The "Trifels Gymnasium", corresponds approximately to a traditional English Grammar School or US High School; we offer young people nine years of education up to examinations qualifying for university entrance.

We believe, however, that we have even more to recommend us than the traditional 'academic' education which we provide.  

As a Church School we attach particular importance to Christian and democratic values of mutual respect and trust amongst all members of the school community, from students to teachers, employees, tutors and parents. We aim to teach tolerance, independence, a sense of social responsibility and the recognition of every individual as a unique personality.

The "Trifels Gymnasium" is open to young people of all confessions; participation in either Protestant or Catholic religious education is, however, compulsory.

The school offers a comprehensive education in all major subjects, whereby we hope not only to facilitate individual development but also to provide a sound basis for each student's future life.

Our very youngest automatically receive extra tuition in music and the arts. They may also sing in the school choir, attend art workshops or become a member of our "Big Band" or our orchestra.

In their first two years all students receive intensive teaching in English as their first foreign language, after which they also take either French or Latin according to choice. In class nine (the fourth year) Spanish is offered on a voluntary basis, while in class eleven there is the opportunity to enrol in French or Latin classes for beginners.

Biology, Physics and Chemistry are initially taught in combination with each other as the "Natural Sciences" which pupils know from their junior schools, and we devote an additional weekly lesson in the second year to working with the PC as an integral part of tuition in Geography.

The school is equipped with two gymnasiums and numerous other sporting facilities providing excellent opportunities for physical education.

During the course of the first year at "Trifels Gymnasium" several days are devoted to teaching students the learning skills they will require, including, for example, special lessons for those who have difficulties with orthography.

In year three (class seven) there is a four-day programme of instruction and practise in the communication of thoughts and ideas in discussion, as well as in public speaking.

Teenagers in class nine are offered a project in social learning, where they may gain experience in skills often later expected by potential employers, and spend the final two weeks of their year out of school, getting to know the professional and commercial world.

In order to prepare them for the final phase of their school career, students in class 11 (7 th year) are given two days of training intended to improve proficiency in various important fields such as working with texts, presenting ideas and arguments, learning strategies, computer skills etc.

Throughout their time with us, the particularly gifted will find encouragement and support for their talents in a range of workshops, summer academies, special exchange programmes, and the opportunity to participate in competitions in mathematics, debating, elocution etc.

Young newcomers are helped to feel immediately at home within the school community by being allocated to students from senior classes who offer assistance, advice and accompaniment whenever necessary. They can also enjoy, for example, making apple-juice from the school's orchards, participating in their own musicals, excursions and Christmas parties.

As they progress, our students may take part in skiing-trips, an educational week in Berlin, and profit from our contact schools in the USA, Canada, England, France, Poland and Spain.

While the quality of a school stands and falls with the quality of the teaching which it offers, it also depends on the climate within which education takes place. As a traditional boarding-school we believe that the Trifels Gymnasium profits from a culture of trust and co-operation between teachers, students and parents, a culture which we endeavour daily to maintain and improve.

With this in mind, we attach great importance to co-operation and consultation with parents, and we invite all our potential students and their parents to meet us personally in order to discuss individual needs and preferences. For our part, we expect from our students a willingness to work hard, honesty and tolerance, as well as constructive participation in school life.

You can contact us by post: Trifels-Gymnasium, Am Bannenberg 17,

D 76855 Annweiler, Germany

by phone: +49 6346 967-0

by fax: +49 6346 967-299

We should be delighted to hear from you.