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Pestalozzi Schule

Argentina, Buenos Aires

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The school at a glance
Instructs in Spanish, German
Fees ARS 6,494,070 - 12,436,490
Ages 2 - 18 years
Pupil numbers 1200
Type Co-educational
Opened 1934
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum IB (DP), Bespoke Curriculum, German Curriculum
Taught languages Spanish, German, English, Portuguese
Typical class size 25
Strengths Languages, STEM, Performing Arts
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, Community and Service
Stages Early Years, Primary School, Secondary School, Kindergarten
Introduction

The Pestalozzi Schule is a bilingual German international school serving ages 2 to 18 with Kindergarten, Primary and Secondary education. The school is located in Buenos Aires and operates under the Auslandsschulgesetz as part of Germany's network of overseas schools. It offers an International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP) in its upper years and follows a Primarstufe Lehrplan aligned to the Buenos Aires City Education Authority, complemented by intensive German and English instruction from early grades. Students prepare for the German Deutsches Sprachdiplom I and II and Cambridge English examinations. The campus is a large, modern complex with dedicated buildings for each level, multimedia classrooms, a well-stocked library of more than 15,000 volumes, and science laboratories, theatre, art and music spaces. Extracurriculars include a School of the Arts, sports such as athletics, handball and volleyball, student exchanges with Germany and English-speaking countries, and a Solidarity Program and environmental education initiatives.

Cap. Gral. Ramón Freire 1882, C1428 Cdad. Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina

The Essentials

Pestalozzi Schule has 1,200 pupils, typical class sizes of 25, instruction in Spanish, German.

Location
Freire 1882, C1428CYB Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Pestalozzi-Schule is a German international school located in Buenos Aires. It serves Kindergarten through Secondary education within a bicultural context. It is part of the network of German Auslandsschulen supported by the Federal Republic of Germany.

Stages
Kindergarten; Primary (Primarstufe); Secondary (Sekundarstufe)

Type
The school is a bilingual, bicultural, non-denominational German international school offering Kindergarten, Primary and Secondary education.

Country affiliation
Germany; supported under the Auslandsschulgesetz and part of the network of German overseas schools.

Religious affiliation
Non-denominational; not affiliated with any religion.

School day structure
Primary and Secondary education are full-day.

Bus service
No school bus service provided by the school; third-party providers; families apply directly to bus providers; the school verifies compliance with norms and collects required documents.
Diving Deeper

Uniform Requirement
Uniforms are required for all students. Kindergarten wear a dark-blue tracksuit with a red stripe (winter); a sweatshirt with a short zipper and a kangaroo pocket bearing the school logo; dark-blue gabardine shorts (summer); a white pique T‑shirt or polo with the school logo; and sneakers with socks. Primary wear a white top (white lab coat) and closed shoes or sneakers with plain socks; Secondary wear dark-blue jeans in good condition with a white logo T‑shirt or polo and a logo hoodie with plain socks. For physical education, a sport uniform is worn: a dark-blue tracksuit with a red stripe and a logoed top, with summer options including a logo skirt or shorts for girls and a logo T‑shirt; optional Dry-Fit top; sneakers and plain socks are required.

Food Options
The school cafeteria is run by Cook's S.R.L. Kindergarten meals are eaten in their own building under teacher supervision; the main course is served in portions. In Primarstufe, lunch is self-service, and Secondary students may purchase meals at a kiosk in their area. The menu is balanced and prepared daily with high-quality ingredients; diet meals are available on request with medical certification.

Governance and Ownership
The Pestalozzi School was founded in 1934 and is governed by the Asociación Cultural Pestalozzi, a nonprofit association led by a parent-student school council. It is supported by Germany under the Foreign School Act and is part of the network of over 135 German overseas schools. It was designated an Excellent German Overseas School (2010; renewed 2016 and 2024) and has been recognized as a MINT-friendly school since 2014 (renewed in 2024).
Fees

Annual tuition at Pestalozzi Schule ranges from ARS 6,494,070 to ARS 12,436,490 for 2026/27.

Schulgeld (Übersicht)

- Kindergarten (2–5 Jahre): Monatsrate ARS 590,370. Die Zahlung erfolgt in 11 Raten pro Jahr (Februar bis Dezember).

- Zusätzlicher Nachmittagsunterricht (optional, monatlich): 4‑Jährige (an 2 Nachmittagen): ARS 147,610 zusätzlich pro Monat. 5‑Jährige (an 4 Nachmittagen): ARS 295,220 zusätzlich pro Monat. Diese Zusatzbeträge werden ebenfalls in den monatlichen Raten abgerechnet.

- Primarstufe (1.–6. Klasse): Monatsrate ARS 949,100. Zahlung in 11 Raten pro Jahr (Februar bis Dezember).

- Sekundarstufe (7.–12. Klasse): Monatsrate ARS 1,130,590. Zahlung in 11 Raten pro Jahr (Februar bis Dezember). Für das optionale International Baccalaureate-Programm wird zusätzlich eine Programmpauschale von USD 2,106 für die Gesamtdauer des Programms (zwei Jahre) erhoben.

- Jahresbeträge (berechnet aus den angegebenen Monatsraten × 11):
- Kindergarten: ARS 6,494,070 pro Jahr (590,370 × 11).
- Primarstufe: ARS 10,440,100 pro Jahr (949,100 × 11).
- Sekundarstufe: ARS 12,436,490 pro Jahr (1,130,590 × 11).
- Zusatz-Nachmittagsunterricht Jahreskosten (wenn angewendet): 4‑Jährige ARS 1,623,710 (147,610 × 11); 5‑Jährige ARS 3,247,420 (295,220 × 11).

Anmeldegebühr (Reserva de Vacante)

- Für neue Schüler: eine Monatsrate des geltenden Schulgeldes zuzüglich einer halben Monatsrate als Verwaltungsgebühr (Summe = 1,5 Monatsraten).

- Für derzeitige Schüler, Geschwister von Schülern oder Kinder von Alumni: eine Monatsrate (keine Geschwisterermäßigung auf diese Gebühr).

Rückerstattung der Anmeldegebühr

- Werden formelle oder pädagogische Voraussetzungen nicht erfüllt, stehen gezahlte Anmeldegebühren den Eltern ab dem ersten Werktag im März des betreffenden Schuljahres zur Verfügung, sofern keine Schulschulden bestehen; die Verwaltungsgebühr ist nicht rückerstattungsfähig.

- Bei Rücktritt nach Zahlung der Anmeldegebühr: Schüler der Schule erhalten Rückerstattung innerhalb von zehn (10) Tagen nach schriftlicher Mitteilung, wenn diese Mitteilung vor dem 30. November des Vorjahres erfolgt; neue Schüler erhalten keine Rückerstattung.

Rechnungs- und Zahlungsplan / Zahlungsbedingungen

- Das Jahresschulgeld wird in 11 aufeinanderfolgenden Monatsraten von Februar bis Dezember bezahlt. Zahlungen sind nach Rechnungsstellung fällig.

- Akzeptierte Zahlungsarten und Verfahren:
- ICBC (Einzahlung am Bankschalter mit Barcode der Rechnung; Banküberweisung; Bargeldeinzahlung; Scheck; E‑Scheck). Eltern müssen Zahlungsnachweis unter Angabe der Familien- oder Rechnungsnummer an administration@pestalozzi.edu.ar oder an den Benutzer Administración in Phidias senden.
- Bank Galicia (integrierter Inkassoservice über Selbstbedienungskassen / Filialkassen mit Angabe der Familiennummer; Bargeld und Schecks werden akzeptiert; Schecks werden erst nach Gutschrift als schuldbefreiend anerkannt).
- Bankeinzug von einem argentinischen Giro- oder Sparkonto (Lastschrift) ist möglich; die Belastung erfolgt ab der nächsten Abrechnungsperiode am Fälligkeitstag der Rechnung. Antrag beim Verwaltungsbüro erforderlich.
- Überweisungen aus dem Ausland: Deutsche Bank Hamburg mit Angabe von Kontodaten und IBAN/BIC (spezifische Angaben sind für Auslandsüberweisungen vorgesehen). Aus Sicherheitsgründen werden in der Schulverwaltung keine Barzahlungen angenommen.

Skonto / Nachlässe

- Skonto bei pünktlicher Zahlung wird auf die Anmeldegebühr für das folgende Schuljahr angerechnet; die Höhe richtet sich nach der pünktlichen Zahlung der Rechnungen. Im Kindergarten bis zu 55% Skonto; in Primar- und Sekundarstufe bis zu 100% möglich. Der Skonto wird vorbehaltlich fristgerechter Vorlage des Schulvertrags für das Folgejahr gewährt.

- Geschwisternachlässe (gültig für Familien mit mehr als einem Kind): 2. Kind 15% Nachlass; 3. Kind 50% Nachlass; 4. Kind 80% Nachlass; 5. Kind 95% Nachlass. Kein Nachlass auf die Anmeldegebühr.

Zusätzliche und optionale Kosten

- Nicht im Schulgeld inbegriffen (können separat berechnet werden): Klassenfahrten, Zeltlager, Ausflüge, Prüfungsanmeldungen (z. B. Cambridge English: FCE / CAE), Schüleraustauschprogramme (z. B. mit Deutschland), Gebühren für das IB‑Diplomprogramm (Programmpauschale in USD wie oben genannt) sowie Dienstleistungen Dritter wie Schulkantine, Schulbus und weiterer Fremdanbieter.

- Im Schulgeld inbegriffen sind: sportliche Tätigkeiten (Training, Wettbewerbe), Versicherungsschutz zur Fortsetzung der schulischen Laufbahn und Materialien im Kindergarten. Es werden grundsätzlich keine zusätzlichen obligatorischen Schulgebühren erhoben, außer den genannten optionalen Aktivitäten und Diensten Dritter.

- Schuluniform: eine Beschreibung der benötigten Uniformteile ist vorgegeben; Uniformen sind über zugelassene Verkaufsstellen (z. B. Orca Colegial, Juvenilia) erhältlich (Preise werden von den Verkaufsstellen festgelegt).

Boarding

- Boarding wird nicht angeboten; es sind keine Wohnheimplätze oder Boardinggebühren ausgewiesen.

Kurzfassung der wichtigsten Zahlungsdaten (faktisch)

- Monatsraten: Kindergarten ARS 590,370; Primarstufe ARS 949,100; Sekundarstufe ARS 1,130,590.
- Jahreszahlung: in 11 monatlichen Raten (Februar–Dezember).
- Anmeldegebühr: Neue Schüler 1,5 Monatsraten; interne Schüler/​Geschwister/Alumni-Kinder 1 Monatsrate; Rückerstattungsregeln wie oben beschrieben.
- Zahlungsarten: lokale Bankeinzahlung/Überweisung/Lastschrift, Scheck, ausländische Überweisung über Deutsche Bank (IBAN/BIC).

(Ende der Gebührenübersicht)
Academics

Pestalozzi Schule teaches IB (DP), Bespoke Curriculum, German Curriculum for students aged 2 to 18.

Curriculum
The Primarstufe Lehrplan conforms to the Buenos Aires City Education Authority requirements and is supplemented by intensive German and English instruction and additional subjects. Duration is six years. Stages: First Stage (grades 1–3); Second Stage (grades 4–6). Foreign languages: German (with German-language instruction from the second stage) and English (from the third grade). Cross-curricular projects include holistic sex education, education for peaceful coexistence, autonomy development, and environmental education.

Student Teacher Ratio
Approximately 6.9 students per teacher (1170 students and 170 teachers reported in the Schulprogramm).

Exam Results
Deutsch Examinations show strong performance across years. Deutsches Sprachdiplom II: 2024 – 76 participants; B2: 43; C1: 21; 84% pass. 2023 – 72 participants; B2: 16; C1: 43; 82%. Deutsches Sprachdiplom I: 2024 – 71 participants; 58 passed; 82%. A2-Prüfung (6. Klasse): 2024 – LV: 68 participants; 87%; HV: 75 participants; 96%; SK: 71 participants; 91%; MK: 68 participants; 87%; Durchschnitt 90%.

Higher Education Progression
The school offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB) bilingual in Spanish and German, optional in the final two years of secondary education. The IB Diploma is designed to balance breadth and depth and is recognized for university admissions in Germany and internationally where IB is accepted. IB Diploma results show strong outcomes: 2024 – 28 participants, 28 passed (100%); 2023 – 27 participants, 24 passed (89%); 2022 – 21 participants, 21 passed (100%); 2021 – 30 participants, 29 passed (97%). The six IB subjects include Spanish A: Literature, German B, English B, Biology (German), History (German), and Mathematics (Spanish).

Gifted and Talented
The school provides individualized promotion with targeted support for diverse learning needs, including special adaptations for high-ability students. An interdisciplinary School Counseling Team (EOE) and tutors support students, and provisions exist for Seiteneinsteiger entrants and for international examinations; Hochbegabte Schüler erhalten besondere Anpassungen as part of the school's Förderkonzept.
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
The school has an interdisciplinary Schulpsychologisches Team (EOE) that handles psycho-pedagogical-social issues across all grade levels. The team focuses on prevention and health promotion, provides orientation, counseling, and support for students, parents, and teachers, and fosters a positive socio-emotional climate in classrooms. The team coordinates with specialists when needed.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)
The school provides orientation, counseling, and support for the entire school community in challenging situations through the Schulpsychologisches Team (EOE). The team coordinates with specialists to assist students with learning and behavioral needs.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
English instruction begins in the third grade. The program uses a communicative approach, and German language skills support learning English as a second foreign language. In the upper secondary level, students can take Cambridge exams: Cambridge English: First (FCE) in 11th–12th grade and Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) in 12th grade. There is also a student exchange with New Zealand after the 11th grade.

Mental Wellbeing
Prevention and health promotion are core, with the Schulpsychologisches Team (EOE) promoting personal resources and conflict resolution and fostering a positive socio-emotional atmosphere. Solidarisches Handeln (PAS) operates in the secondary level as a solidarity program.
Parent Experience

History
The Pestalozzi-Gesellschaft was founded on March 1, 1934, during the turmoil of the Nazi era, to establish a free and humanistic school that preserves European, especially German, culture and language in conscious opposition to the prevailing ideology in Germany, and the school was named after Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi. The founding was driven by Dr. Ernesto Alemann, a Swiss-Argentine editor of the Argentinian Tageblatt, and its mission—education for freedom with social responsibility, intercultural encounter, respect for human dignity, non-discrimination, and peace—shapes its Leitbild. In 1938 the school moved to its current building and received congratulatory letters from figures such as Sigmund Freud, Albert Einstein, and Thomas Mann. Since 1960 it has been a founding member of AGDS and has received support from the German Foreign Office; milestones include the introduction of secondary education in 1961, the Deutsches Sprachdiplom in 1973, and international exchanges, with Exzellente Deutsche Auslandsschule status awarded in 2010 and renewed in 2016 and 2024. A detailed historical account is in the book 'Für das andere Deutschland'—The Pestalozzi-Schule in Buenos Aires (1934–1958) by Dr. Hermann Schnorbach.

Community
The Kulturabteilung (Culture Department) is a participatory educational offering of the Pestalozzi-Gesellschaft. It began in the mid-1990s to publicly promote various artistic activities and to strengthen the community's connection to German-Argentine culture while encouraging student participation in exhibitions, music festivals, and other interdisciplinary cultural offerings. It has grown into a recognized center of art and culture in the neighborhood. Activities include concert cycles and music festivals, exhibitions, lectures with notable cultural figures, the Pestalozzi Art and Culture Cycle, and the Long Night of Museums, organized with partner museums and cultural institutions.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
Class Parents' Councils act as the link between families and the school. Their task is to represent the interests and needs of the families of a specific class and forward their suggestions and questions. They invite one or two meetings per year with the parents of the corresponding class. Main duties include supporting communication between the school and families; promoting family integration by organizing social and relaxing gatherings; supporting school events; integrating new families. The class parent representatives elect a year-group parent spokesperson who represents the interests of all classes in the year; the spokesperson attends meetings called by the relevant sub-school department and the school leadership and relays the agreed-upon suggestions. Elections: at the first parents' meeting of the year each class elects a Class Parent Council and a deputy; term is two years.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
The Pestalozzi-Schule occupies a large, modern campus. Each school level has its own building, and all spaces are adequately equipped for school activities. The campus includes multimedia-equipped classrooms with audio systems, notebooks, and projectors, plus a primary-level computer room. The school library houses more than 15,000 volumes, along with a periodical collection, a map collection, and a video library accessible to teachers and students. State-of-the-art science laboratories serve both primary and secondary levels, and workshop and art spaces include a theatre room, an art room, and a music room equipped with Orff instruments. The kindergarten building accommodates younger children with age-appropriate facilities, and the gym and a covered sports hall complete the sports facilities; the campus also features a sports field opposite the main building.

Sports Facilities
The school has a gym inside the building and a sports field opposite the main building. Curricular and extracurricular training in athletics, handball, and volleyball are offered.

Academic Facilities
Multimedia-equipped classrooms with audio systems, notebooks, projectors, and a primary-level computer room. The library houses more than 15,000 volumes, plus a periodical collection, a map collection, and a video library for teachers and students. State-of-the-art science laboratories serve both primary and secondary levels, and workshop and art spaces include a theatre room, an art room, and a music room with Orff instruments. The kindergarten building is designed for different age groups, with two toilets and three integrated washbasins per classroom, plus multi-purpose halls, a kitchen, two playgrounds (one with a sandbox), a music room, and a covered gym.

Extra Curricular Facilities
The school offers class trips and camping programs, and student exchange programs with Germany and English-speaking countries. A solidarity program (PAS) is available, along with a career guidance program, an environmental education program, and a comprehensive sex education program. Curricular and extracurricular training in athletics, handball, and volleyball is provided. Additional optional extracurricular offerings include extra after-school care in kindergarten, School of the Arts, mathematics workshops, and more.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
The school offers a bilingual International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (GIB) and prepares students for international language examinations, including the German Deutsches Sprachdiplom I and II and Cambridge English: First (FCE) and Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE). The school provides non-denominational, full-day education for boys and girls in primary and secondary school with a focus on aligning demanding academic goals with socio-emotional support. The school also offers Mathematics workshops as optional extracurricular activities and supports participation in the Jugend forscht (Youth in Research) competition.

Arts & Creative
The school provides a School of the Arts with workshops as part of its arts and culture program, including an Art and Culture Cycle. The arts program is integrated with events such as the Long Night of Museums.

Cultural & Language
Two foreign languages (English and German) are taught intensively in a bilingual context. Student exchange programs are available with Germany and English-speaking countries. The school prepares students for international German language examinations and Cambridge English examinations.

Social & Hobbies
Curricular and extracurricular training in athletics, handball, and volleyball is offered. Class trips and a camping program are part of the school's offerings. Additional optional extracurricular offerings include extra afternoon programs, the School of the Arts, and a Mathematics workshop.

Community & Service
A Solidarity Program (PAS) and an Environmental Education Program are part of the school's activities, along with a comprehensive sexuality education program.

Leadership & Professional
A career counseling program is available. There are student exchange programs with Germany and English-speaking countries. The school supports student leadership through a student council and a Schüler-Lehrer-Rat (student-teacher council).

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
Sports training in athletics, handball, and volleyball is provided. The school emphasizes socio-emotional support and well-being as part of its educational approach. Field trips and camping experiences are included in the lifestyle program.
Languages

Language Provision
German, English, and Spanish are taught. In Primarstufe, German and English are introduced alongside Spanish, with German reaching A2 by the end of primary. In Sekundarstufe, about 25% of subjects are taught in German and students may pursue DSD I/II certificates; Cambridge English exams are available and aligned to GER levels. The bilingual IB Diploma Programme (German–Spanish) includes Spanish A: Literature, German B, and English B, with flexible options for non-Argentine students.

Bilingual Teaching
The school offers a bilingual IB Diploma Programme (German–Spanish). The curriculum follows Germany's guidelines. The program includes instruction in German, Spanish, and English within the IB framework.

Immersion Programs
In Sekundarstufe, German language knowledge and its relation to German culture are reinforced in an endolingual context. About 25% of subjects are taught in German (DFU-Fächer and DaF). The English language program prepares students for Cambridge ESOL exams, though taking the exams is not mandatory.
Admissions

Admissions
Admission for Kindergarten and Primary School for the 2027 school year begins with the submission of the preliminary registration form within the registration window (15.02.2026 – 30.04.2026). A German-language reading aid is available in Downloads. The school confirms receipt by email. In May each year, meetings for parents of preliminarily registered students are held to present the pedagogical project and the characteristics of the school sponsor. The Kindergarten is open one hour before each meeting to allow interested families to participate in a school tour. After the preliminary registration deadline, the available places are allocated according to a fixed priority order (see Zugangsprioritäten). After this first placement, the remaining places are drawn by lot among the other families. Participation in the lottery requires attending the meeting introducing our pedagogical project. The draw is conducted per family (not per child). Families can view the order of the draw on our site. Families allocated a place receive an email to begin the final registration procedure; the receipt of the email is confirmed by phone. The contact data used are those of the submitted registration form. After receiving the email with the school place confirmation, the family must confirm acceptance within 48 hours; if there is no response, the place is deemed declined. To complete the registration and finalize the place reservation, the following are required: submission of the corresponding documents (see Anmeldeunterlagen) and payment of the registration fee by the due date; this fee is non-refundable if the registration is withdrawn. After the admission process, families are invited to a meeting with the sub-heads of the grade level for which they registered. Beginning of the registration period for 2026: 15.02.2025; End: 30.04.2025.

Waitlist
Secondary school admissions offer two modalities. Standard registration (for students with German language knowledge) begins with submitting an inquiry via the contact form; the school confirms receipt by email and contacts families to inform whether there are available places. Side-entry program (PAI) is for students with very good academic performance who are language-talented but do not have German language knowledge and wish to continue their schooling in the 8th grade; further information is available there. If there are available places, each case is evaluated by the pedagogical authorities. Remaining places are allocated by lottery if applicable, with results communicated by email and/or phone; the lottery is conducted per family (not per student), and the order of the draw is published.
School Events
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