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Since 1961 we, the Lehmann family, at the private Kurpfalz Boarding School in Bammental, have been leading intelligent but underperforming pupils successfully to the end of their school career at 16 or 19.
Years of experience have shown that underperformance at school is rarely a sign of a lack of intelligence.
There are many different causes for the lack of academic success of intelligent children: a weak state school system, large classes and an early decision about modern languages or choice of school which do not do the development of the pupil justice.
In Kurpfalz Boarding School pupils work closely with their teachers to fill in the gaps in their basic knowledge at the same time as continuing with the syllabus for their class.
Our experienced teachers know the concerns and problems of weak pupils. They
take time for each individual, repeat, explain and are patient. A part of each
lesson is devoted to each pupil. Everybody is important.
In our classes with the max. of eight pupils we stress the importance of a good learning method. Homework is regularly checked and corrected by the teacher and anything that has not been understood is explained immediately. If the gaps in their knowledge are too large, extra lessons or private individual lessons are arranged.
After a short time the pupils experience the success which is essential to motivate them. The experience that hard work is of value, school problems can be solved and that it is fun to be a good pupil, is for many pupils the key to a successful life.
Not being allowed to the next year is a method used in the state school system which often takes place for a variety of reasons. It is more a punishment for lack of achievement than educational benefit. Repeating the year does not help anybody to understand if the basic knowledge is missing.
Lack of understanding and lack of knowledge can always be traced back to early years of learning. Without the in-depth revision of the gaps in the knowledge, repeating the year is of no benefit.
As a private school according to §§ 13 PSchG, it is often possible to help pupils to continue their school career without having to follow the school regulations.
We are able
to offer all branches of secondary schools (Realschule, classics, modern languages,
scientific and mathematical grammar schools). We offer English, French and Latin
in all courses. Italian, Russian and Spanish can also be arranged. Thereforee
we are able to take boys and girls from all the federal states from the seventh
class onwards.
If school problems become apparent, we recommend a change to us at the earliest
possible opportunity. In this way responsible parents are able to avoid the
psychological damage which can be caused by a lack of success in pupils who
experience great pressure caused by continuous fear of failure and repeated
lack of success. If there is the possibility that the pupils will not be allowed
to move on to the next year, it is possible in this way to save this being included
in their school files.
A variety of leisure activities offer our pupils a counterbalance to the intensive programmeme of lessons:
Photo laboratory, electronics workshop, computer courses, guitar lessons, modelling, cooking and sports such as tennis, basketball, mountain biking, ice skating, riding, swimming, football, volleyball, judo, table tennis... a genuine antidote for the hard mental work.
We also organise regular visits to the theatre, concerts and other cultural activities in the neighbouring towns of Heidelberg and Mannheim.
The Kurpfalz Boarding School is situated 12 km Southeast of Heidelberg in a
large park in the middle and yet on the edge of the community of Bammental.
There are excellent public transport services to Heidelberg and from there by
Intercity trains onwards to all the large German cities.
Without the burden of school problems our pupils can go home at 4 o’clock
on Friday afternoon. On Sunday they return to us by 9 p.m. Those who would like
to stay in the school or live too far away take part in the weekend programme.
We would be happy to send you our prospectus and any further information about
the school by post and would welcome a personal interview with you on site.
Summer school in German, German as a foreign language, English, French, Latin or Maths for pupils of the 5th to the 13th class of Realschule or grammar schools is also offered at the Kurpfalz Boarding School in Bammental near Heidelberg.
For pupils of higher achievement we recommend our private boarding grammar school Schloß Torgelow. There the Abitur can be attained after 12 school years.