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Australia, Sydney
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The school began on February 7, 1989 as the German School Johannes Gutenberg in Prospect and moved to Ryde in January 1992, with Preschool opening in 1993. In 2002 it adopted the trading name German International School Sydney and acquired land in Terrey Hills. Construction in Terrey Hills began in 2006 with funding from Germany (over AUD 13 million) and teaching commenced at the Terrey Hills site in August 2008. In 2010 two new buildings housing a library and additional classrooms were added, and the land area was doubled by purchasing part of a neighbour's land. Four classrooms were added in 2017–2018, and in early 2022 three modular classrooms opened to an eco-friendly passive-house standard.
The GISS community is multicultural and lively, with over 390 students from 20 countries and more than 50 teachers and 12 administration staff. Approximately 230 GISS families form the active Parent Representative Council (PRC) and the School Board. There is an alumni group for current and former students and teachers.
The PRC and the School Board are active governance bodies within GISS. GISS families participate in school life through these groups. The school hosts major community events with extensive parent and student volunteering. The Christmas Market is the biggest community event of the year, featuring German food, music, games and activities, supported by Cupra and the Casella Family. Volunteers contribute to cooking and organizing, with heartfelt thanks to all involved.
German International School Sydney (GISS) is a private, co‑educational day school in Terrey Hills, Sydney, serving children from Preschool to Year 12 (ages 0–18). It offers three curricula: the Australian Curriculum, the German Curriculum, and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in Years 11–12. The school is Germany‑affiliated and part of the Deutsche Auslandsschule network. A key feature is its intensive language immersion, enabling bilingual English–German proficiency from the start, with no prior German required. The Terrey Hills campus covers about 16,200 square metres across 10 buildings and has Passivhaus classrooms (2018, 2022). Facilities include specialist science, arts and music spaces, an on‑site IB Study Centre, and a central library, plus air conditioning and BYOD from Year 7. Extracurriculars include Extend after‑school care and a GISS Football Academy with Borussia Dortmund; an Exchange Program with Germany; and German language support with CLIL. The school emphasises development and prepares students for life after school.
