John F. Kennedy School Berlin

The JFK Berlin campus is at Teltower Damm 87-93, 14167 Berlin, Germany. It is in the Steglitz-Zehlendorf district in southwestern Berlin. The school operates as a German-American public school serving Entrance Class through Grade 12.

Elementary School (EC - 6th Grade) and High School (7-12), with Entrance Class included.

Public school; German-American bilingual education; day school.

Student Support Services include Counselors, Abitur Coordinators, Special Education Teachers, Pedagogical Assistants, Registrar and Learning Support.

Germany and the United States

The school day for Grades 1-2 starts at 8:00 and ends at 13:30. Arrival supervision runs from 07:30 to 07:55.

Walking or biking; BVG public transportation (bus, U-Bahn, S-Bahn). Nearest S-Bahn: Zehlendorf (Line S1); nearest bus stops: Schönower Park (Bus 285) and Schweizerhofpark (Buses 285 and X10). All Berlin students qualify for a free BVG monthly student ticket.

The John F. Kennedy School Berlin runs a K–12 bilingual German‑American program. The language program is bilingual, English and German, and all students participate in instruction in both languages. Elementary School (Entrance Class through Grade 2) is taught bilingually with daily integration of both languages; from Grade 3 to Grade 6, all subjects are taught in the first language of the teacher. In High School (Grades 7–12), English- and German-speaking students are taught together, with three homeroom classes per grade mainly in English and three mainly in German (excluding language classes). In Grades 7–10 the goal is 50% instruction in German and 50% in English, with students exposed to both languages by graduation. Spanish, French and Latin are offered as electives, and students can pursue either the German Abitur or a U.S. High School Diploma in Grades 11–12, with the program remaining college preparatory throughout.

German Abitur is the standard track for Grades 11–12, with examinations in spring and a final grade calculated from courses and exams; in 2025 the Abitur average was 1.92. The school also offers an American High School Diploma via a dual-credential option, with AP and other college-prep coursework. AP results for the Class of 2025 show 25 subjects tested, 89 students took AP exams, 232 total exams, 90% of exams earned a score of 3 or above, and 93% of test takers scored a 3 on at least one exam. SAT results for 2024–2025 show a mean of 652 for Reading & Writing, 608 for Mathematics, totaling 1,259. Approximately 90% of JFKS students ultimately attend a university.

Approximately 90% of JFKS students ultimately attend a university. The High School Program offers two credentials: the German Abitur and the U.S. High School Diploma; Abitur graduates can enter German universities and other international universities, while Diploma graduates can gain admission to U.S. universities and institutions worldwide. College & Career counseling supports university admissions, with criteria including high school record, class rank, test scores (PSAT, SAT, ACT, TOEFL, AP), essays, recommendations, extracurriculars, and interviews.

The school has a School Counseling program across Elementary, Middle, and High School. The Elementary School Counselor provides counseling services for Entrance Class through Grade 6 and delivers a three-level guidance curriculum addressing academic and social-emotional counseling, conflict management, self-confidence, decision-making, stress management, crisis counseling, and transitions; the ES Counselor collaborates with the Special Needs Teacher to support accommodations. The Middle School Counselor serves grades 7-9, focusing on study skills and organization, communication and conflict management, goal setting, and stress management, and provides personal-social/emotional, academic, and career support; New Student Orientation is coordinated and Student Ambassadors are trained with support from colleagues. The High School Counselor provides counseling for grades 10-12, oversees course selection and scheduling for the High School Diploma Program and Abitur, coordinates college planning and applications and standardized testing, and serves as the NCAA/NAIA contact for prospective student-athletes, while addressing personal and career issues. The ES and MS counselors also work with families as part of the broader student support network.

The school is dedicated to creating a supportive learning environment for all students, including those with special learning needs. It provides accommodations and resources in keeping with the dual-language program and staff capacity. JFKS does not offer a full special education program, and in some cases the special needs of a student are met in a monolingual or smaller classroom setting; however, students with special needs do attend JFKS and are supported with a variety of strategies and resources. The school provides regular professional development for teachers in the areas of special learning needs, differentiation of instruction, and up-to-date support methods, and has secured additional funding to broaden its program. The Elementary School can help students with dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADD/ADHD, processing disorders, and milder forms of Asperger Syndrome/Autism Spectrum Disorder; the school can serve hearing- and sight-impaired or physically- or mentally-handicapped students if outside support is provided; the Student Support Team includes special education teachers, counselors, and school social workers; formal accommodation plans require a medical diagnosis and are decided by the class conference.

The school follows a bilingual language education concept in German and English in the Elementary School, with the goal of providing all students with competence-based, individualized, and continuous support in both languages. Ongoing language observation and diagnostics identify support needs; language-sensitive subject teaching actively promotes academic and everyday language; team teaching supports learning in heterogeneous groups; support for all language learners is provided, with close cooperation with parents. Language development from Entrance Class through Grade 6 combines immersive early-stage bilingual exposure with language support structures, including two Language teachers from Grade 3 onward, differentiated language groups, and a German Intensive Program for new students without German skills.

The school provides School Counseling across Elementary, Middle, and High School. The Elementary School Counselor addresses academic and social-emotional counseling, conflict management, improving self-confidence, decision-making, stress management, crisis counseling, and transitions, and collaborates with the Special Needs Teacher to support accommodations. The Middle School Counselor addresses study skills, organization, communication, conflict management, decision-making, goal setting, and stress management, and supports students individually on personal-social/emotional, academic, and career issues, coordinating New Student Orientation and Student Ambassadors. The High School Counselor oversees course selection and scheduling for the Diploma and Abitur, college planning and applications, standardized testing, and provides guidance on personal statements, career planning, and stress management.

The school has a Child Protection Plan (Kinderschutzkonzept) updated in September 2023. It designates a Child Protection Officer and external expert advise, provides an Intervention Plan, and establishes safeguarding procedures for suspected child welfare concerns; safeguarding is a collective responsibility involving all staff and the school community. Every adult has a role in upholding the plan and supervising its implementation, with ongoing monitoring and annual staff training on child protection and code-of-conduct requirements. Recruitment includes explicit reference to the child-protection policy and, for new employees, current extended police clearance certificates; a Binding Code of Conduct requires staff to commit to safeguarding guidelines, and there are explicit guidelines for social media and information handling. The plan is reviewed and revised annually with opportunities for parent training and involvement.

1. The John F. Kennedy School Berlin conducts selective admissions based on previous school records and, where necessary, testing; all admissions are probationary for one year in elementary school and one semester in high school. 2. Applications are accepted only during specified application periods; JFKS admits on a space-available basis at each grade level, with hundreds of applications each year and only a limited number admitted; no exceptions to deadlines. 3. Admissions are governed by the JFKS Act and by an Educational Directorate resolution; the German language version is legally-binding and the English translation is for convenience. 4. Entrance Class (EC/EK) requires that the child has German or U.S. citizenship (or both) and that at least one parent is a German or U.S. citizen; the child must speak the language corresponding to their citizenship as a first/dominant language to support a balanced American and German contingent. 5. If citizenship/language conditions are not met, admission may be possible only by decision of the Education Directorate, subject to place availability and not blocking German/U.S. applicants; historically these conditions have not been met due to high demand. 6. 7. Application processing: after submission, a confirmation email is sent within 4–6 weeks; applications are processed in the order they are received within the application periods; submission date does not affect priority. 8. Legal framework: the Admissions Regulations govern all processes; the German version is legally binding; the English translation is for convenience. 9. Lotteries: 95 spots in the Entrance Class are divided roughly 47/48 American and 48/47 German; priority admissions are allocated by first language and nationality; remaining spaces are filled by a lottery; lottery results are communicated by email. 10. Probationary year: the first year at JFKS is probationary; families must also register with their local Einzugsschule for Grade 1 to secure a seat if probation is not passed; German registration timelines differ. 11. For Grades 1–6, international/third-national applicants can be admitted only if no German or American applicants are on the waiting list; admission is highly constrained by space and demand.

The Dr. Alan Poland Memorial Music Scholarship exists at JFKS; Recipients perform in a dedicated recital; The Alumni Benefit Concert supports the alumni scholarship program for JFKS graduates, funding the alumni scholarship program.

International students may be admitted to grades 7–12 only if there are no German or American applicants on the waiting list; admission begins after review of complete applications, with confirmation typically within six to eight weeks; the actual admission process for Grades 7–12 starts in April/May; the school maintains a waiting list and space is limited, so international applicants are rarely admitted when German or American applicants are on the waiting list.