Fine
€0
free, assigned by home address (Einzugsbereich)
Best for: Long-term families happy to integrate fully, especially with younger kids starting at Grundschule.
Type
Public, zoned by home address (Einzugsbereich/Sprengelschule)
Language
German; ~33 Staatliche Europa-Schule Berlin (SESB) sites offer free 50/50 bilingual instruction
Curriculum
Berlin curriculum; Grundschule grades 1 to 6, then Gymnasium or Integrierte Sekundarschule (ISS)
Admissions
Anmeldung der Schulanfänger each October, about a year ahead of starting
Cost
€0
✓Free
✓SESB bilingual track (English, French, Spanish and others) is free and open to non-native speakers too
✓Fastest way to learn German and integrate into the local school-age community
×Instruction is in German; SESB bilingual places are competitive and not available everywhere
×Popular inner-city Bezirke (Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, Charlottenburg) are genuinely oversubscribed
×Gymnasium/ISS academic track split happens at the end of grade 6, a real fork in a child's schooling
From the Schools: public, Ersatzschule, and international comparison in Berlin. Prices checked August 2026.