← Back to the rankingWABE International School
Pinneberg, Germany · est. 2016 · Private
Illustration · Pinneberg
WABE International School in Pinneberg near Hamburg is a private English-speaking day school for grades 1-12, opened in September 2016 by the non-profit organisation WABE, which has run kindergartens for more than 20 years. About 240 students of 47 nationalities attend. In grades 1-10 the school operates as a state-approved private school (Ersatzschule) of Schleswig-Holstein: it follows state standards, all students take the Mittlere Reife exam in grade 10, and the state subsidises the morning programme. Grades 11-12 offer only the IB Diploma Programme, without the German Abitur; the school became an IB World School in 2019 and its first class graduated in 2021. The language of instruction is English, and the school calls itself English-speaking; all students learn English and German in parallel, and native German speakers have a mother-tongue course following the state curriculum with the same number of hours as local schools. Teaching is built on project-based and social-emotional learning: required morning lessons are followed by interdisciplinary afternoon courses, and classes have at most 25 students.
Key facts
Tuition
≈ $7 852–18 324 a year
695–1 622 EUR a month
The year is counted as ten payments: the school does not say how many payments it takes.
Languages of instruction
English
Languages taught
German, Spanish
Class size
at most 25 students per class
Registration fee
≈ $867
767 EUR
About the fees Fees for 2026-2027 (01.08.2026-31.07.2027), 12-month contract. Grades 1-10, families paying themselves: the state-subsidised morning programme costs 210 EUR per month (2520 per year), the unsubsidised afternoon programme 485 EUR per month (5820 per year), combined 695 EUR per month (8340 per year). If an employer or government pays, grades 1-10 cost 1261 EUR per month (15132 per year). Grades 11-12, IB Diploma Programme, new students: 1622 EUR per month (19464 per year), as the state gives no subsidy for these grades. There are no sibling discounts. A limited number of IB scholarships is available (applications by 1 June). Part of the fees is tax-deductible.
Admissions Applications are made online with a student questionnaire and a copy of a passport or birth certificate; for grades 2-10 school records from previous years, from grade 3 a teacher reference, and for grades 6-10 an admissions evaluation exam. Grades 11-12 (IB Diploma) admit full diploma candidates only: external applicants take an entrance test in English, Math and German, show English at IELTS 5.5 level (with an official certificate if coming from a non-international school) and have an interview with the IB coordinator; with weak English a lower grade may be offered. Internal students enter the IB on the basis of an internal exam in grade 10 and full participation in the afternoon programme from grade 7. All applicants are evaluated in English and advised about possible challenges; younger children adapt more easily, while older students without English may find it prohibitive. The IB admissions policy promises equal opportunities regardless of nationality, and the school helps relocating families; trial days are possible. Places are limited: many classes are full and applications go to a waiting list, with mid-year entry when seats are free.
Stages and year groups Grades 1-12. Primary school grades 1-4, middle school 5-8, high school 9-12. In grades 1-10 the school is an Ersatzschule of Schleswig-Holstein following the Ministry of Education standards, and all students take the Mittlere Reife in grade 10; after grade 10 some students start an apprenticeship. Grades 11-12 follow the IB Diploma Programme in English: six subjects, three at higher level, plus Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay and CAS. According to the course descriptions: English as Language A (Literature or Language and Literature), German as Language A (Language and Literature), Language B in English, German or Spanish; the 2026-2027 timetable lists mathematics, biology, chemistry, geography and history; the arts group offers visual arts. The school does not offer the German Abitur. There is no kindergarten.
Address Eggerstedter Weg 19, 25421 Pinneberg
Accreditations and programmes verified against official registries
IB · DP · authorised programmeNEASC · accreditationThe school is listed in the IB register and runs the Diploma Programme. The school is accredited by NEASC.
school is in an official registryconfirmed by a school document, by membership or by taking part in a networkclaimed by the school, no confirmation, not counted in the scoreGuide to all organisations → What stands behind each entry
IBInternational Baccalaureate
A Swiss non-profit, working since 1968. Its programmes are among the most widely recognised school programmes in the world. Authorisation is granted stage by stage, so a school with the final stage does not necessarily run the younger ones; which stages this school holds is set out in the line below.
What the badge means for this school. The school is allowed to run this programme and to award its certificate. This is a confirmation of the programme, not a judgement on the school as a whole. The entry stands in the organisation's public register - anyone can check it. At this school: DP (ages 16-19). DP is the final stage, ages 16 to 19: six subjects plus a compulsory core of theory of knowledge, an extended essay and CAS. The diploma is accepted by universities all over the world, and in a number of countries it counts for admission on the same footing as the local leaving certificate.
Register to check for yourself, and the full guide →NEASCNew England Association of Schools and Colleges
An American accreditation working since 1885. For international schools it uses an approach where the visitors look first at live lessons rather than at folders of paperwork: the team works in the school for about a week. It is the only one here whose public directory honestly separates accredited schools from candidates.
What the badge means for this school. The school has been through this organisation's accreditation. It was judged as a whole: governance, safeguarding, staff, premises, teaching. The entry stands in the organisation's public register - anyone can check it.
Register to check for yourself, and the full guide →Exams and destinations from the school's official website
The school publishes nothing about where its leavers go: no share going on to university, no exam results, no list of universities.
Facilities from the school's official website
·Swimming poolnot stated on the website
·Sports hallnot stated on the website
·Laboratoriesnot stated on the website
·Theatre or assembly hallnot stated on the website
·Librarynot stated on the website
✓Catering
·School transportnot stated on the website
·Boardingnot stated on the website
Clubs and activities: Ceramics · Running · Writing Forms · Guilds · Learning Studio · Global Course · Student Council
Teaching staff from the school's official website
·Teachers listed by namenot published
·Teacher qualificationsnot stated
·Number of teachersthe school does not say
✓Students per teacher or class sizein the key facts above
The team page names 26 faculty members, as well as the leadership: the Head of School, heads of primary, middle and high school, the IB coordinator, and futures and wellbeing counsellors. Native German classes are taught by native speakers trained and approved by the Ministry of Education. The school does not publish teacher qualifications.
Safety and wellbeing from the school's official website
·CCTVnot stated on the website
·Security staffnot stated on the website
·Access controlnot stated on the website
·Nurse or medical roomnot stated on the website
·Counsellornot stated on the website
·Child protection policynot stated on the website
·Staff trainingnot stated on the website
·Anti-bullying policynot stated on the website
The school has a Head of Student Conduct and Wellbeing, a primary counsellor and a high school counsellor; every IB student has a mentor teacher providing academic and emotional support. Students with an individual education plan must declare it on application; the school promises not to refuse admission solely because of support needs.
Reviews
No reviews yet. The community rating counts towards the score once a school has five verified reviews - until then we do not show a zero, so as not to mislead.
Criteria breakdown criterion weight in brackets
Academics and programmes (16%)82 Community rating (16%)no dataparent reviews are needed: the criterion switches on at the fifth verified one Exams and destinations (12%) scored on disclosed data55 Safety and wellbeing (12%) scored on disclosed data55 Accreditation and verifiability (10%)90 Teaching staff (10%) scored on disclosed data55 Facilities (10%) scored on disclosed data60 Clubs and activities (8%) scored on disclosed data78 "Scored on disclosed data" stands where we count only what the school has written about itself on its own site: exams and destinations, safety and wellbeing, teaching staff, facilities, clubs and activities. A low score here means the school does not write about this, not that the school does not have it: a school with good security and a sparse site will score low. A school can fill in its profile, and the score will be counted again.
The score is counted from 8 of the 9 criteria.Only those with checkable data count: programmes and accreditations from official registers, the fee from a published price list. Where it says "scored on the median", the school has no data and the middle of the list is put in its place, so that a gap gives no advantage. Admissions, teaching staff and reviews come in as their data arrives.
The full methodology → Similar schools in the country