Schools and Gymnasium entry in Schleswig-Holstein

Primary school in Schleswig-Holstein lasts four years, and children usually move on in Grade 5. Gymnasium is the academic pathway that leads to the Abitur, and the state also offers other secondary school types with different leaving qualifications.

Parents choose the secondary school, within the places available. Your child receives a written school-transition recommendation with the Grade 4 half-year report, and there is a mandatory individual guidance meeting at the primary school.

If the recommendation does not include Gymnasium, you must also attend a guidance meeting at the Gymnasium where you want to apply. The recommendation is not a binding ban on choosing Gymnasium.

One detail worth knowing: registration needs the original registration slip, copies of the Grade 4 half-year report and the recommendation, and any primary-school learning plan. Check the current dates with your school.

This page describes the ordinary move from primary school. Later transfers into Gymnasium, and specialist schools with their own profiles, can have different requirements.