in all the subjects taught, with the exception of musical education (Spanish/Catalan) [45 mins per week] and psychomotricity (Spanish/Catalan) [45 mins per week].
We are a small family school with only one class per school year. Each class has a maximum of 25 pupils. In preschool education we have 2 educators per level who are responsible for 10-12 children each, in different classrooms. As of P5 and during the first cycle of Primary Education (1st + 2nd Klasse) the vast majority of classes are divided into 2 groups. Once a week we work in combined classes, bringing together pupils from P5, 1st Klasse and 2ndKlasse in small groups and subgroups. The school has an average of 300 pupils.
Current advances in the field of technology and communications makes technological support a useful and necessary resource for the development and teaching/learning processes of our pupils. The value of applying new methodologies in education becomes even more necessary in fields such as diversity awareness, where pupil motivation and the convergence of different methodologies present a valuable help for teachers. We want to emphasise that the iPad is only one more support tool for the teacher and the pupil, and that the use of the device in our daily activity is a job that implies continuous training for teachers, pupils and families.
The school has a “Tac Plan”(Plan for the integration of technologies for learning and knowledge in educational processes), an instrument that aims to formalise the use of technology within the framework of the school’s autonomy and the Educational Project. In this the current characteristics of the school relative to the “Tac” are included, the objectives are defined and the actions to be carried out in terms of organisational, didactic-pedagogical and curricular aspects are planned.
Learning English begins in Year 3 of Primary Education: research carried out by the University of Barcelona guarantees that our pupils, starting to learn English later and with fewer weekly hours, acquire better linguistic results than pupils working only with English as a foreign language.
Our school timetable is from 8.35 a.m. to 4:35 p.m.
The pupils of 7th and 8th Klasse of Secondary Education (1st and 2nd of ESO) have a free study afternoon.
The pupils of 9th and 10th Klasse of Secondary Education (3rd and 4th of ESO) have two free study afternoons.
All Secondary Education teachers are available to pupils if they have any questions when they have study afternoons (they may stay at school or go home).
P2 pupils opt for a flexible timetable and can choose between 3 options:
a) From 8.35 a.m. to 12.00 noon (without lunch)
b) From 8.35 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. (lunch and nap)
c) From 8.35 a.m. to 4.35 p.m. (timetable chosen by the majority)
The school has 8 routes throughout Barcelona and Garraf, as well as one that covers Vallès (Sant Cugat, Cerdanyola del Vallès, etc.)
Having 2 buildings in different locations, the school also has a shuttle transport service for pupils between both centres. If there are siblings in each centre, transportation is free.