Introducing the New English ‘Kita’ in Düsseldorf | ISR Kindergarten

It’s difficult to find a Kindergarten spot for the little ones, that’s no secret. According to the Rheinische Post, in order for every child to have a spot in a Kindergarten in Düsseldorf and surrounding areas, we would need to open an additional 2,000 Kindergartens. Crazy, right?! 

Thankfully, the ISR International School on the Rhine (ISR) has stepped up to plate! We’re excited to be working with them on this sponsored post to announce that their new ISR Kindergarten in Düsseldorf-Niederkassel is now officially open and has the capacity to accept more than 100 children (ages 3+). Horrah! 

So, in case you’re one of the thousands of parents still looking for a Kindergarten space for your child (I know I am??‍♀️), we’re sharing a little bit more information about the ISR Kindergarten below. Here are the questions I had, you may be asking yourself the same things.

This blog post was paid for by ISR. We take the quality of our website very seriously and only ensure the best content to be published, regardless of sponsored or non-sponsored content. We trust and love all the brands we work with, enough to recommend them to you, our loyal readers! 

 

Where is the ISR Kindergarten located? 

Niederkasseler Kirchweg 36 in Niederkassel, Düsseldorf, if we’re being exact!

It actually used to be the ballet school of the Deutschen Oper am Rhein. Once the ballet school closed down, ISR took the opportunity to build a new Kindergarten in Düsseldorf. 

With the help of Düsseldorfer architect firm Leckelt, ISR has started to build up the walls of their exciting Pre-School Kindergarten. 

 

How late is the ISR Kindergarten open until? 

Keeping in mind that we all have different working schedules, the ISR Kindergarten is open before and after teaching hours from 7:30 AM until 6:00 PM, offering full-day care. For children staying into the afternoon hours, ISR offers them the possibility to take part in various activities and sports like football, ballet, and tennis, as well as other courses, focused on language, music, and art.

Is the ISR Kindergarten English or German-speaking? 

The ISR Kindergarten is an English speaking Kindergarten for international children, however, German classes are also mandatory within the curriculum. Languages are taught from native speakers only. Whether you were born and raised in Germany and are looking to start your child in an English speaking school, or a newly arrived expat, ISR Kindergarten is accepting kiddies, boys and girls, from the age of 3 and up (though spots fill up fast).

 

What’s the teacher-to-child ratio like at the ISR Kindergarten? 

I’m a mother too, and I know that a teacher-to-child ratio matters, which is why I asked the team what their classroom sizes looked like. The ISR Kindergarten in Düsseldorf employs around 16 people to help manage the 5 different Kindergarten classes. Each class (of up to 20 children) has 1 fully trained teacher and 1 teaching assistant, the KG Starter and KG1 classes offer 1 fully trained teacher and 2 teaching assistants. The school will also have a nurse, a German teacher, and a music teacher each day.

 

What is the ISR Kindergarten curriculum like? 

The curriculum for their ISR Neuss location has also been implemented in their Düsseldorf location. The classes are split up by age:

• KG-Starter: 3 Years Old
• KG-1: 4 Years Old
• KG-2: 5-6 Years Old

The children learn in both English and German through play (both indoor and outdoor), singing, dancing, and reading. The curriculum changes through the ages, for more information about a specific age group, you can take a look at their post: “A Typical Day in Kindergarten.”

 

What will the Kindergarten look like? 

You can check out more images in our grand reveal article, but we did receive a few sneak peeks from the ISR team that we’re excited to share with you.

The building itself forms a large semi-circle which allows the school to build 5 Kindergarten classes that all have direct access to the playground located in the inner courtyard.

As you can see in the images above, the school is filled with natural sunlight from various angles and includes a “Movement Room” for dance and play, a parent conference room, and a kitchen.

 

Are there other ISR Kindergartens? 

Yes, there sure is! The actual school (Grade 1 – Grade 12) is located in Neuss, where they also offer Kindergarten spots to more than 130 children. In recent years, ISR has expanded the Kindergarten twice in order to accommodate the growing demand for Kindergarten spots. Rather than expanding their Neuss Kindergarten, they decided to open a new location in Düsseldorf to better accommodate their current students who live in Düsseldorf. While some of their Kindergarten students will be moving from the Neuss location to the Düsseldorf location, there will be more available spots at both locations for new children as well.

If you’re interested in seeing a little of the continuing education at ISR, take a look at their featured video:

 

What’s the difference between the ISR Kindergarten and a public Kindergarten?

The biggest difference in many people’s eyes is the dollar figures, of course. We’re lucky in Düsseldorf and Berlin, these are the only two cities in Germany to offer public kindergarten free of charge, other cities like Neuss, for example, pay more than 300 Euro per month in childcare costs per child. So while it is obvious that a private kindergarten will cost more than a public kindergarten, there are various reasons one might choose to enroll their child in a private kindergarten vs. a public kindergarten: quality is one of the biggest advantages. Secondary to better quality education, it is often easier to get your child a spot in a good Kindergarten if you’re willing to enroll them into private Kindergarten.

TIP: If you’re worried about costs, did you know that you can deduct up to 6000 Euros per child annually in your tax declaration?! 

The ISR Kindergarten takes pride in what they offer for both their students and parents, as they should! ISR offers:

• A pre-school curriculum to build their academics & social/emotional skills through direct instruction and play
• Small class sizes of a maximum of 20 students (with 1 teacher & 1-2 teaching assistants)
• Native speaking and international teachers 
• Multilingual education – German and English
• Smooth transfer into primary school
• Full-Day Care (7:30 AM – 5:45 PM)
• On-site Nurse 
• Excellent parental network 
• Spacious and modern facilities 

If you’re interested in learning more about the International School on the Rhine and whether or not an international school is right for your children, you might enjoy reading our post about the “3 Benefits of Attending an International School in Düsseldorf“.

Have any additional questions? Or interested in booking a tour around the school? Feel free to reach out to Ms. Reimann, a member of the Admissions team, for any inquiries. 

• +49 (0) 2131 40388-15
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