Initiative „Schulen: Partner der Zukunft“
The “Schools: Partners for the Future” (PASCH) initiative creates a global network of more than 2,000 PASCH schools with particular ties to Germany. The Goethe-Institut supports around 600 PASCH schools in the national education systems of over 100 countries.
The “Schools: Partners for the Future” (PASCH) initiative was launched in February 2008 by Germany’s Federal Foreign Office. PASCH is coordinated by the Federal Foreign Office and implemented in cooperation with the Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA), the Goethe-Institut, the German Academic Exchange Service and the Educational Exchange Service of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany.
Guiding principles and goals
PASCH is organized according to four guiding principles:- prospects through education,
- broadened horizons through multilingualism,
- access to language and education and
- joint tackling of future problems as an international community of learners
"Schools: Partners for the Future" initiative
The “Schools: Partners for the Future” (PASCH) initiative was launched in February 2008 by Germany’s Federal Foreign Office. PASCH strengthens and creates a global network of more than 2,000 PASCH schools with particular ties to Germany. The Goethe-Institut supports around 600 PASCH schools in the national education systems of over 100 countries.
The initiative is coordinated by the Federal Foreign Office and implemented in cooperation with the Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA), the Goethe-Institut, the German Academic Exchange Service and the Educational Exchange Service of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany.
The network of German schools abroad and schools offering the German Language Certificate is being strengthened. Furthermore, cooperation with schools is being stepped up with a view to anchoring German as a foreign language more firmly within national education systems. In addition, scholarships for pursuing a course of study in Germany and opportunities for school exchanges and twinning programmes are made available.
Goals of PASCH
The initiative is designed to arouse and sustain young people’s interest in and enthusiasm for modern-day Germany, German society and the German language. A global network of partner schools of the Federal Republic of Germany is being created; the schools become part of an international community of learners through shared activities and exchange.
PASCH offers attractive training courses that help give pupils and teachers qualifications that will serve them well in the longer term, thereby building upon the skills that the young people will need to study in Germany and in their later professional lives. It additionally aims to establish lively and long-lasting ties to Germany and to encourage schools, teachers and pupils to share their thoughts and ideas openly with one another and to work together. Furthermore, PASCH is linked to other foreign cultural relations and educational policy initiatives such as the “Kulturweit” voluntary service.
Role and activities of the Goethe-Institut
The Goethe-Institut helps the more than 600 schools it supports to include or expand German teaching on their curricula. It offers teachers further training in pedagogical methods and language courses, and equips schools with modern multimedia-friendly teaching, learning and cultural studies materials. Within the framework of the initiative, the Goethe-Institut has additionally sent teaching experts out to assist the partner schools around the world. Youth programmes are run in Germany for pupils from participating schools, allowing them to improve their language proficiency, develop their intercultural skills and experience Germany and its culture at first hand.
The initiative is coordinated by the Federal Foreign Office and implemented in cooperation with the Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA), the Goethe-Institut, the German Academic Exchange Service and the Educational Exchange Service of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany.
The network of German schools abroad and schools offering the German Language Certificate is being strengthened. Furthermore, cooperation with schools is being stepped up with a view to anchoring German as a foreign language more firmly within national education systems. In addition, scholarships for pursuing a course of study in Germany and opportunities for school exchanges and twinning programmes are made available.
Goals of PASCH
The initiative is designed to arouse and sustain young people’s interest in and enthusiasm for modern-day Germany, German society and the German language. A global network of partner schools of the Federal Republic of Germany is being created; the schools become part of an international community of learners through shared activities and exchange.
PASCH offers attractive training courses that help give pupils and teachers qualifications that will serve them well in the longer term, thereby building upon the skills that the young people will need to study in Germany and in their later professional lives. It additionally aims to establish lively and long-lasting ties to Germany and to encourage schools, teachers and pupils to share their thoughts and ideas openly with one another and to work together. Furthermore, PASCH is linked to other foreign cultural relations and educational policy initiatives such as the “Kulturweit” voluntary service.
Role and activities of the Goethe-Institut
The Goethe-Institut helps the more than 600 schools it supports to include or expand German teaching on their curricula. It offers teachers further training in pedagogical methods and language courses, and equips schools with modern multimedia-friendly teaching, learning and cultural studies materials. Within the framework of the initiative, the Goethe-Institut has additionally sent teaching experts out to assist the partner schools around the world. Youth programmes are run in Germany for pupils from participating schools, allowing them to improve their language proficiency, develop their intercultural skills and experience Germany and its culture at first hand.
The www.pasch-net.dewebsite is divided into three areas:
The general area features information about the participating institutions and their activities. These include projects within the framework of the PASCH initiative, blogs from staff working in different regions of the world, PASCH youth courses in Germany and a forum where schools can find international twinning partners. An interactive world map provides an overview of the network of partner schools, and the participating schools present brief portraits of themselves.
The teachers’ area
In this area, teachers can find ideas about how to use PASCH-net in their German lessons, download teaching materials and obtain information about pedagogical methods. The PASCH learning platform allows teachers to set up their own virtual classrooms or to use existing courses.
In the community, teachers can share material or find partners for their project ideas. Thanks to the community, the learning platform and blogs, teachers can realize international projects such as regional online school newspapers or podcasts.
On its PASCH learning platform, PASCH-net offers tutored online further training courses for teachers. In the PASCH-net-Führerschein online course, teachers learn about the website’s advantages for German lessons, such as the communities, learning platform and PASCH-Global school newspaper. In the Moodle-Führerschein online course they learn how the PASCH learning platform, which is based on Moodle software, can be used in school lessons or during a teaching training course.
Contact: lernplattform@pasch-net.de
The students’ area
Pupils learning German at PASCH schools can share ideas and opinions with other pupils in the community. They can also upload texts, photos and videos there, set up groups and join forum discussions.
Competitions and projects encourage pupils to get involved. Texts with different levels of difficulty provide information about Germany, including options for studying there.
Discussion topics, activities and language games for learners of German.
Anyone who wants to play an active role in the communities or the learning platform on PASCH-net has to register and then log in using their e-mail address and password.
Contact: service@pasch-net.de
- General area
- Teachers’ area
- Students’ area
The general area features information about the participating institutions and their activities. These include projects within the framework of the PASCH initiative, blogs from staff working in different regions of the world, PASCH youth courses in Germany and a forum where schools can find international twinning partners. An interactive world map provides an overview of the network of partner schools, and the participating schools present brief portraits of themselves.
The teachers’ area
In this area, teachers can find ideas about how to use PASCH-net in their German lessons, download teaching materials and obtain information about pedagogical methods. The PASCH learning platform allows teachers to set up their own virtual classrooms or to use existing courses.
In the community, teachers can share material or find partners for their project ideas. Thanks to the community, the learning platform and blogs, teachers can realize international projects such as regional online school newspapers or podcasts.
On its PASCH learning platform, PASCH-net offers tutored online further training courses for teachers. In the PASCH-net-Führerschein online course, teachers learn about the website’s advantages for German lessons, such as the communities, learning platform and PASCH-Global school newspaper. In the Moodle-Führerschein online course they learn how the PASCH learning platform, which is based on Moodle software, can be used in school lessons or during a teaching training course.
Contact: lernplattform@pasch-net.de
The students’ area
Pupils learning German at PASCH schools can share ideas and opinions with other pupils in the community. They can also upload texts, photos and videos there, set up groups and join forum discussions.
Competitions and projects encourage pupils to get involved. Texts with different levels of difficulty provide information about Germany, including options for studying there.
Discussion topics, activities and language games for learners of German.
Anyone who wants to play an active role in the communities or the learning platform on PASCH-net has to register and then log in using their e-mail address and password.
Contact: service@pasch-net.de
The PASCH network encompasses more than 2,000 schools worldwide. The Goethe-Institut supports over 550 schools in the national education systems of over 100 countries. Within the framework of the "Schools: Partners for the Future“ initiative, these schools have included or expanded German teaching on their curricula. For the most part, German is offered as a second foreign language at the schools. The PASCH network additionally includes about 140 German schools abroad supported by the Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA), 27 schools with a focus on German, as well as around 1,100 national schools which offer the German Language Certificate of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany.
School portraits
School portraits
We are pleased to showcase a number of representative projects and events organised as part of the initiative "Schools: Partners for the Future" on this page: PASCH-Activities
Partner Schools
Tomlinscote School & Sixth Form College is one of eleven partner schools in the UK. Founded in 1970 as a comprehensive, co-educational school, Tomlinscote School & Sixth Form College in Frimley in Surrey has around 1600 pupils.
As a designated Language College, Tomlinscote School considers modern languages a basis for pupils’ carreer chances and aims to offer as wide a choice of languages as possible.
We were delighted to learn that German is offered as a first foreign language and that all students are expected to take at least one foreign language to GCSE examination.
The German Department at Tomlinscote School is currently working on increasing the take-up of German. To ensure that pupils receive an authentic impression of German-speaking countries, the school has joined various partnerships such as with the Robert Bosch Gymnasium in Wedlingen.
An intensive and constantly developing exchange programme benefits in particular pupils in Key Stages 3 and 5. Those in KS 5 are offered the option to do a one-week work experience in Germany.
Tomlinscote School already has some experience in Content and Language Integrated Learning Projects (CLIP). As a member of the “Schools, Partners for the Future” project the school hopes to play a part in further developing cross-curricular teaching in the UK.
Tomlinscote School
As a designated Language College, Tomlinscote School considers modern languages a basis for pupils’ carreer chances and aims to offer as wide a choice of languages as possible.
We were delighted to learn that German is offered as a first foreign language and that all students are expected to take at least one foreign language to GCSE examination.
The German Department at Tomlinscote School is currently working on increasing the take-up of German. To ensure that pupils receive an authentic impression of German-speaking countries, the school has joined various partnerships such as with the Robert Bosch Gymnasium in Wedlingen.
An intensive and constantly developing exchange programme benefits in particular pupils in Key Stages 3 and 5. Those in KS 5 are offered the option to do a one-week work experience in Germany.
Tomlinscote School already has some experience in Content and Language Integrated Learning Projects (CLIP). As a member of the “Schools, Partners for the Future” project the school hopes to play a part in further developing cross-curricular teaching in the UK.
Tomlinscote School
Leighton Academy is situated in Crewe, Cheshire and with over 500 children currently on its roll ranks it is one of the larger primary schools in England. In April 2009 it was selected along with five other primary schools for the prestigious TES Primary School of the Year award for the most outstanding primary school in England and Wales.
The school had already been involved in a number of CLIL projects (Content Language Integrated Learning) and it has been able to intensify and extend these projects. Since the start of the partner school initiative a number of primary and secondary schools in the Crewe area have been motivated to choose German as their foreign language and these schools are also currently engaged in a number of CLIL projects.
Leighton Academy
The school had already been involved in a number of CLIL projects (Content Language Integrated Learning) and it has been able to intensify and extend these projects. Since the start of the partner school initiative a number of primary and secondary schools in the Crewe area have been motivated to choose German as their foreign language and these schools are also currently engaged in a number of CLIL projects.
Leighton Academy
Since June 2008 Bishopbriggs Academy has been the German Partnerschool in Scotland as part of the German government initiative “Schulen: Partner der Zukunft”. Bishopbriggs is a comprehensive secondary school near Glasgow. The school has 1.200 pupils and has moved in 2010 to a modern, well equipped and spacious new building.
Over the last years a great number of projects as well as educational and cultural events have made Bishopbriggs Academy a nationally acclaimed example of excellence (i.e.: Modern Languages Excellence Report 2011). This partnership project has had a significant impact with teaching colleagues, education authorities and elected political members at both a local and national level with responsibility for education. It has aided and positively influenced promoting the teaching and learning of German in Scottish education and increased the interest in German society.
Bishopsbriggs Academy
Over the last years a great number of projects as well as educational and cultural events have made Bishopbriggs Academy a nationally acclaimed example of excellence (i.e.: Modern Languages Excellence Report 2011). This partnership project has had a significant impact with teaching colleagues, education authorities and elected political members at both a local and national level with responsibility for education. It has aided and positively influenced promoting the teaching and learning of German in Scottish education and increased the interest in German society.
Bishopsbriggs Academy
Colyton Grammar School is a co-educational state school where an aptitude test is required prior to enrolment. The school is located in rural Colyford in Colyton, Devon and is around three and a half hours from London. 826 pupils attend the school, which has acquired academy status with a specialisation in science.
Colyton Grammar School is regarded as one of the best schools in the country with Ofsted rating the school as ‘Outstanding’.
As a progressive school it has the most advanced technology, including a languages lab and a video conferencing system. The school offers its students a wide range of extra-curricular activities and operates through the "Leading Edge Partnership" scheme with seven other selective secondary schools in its local area as well as with the University of Exeter.
German is offered as a second foreign language after French from Year 8. The German department has a total of five teaching staff and has carried out successful collaborative projects with sixth-form students in primary schools.
In addition to this, the German department maintains an exchange program with the Gymnasium Eckental in Bavaria, as part of which sixth form students complete a work placement in Germany. Moreover, trips to Berlin are also regularly arranged in collaboration with the history department.
Colyton Grammar School
Colyton Grammar School is regarded as one of the best schools in the country with Ofsted rating the school as ‘Outstanding’.
As a progressive school it has the most advanced technology, including a languages lab and a video conferencing system. The school offers its students a wide range of extra-curricular activities and operates through the "Leading Edge Partnership" scheme with seven other selective secondary schools in its local area as well as with the University of Exeter.
German is offered as a second foreign language after French from Year 8. The German department has a total of five teaching staff and has carried out successful collaborative projects with sixth-form students in primary schools.
In addition to this, the German department maintains an exchange program with the Gymnasium Eckental in Bavaria, as part of which sixth form students complete a work placement in Germany. Moreover, trips to Berlin are also regularly arranged in collaboration with the history department.
Colyton Grammar School
1850 pupils visit the Farlingaye High School of which 600 learn German. 3 teachers teach German as a main subject at the school. Excellent exam results and a broad selection of extracurricular activities enable pupils to develop both personally and academically.
The school takes an active part as a ‘Leading-Edge’ school in the development of innovations in the educational sector and trains new teachers as a ‘Teaching school’. Moreover, in co-operation with the Bergische Universität Wuppertal the school offers internships abroad for German teaching students.
The school has already been admitted into the digital network a while ago. It is also very active in the ‘Think German’ network of the University of East Anglia and offers free teacher trainings for local German teachers as part of the EEG (East England German network) since 2015. A local German teacher has received the ‘German Teacher Award’ in 2016, a local annual award, organised by the German Embassy in London. Farlingaye High School perfectly blends into the network of partner schools in the United Kindgom.
Farlingaye High School
The school takes an active part as a ‘Leading-Edge’ school in the development of innovations in the educational sector and trains new teachers as a ‘Teaching school’. Moreover, in co-operation with the Bergische Universität Wuppertal the school offers internships abroad for German teaching students.
The school has already been admitted into the digital network a while ago. It is also very active in the ‘Think German’ network of the University of East Anglia and offers free teacher trainings for local German teachers as part of the EEG (East England German network) since 2015. A local German teacher has received the ‘German Teacher Award’ in 2016, a local annual award, organised by the German Embassy in London. Farlingaye High School perfectly blends into the network of partner schools in the United Kindgom.
Farlingaye High School
St Brendan’s Sixth Form College is one of eight schools of the PASCH network in the UK.
It was founded in 1896 as a Catholic school for boys which was turned into a coeducational sixth form college in the 1970ies. At present, more than 1700 students are doing their A-level courses at St Brendan’s in Bristol in southwestern England.
As a Leading Edge School in the Bristol area for the German language, St Brendan’s Sixth Form College offers its students the opportunity of the Halsbury Work Experience, a work experience placement camp in Aachen, Dortmund, Köln, Münster or Koblenz, a town with which the college has had links for a long time.
St Brendan’s also enables its learners of German to collaborate with local primary and secondary schools in a mentoring program. Sixth formers from St Brendan’s College support pupils from these schools, thus profiting not only in terms of their German language skills but also on a personal level because of being able to pass on their love of the German language and culture.
What is more, the college guarantees an innovative teaching approach in the MFL department, making students use the virtual learning environment Moodle, with access to podcasts, videos, homework and class work.
Further, St Brendan’s is to become an examination centre for the German language and the Goethe Zertifikat for the Bristol area by 2020.
St Brendan's Sixth Form College
It was founded in 1896 as a Catholic school for boys which was turned into a coeducational sixth form college in the 1970ies. At present, more than 1700 students are doing their A-level courses at St Brendan’s in Bristol in southwestern England.
As a Leading Edge School in the Bristol area for the German language, St Brendan’s Sixth Form College offers its students the opportunity of the Halsbury Work Experience, a work experience placement camp in Aachen, Dortmund, Köln, Münster or Koblenz, a town with which the college has had links for a long time.
St Brendan’s also enables its learners of German to collaborate with local primary and secondary schools in a mentoring program. Sixth formers from St Brendan’s College support pupils from these schools, thus profiting not only in terms of their German language skills but also on a personal level because of being able to pass on their love of the German language and culture.
What is more, the college guarantees an innovative teaching approach in the MFL department, making students use the virtual learning environment Moodle, with access to podcasts, videos, homework and class work.
Further, St Brendan’s is to become an examination centre for the German language and the Goethe Zertifikat for the Bristol area by 2020.
St Brendan's Sixth Form College
St Hilda’s CE High School is one of eleven schools of the PASCH network in the UK and was welcomed into the PASCH school network in October 2018.
It was founded in 1894 as a girls-only school which was turned into a coeducational Church of England school in 1944. At present, more than 863 students are studying at St Hilda’s CE School in Liverpool in northwestern England.
It constitutes the only coeducational CE school in Liverpool , making it a unique type of school. It also offers a brand new school building that has been reopened in 2015 after a phase of refurbishment.
The school’s three German teachers, one of whom a native speaker of the language, teach all of the learners of German at St Hilda’s which constitute one third of the students of all of the respective years. For A-level students, German is offered even for very small groups of students, and St Hilda’s also has established contacts with the German department of the University of Liverpool, offers regular field trips to Germany and what is more, can rely on the profound support for the German language and its relevance of the school’s parents.
On top of that, both the teacher in charge of the participation of St Hilda’s in the PASCH network that has been awarded with the German Teacher Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 and the head teacher are very keen on establishing a closer connection between the subject of German and STEM subjects, which is promoted by the Goethe-Institut as one of its key goals.
St Hilda's CE High School
It was founded in 1894 as a girls-only school which was turned into a coeducational Church of England school in 1944. At present, more than 863 students are studying at St Hilda’s CE School in Liverpool in northwestern England.
It constitutes the only coeducational CE school in Liverpool , making it a unique type of school. It also offers a brand new school building that has been reopened in 2015 after a phase of refurbishment.
The school’s three German teachers, one of whom a native speaker of the language, teach all of the learners of German at St Hilda’s which constitute one third of the students of all of the respective years. For A-level students, German is offered even for very small groups of students, and St Hilda’s also has established contacts with the German department of the University of Liverpool, offers regular field trips to Germany and what is more, can rely on the profound support for the German language and its relevance of the school’s parents.
On top of that, both the teacher in charge of the participation of St Hilda’s in the PASCH network that has been awarded with the German Teacher Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 and the head teacher are very keen on establishing a closer connection between the subject of German and STEM subjects, which is promoted by the Goethe-Institut as one of its key goals.
St Hilda's CE High School
Richmond School & Sixth Form College is one of eleven schools of the PASCH network in the UK, situated in North Yorkshire.
It has a historic origin, having been merged from three different schools, one of which being Richmond Grammar School, which dates back to the 14th/15th century. Today, Richmond School & Sixth Form College has about 1470 students, 800 of which are studying German.
Having been transformed from a comprehensive communal school into an academy just recently and also profiting from a new head teacher that teaches French and German, Richmond School & Sixth Form College is now able to focus on especially the teaching of German. With the PASCH network and the initiative concerning the STEM subjects offered by the Goethe-Institut, this will add to this renewed focal point.
Furthermore, Richmond School & Sixth Form College has had an exchange with a German school for years.
Richmond School & Sixth Form College
It has a historic origin, having been merged from three different schools, one of which being Richmond Grammar School, which dates back to the 14th/15th century. Today, Richmond School & Sixth Form College has about 1470 students, 800 of which are studying German.
Having been transformed from a comprehensive communal school into an academy just recently and also profiting from a new head teacher that teaches French and German, Richmond School & Sixth Form College is now able to focus on especially the teaching of German. With the PASCH network and the initiative concerning the STEM subjects offered by the Goethe-Institut, this will add to this renewed focal point.
Furthermore, Richmond School & Sixth Form College has had an exchange with a German school for years.
Richmond School & Sixth Form College
LSA Technology and Performing Arts College is one of eleven schools of the PASCH network in the UK.
It was founded in 1955 as Ansdell County Secondary School and was awarded Technology College Status in 1999 before also receiving Performing Arts Status in 2007, which was why the school was renamed in LSA Technology and Performing Arts College. At present, more than 1400 students are studying at LSA Technology and Performing Arts College in Lytham St Annes, a town close to Preston and Blackpool in northwestern England, making it one of the biggest schools in Lancashire with 300 learners of German.
LSA Technology and Performing Arts College sports a strong international focus and has been re-credited the prestigious International School Award (ISA) which recognises curriculum-based international work.
Based on the European programme Erasmus+, LSA Technology and Performing Arts College has used the online platform eTwinning in numerous projects over the past few years which have been granted National and International Quality Labels by the British Council and the European Commission.
The college has been awarded an Erasmus+ project to last until 2017 and is linking up with schools Germany and other European countries, in part of an EU scheme to create partnerships across Europe and improve education standards. It continues to host Work Experience students from its Erasmus Partner school in Germany. They visit Lytham St Annes and take on placements in various locations while spending a few days shadowing students in lessons.
LSA Technology and Performing Arts College also offers its students a German exchange that has been running for several years already. Furthermore, there is an international club for students which takes place at lunch.
LSA Technology and Performing Arts College, Lytham St Annes
It was founded in 1955 as Ansdell County Secondary School and was awarded Technology College Status in 1999 before also receiving Performing Arts Status in 2007, which was why the school was renamed in LSA Technology and Performing Arts College. At present, more than 1400 students are studying at LSA Technology and Performing Arts College in Lytham St Annes, a town close to Preston and Blackpool in northwestern England, making it one of the biggest schools in Lancashire with 300 learners of German.
LSA Technology and Performing Arts College sports a strong international focus and has been re-credited the prestigious International School Award (ISA) which recognises curriculum-based international work.
Based on the European programme Erasmus+, LSA Technology and Performing Arts College has used the online platform eTwinning in numerous projects over the past few years which have been granted National and International Quality Labels by the British Council and the European Commission.
The college has been awarded an Erasmus+ project to last until 2017 and is linking up with schools Germany and other European countries, in part of an EU scheme to create partnerships across Europe and improve education standards. It continues to host Work Experience students from its Erasmus Partner school in Germany. They visit Lytham St Annes and take on placements in various locations while spending a few days shadowing students in lessons.
LSA Technology and Performing Arts College also offers its students a German exchange that has been running for several years already. Furthermore, there is an international club for students which takes place at lunch.
LSA Technology and Performing Arts College, Lytham St Annes