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Black Forest Academy

Germany, Kandern

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English, German
Fees Fees not listed
Ages 10 - 18 years
Pupil numbers 260
Type Co-educational, Co-educational (boarding)
Opened 1956
Bus Service Yes
Academic offering
Curriculum American Curriculum, Advanced Placement (AP)
Taught languages French, German, Spanish
Typical class size 12
Strengths Sport, STEM, Languages
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language
Stages Elementary, Middle School, High School
Introduction

Located in the picturesque town of Kandern, Germany, Black Forest Academy serves middle and high school students in grades 5-12. The school follows an American curriculum offering a U.S. High School Diploma alongside numerous Advanced Placement (AP) courses. BFA integrates a biblical worldview into its instruction and features strong visual arts, music, and athletic programs. Students participate in unique educational experiences, utilizing close access to historical locations across Germany, Italy, France, and Switzerland as an extension of the classroom. As a Christian boarding and day school, BFA stands out for its family-style integrated boarding program across six dormitories in the local community, allowing siblings to live in the same house. The campus includes dedicated facilities like the Janz Building, which provides art studios, music suites, a library, and an auditorium, ensuring students have specific resources for their academic and co-curricular development.

Hammersteiner Str. 50, 79400 Kandern, Germany

The Essentials

Black Forest Academy has 260 pupils, typical class sizes of 12, instruction in English, German.

Location
Located in Kandern, Germany, on the southwestern edge of the Black Forest. The campus and boarding homes are in Kandern, a small town surrounded by forests, rolling hills, and hiking trails. Kandern is a short drive from Switzerland and the Alsace region of France.

Stages
The school serves grades 5-12 on campus. For elementary ages (grades 1-4), BFA partners with Christliche Schule Kandern (CSK) to provide a bilingual Christian education. All classes are taught in English.

Type
Accredited international Christian boarding and day school.

Additional learning support
ELL program and Discovery/Resource programs provide supplemental language support, specialized instruction, and educational therapy.
Diving Deeper

Boarding Arrangements
Boarding is offered for Grades 9-12. Six dorms exist in and around Kandern, all within 4 kilometers of the campus and most within walking distance. Each dorm is led by a set of Dorm Parents and supported by Resident Assistants, creating a home-like atmosphere where students can thrive academically, spiritually, and socially. Dorms are available as gender-specific or integrated family-style; integrated dorms enable brothers and sisters to live in the same house with separate halls and an alarmed door at night.

Governance and Ownership
Black Forest Academy e.V. is a registered charity in Germany.
Fees
Application fees

- Application fee: EUR 100 when paid by bank transfer. If paid by check the total is EUR 117.50 (EUR 100 + EUR 17.50 check-cashing fee).

Tuition fees by school year (published amounts)

- Black Forest Academy does not publish a public, grade-by-grade or per-term tuition schedule on its publicly accessible documents. Parents are asked to contact the school's admissions or finance office for exact tuition amounts for specific year groups and the current academic year. (Tuition amounts are therefore not stated here because they are not publicly posted.)

Billing schedule and payment terms

- Tuition and boarding fees may be paid either annually or quarterly. Other fees are due at or before the commencement of the related program or activity.
- The first payment for the academic year must be received by July 30; failure to meet this deadline may result in loss of the student's place. Subsequent payments more than 30 days past due may also risk loss of place. Late fees are charged on past-due accounts. BFA will withhold transcripts and diplomas for students whose fees are not paid in full.

Boarding fees (applicable items and billing practice)

- BFA offers a boarding program and charges boarding fees in addition to tuition. Boarding and tuition fees follow the same annual or quarterly payment options. Exact boarding fee amounts by grade or boarding arrangement are not published in the school's publicly available materials.
- Airport/train transportation to scheduled school breaks is included in boarding fees; additional transport outside those scheduled break transfers is charged (examples in school handbooks show extra-charge amounts such as EUR 15 per family for certain return trips). A travel-deadline penalty (example referenced as EUR 50) is applied when required travel information is not submitted on time. Routine incidental charges (see “Other costs”) may be billed to a student account.

Other costs and typical incidental fees

- Online and extra academic course fees: enrollment in certain online or dual-credit courses incurs extra course fees (examples described as “several hundred Euros” for some online courses). Dropping a dual-credit course is shown as incurring a EUR 50 administrative fee for that action.
- Printing and copy charges (example items documented in school handbooks): black-and-white pages billed at approx. EUR 0.05 per page; color pages billed at approx. EUR 0.10 per page. Lost-and-found/item-retrieval fines or similar small penalties are noted (example: EUR 0.20 per item in handbook examples). These small charges may be applied to student accounts as appropriate.
- Transportation charges beyond scheduled break transfers (example: EUR 15 per family per return trip) and travel-related penalty fees (example: EUR 50) are itemized in residence-life/parent handbook materials as potential additional charges to boarding families. Routine damage charges or fees for excessive wear or loss of school property are also noted as billable.
- The application and other administrative fees are generally non-refundable for online-course enrollment; other refund rules for on-campus tuition and boarding are not publicly specified in the school's published documents.

Refund information

- For BFA Online Learning (off-campus/online course enrollments) all fees are stated as non-refundable; no refund is awarded to a student who drops an online course, and a EUR 50 fee applies when dropping a dual-credit course. For on-campus tuition and boarding, a specific public refund schedule for tuition or boarding is not published in the publicly available materials reviewed. General terms note that other fees are due at or before commencement of the related program and that late or unpaid accounts have consequences (late fees, loss of place, withholding of transcripts).

Fee payment options and banking details

- Bank transfer (wire transfer) is accepted and is recommended for payments within Europe; account information is provided for Euros (IBAN and BIC). Parents are instructed to include the child's name and payment purpose (for example, “Application Fee”). Example banking details shown for school payments: IBAN DE82 6839 0000 0001 0898 62; BIC/Swift VOLO DE66.
- Wise (formerly TransferWise) is recommended for payments originating outside the EU to ensure correct amounts are received; Wise is suggested as an option but the school requests use of the bank account/IBAN above when setting up recipients in Wise. No public statement was found indicating that credit-card payment is routinely accepted for tuition; the school's published payment instructions emphasize bank transfer and Wise.

Additional payment and billing notes

- Other fees and charges (for example, fees for extracurriculars, labs, course materials, travel, damage repair, or special program fees) are billed to student accounts as incurred and are due at or before the start of the related program or activity. BFA reserves the right to increase fees annually. Unpaid accounts may result in administrative actions including withholding records.

Summary of findings and data limitations (brief)

- The school publicly posts the application fee, the bank/transfer payment options and banking details, billing terms (annual or quarterly payment possible), and several examples of incidental charges in published handbooks and policy documents. A publicly posted, itemized tuition schedule showing specific per-term and per-year tuition amounts for each grade/year group was not found in the school's publicly accessible materials; parents are directed to contact the admissions or finance office for precise tuition and boarding amounts for the current academic year.
Academics

Black Forest Academy teaches American Curriculum, Advanced Placement (AP) for students aged 10 to 18.

Curriculum
Black Forest Academy is an accredited international Christian school for grades 5-12. It offers a U.S. High School Diploma and a wide variety of Advanced Placement courses. All classes are taught in English. ELL and Discovery/Resource programs provide supplemental language support, specialized instruction, and educational therapy. For elementary students in grades 1-4, BFA partners with Christliche Schule Kandern (CSK) to provide a bilingual Christian education. In 2023, 88% of graduates pursued higher education; 52% of students were enrolled in AP courses; and there were 85+ core and elective course options.

Exam Results
In 2023, 88% of graduates pursued higher education; 52% of students were enrolled in AP courses; and there were 85+ core and elective course options.

Higher Education Progression
The school is a launching pad for students attending universities across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Gifted and Talented
Advanced Placement courses are available to enable advanced students to pursue college-level study.
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
The School Psychologist collaborates with parents, regular and special education teachers, and counselors to support students academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. Staff provide academic, emotional and behavioral assessments and intervention programs. There is parent and teacher consultation, and training for parents and teachers on topics related to learning and behavior.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)
Discovery Program provides intense language-based educational therapy that targets memory, attention, auditory and visual processing, visual-motor skills, oral and written language, reading, spelling, and math. The program aims to improve academic performance and to enable students to learn independently. The Resource Room provides regularly scheduled supplemental instruction for middle and high school students needing curricular support, including remedial instruction in basic skills, study and organizational skills, test taking, reading comprehension, and memory strategies. Speech Therapy supports students with articulation, language, voice, or fluency needs, with individualized programs. The School Psychologist collaborates with parents, regular and special education teachers, and counselors to help students succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
Support is available for students whose first language or previous language of instruction is not English. All students attending BFA must enter having at least a B1 level of proficiency in English. BFA provides both tutoring for specific classes and intensive English language instruction according to an individual student's needs.

Mental Wellbeing
The School Psychologist works with parents, teachers, and counselors to support students emotionally and socially. Staff provide emotional and behavioral assessments and intervention programs. Parent and teacher consultation and training on learning and behavior topics are available.

Safeguarding
BFA is committed to safeguarding the health, safety, and well being of every child entrusted to the school and to providing a safe environment for all students. The school is a member of the Child Safety & Protection Network and strengthens safety through safer recruitment, a code of conduct, regular training for staff, volunteers and students, and effective responses to concerns. A dedicated safeguarding team helps respond to concerns each year. Concerns can be reported by contacting the safeguarding team at safeguarding@bfacademy.de. A safeguarding policy exists.
Parent Experience

History
Black Forest Academy began as the Janz Team School and moved from Basel, Switzerland to Kandern, Germany. In 1981 it relocated to Kandern, renting space in the Medima property that became the current campus; the building was purchased in 1984. Grades 10–12 are in Kandern while grades 1–9 are in Sitzenkirch, and Landhaus Liel was added as a fifth dorm. The school earned accreditation from the Association of Christian Schools International in 1989 and expanded with the Blauen and Maugenhard dorms in 1990 and 1994, respectively. In 1997–1998 Project Nehemiah funded a new auditorium and gym, a curriculum change followed in 1998, and Internat Hirschen opened in 1999; later renovations and partnerships supported boarding changes, unified campus, and new dorms, with plans for a triple dorm announced in 2023.

Community
Life at BFA is anchored by a broad community of parents, volunteers, locals, and ministry partners who support students and staff in prayer and daily life. The school emphasizes spiritual life with weekly chapel, small groups, 1:1 mentoring, service projects, and local ministry opportunities. Licensed counselors are on staff to offer free individual and family counseling. Asian care is a dedicated effort to support the large Asian student demographic through staff guidance, cultural events, and help with education options and translation.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
On the main campus are two buildings with 27 classrooms, five private music studios, three science labs, two art studios, a graphic arts room, an independent living room, an auditorium, a student center, a gymnasium, a library, an industrial arts room, a multi-purpose room, and a fitness room. Secure WiFi is available throughout the campus, and computers are available in the library, classrooms, and two iMac labs. The Science Department has remodeled its chemistry and biology labs, and all science labs are equipped with computer-based instruments for conducting experiments. The Residence Life program provides housing to 55% of the student body.

Sports Facilities
The athletic program includes volleyball, basketball, soccer, track and field, cross country, wrestling, and tennis. Teams compete with the Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS). The main campus includes a gymnasium for indoor sports.

Academic Facilities
On the main campus two buildings house 27 classrooms, five private music studios, three science labs, two art studios, and a graphic arts room. Additional spaces include an independent living room, an auditorium, a student center, a gymnasium, a library, an industrial arts room, a multi-purpose room, and a fitness room. The Science Department recently remodeled its chemistry and biology labs, and all science labs are equipped with computer-based instruments for conducting experiments.

Extra Curricular Facilities
Co-curricular activities include the National Honor Society, student council, drama productions, international service trips, choir and instrumental ensembles, field trips, and cross-cultural opportunities. Chapel provides weekly gatherings, student-led worship, and leadership, music, prayer, and service opportunities. The athletics program offers volleyball, basketball, soccer, track and field, cross country, wrestling, and tennis.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
The school offers a U.S. High School Diploma and a wide variety of Advanced Placement courses. It is accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) and the Middle States Association (MSA). All classes are taught in English. The ELL and Discovery/Resource programs provide supplemental language support, specialized instruction, and educational therapy, and elementary grades 1-4 participate in bilingual education through Christliche Schule Kandern (CSK).

Arts & Creative
BFA provides opportunities to participate in plays and musicals, band, orchestra, and choir, as well as opportunities for individual performance. Students can create and explore visual arts in a graphic arts lab, ceramics workshop, and art studio. There are venues to refine and showcase artistic talents.

Cultural & Language
The student body is international, welcoming students from many countries and cultures. All high school and middle school classes are taught in English, and elementary grades 1-4 participate in bilingual education through Christliche Schule Kandern (CSK).

Social & Hobbies
Students can participate in dozens of co-curricular activities. Chapel provides spiritual growth and opportunities for leadership, music, prayer, and service. Student Council is composed of representatives from each high school grade and plans school- and class-level events, building leadership skills.

Community & Service
Chapel offers opportunities for leadership, music, prayer, and service. Life at BFA describes a global, faith-centered community welcoming students from many countries and cultures.

Leadership & Professional
Student Council represents each high school grade and plans school- and class-specific events, providing leadership development opportunities.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
Athletics is a major part of life at BFA, with three athletic seasons and teams including cross country, volleyball, basketball, soccer, track & field, golf, and wrestling. Chapel supports well-being through weekly gatherings, student-led worship, guest speakers, and small-group reflection. Life at BFA emphasizes a globally minded, faith-driven community with rich co-curricular opportunities.
Languages

Language Provision
All classes are taught in English. ELL and Discovery/Resource programs provide language support, specialized instruction, and educational therapy. For elementary students, there is a bilingual education in partnership with Christliche Schule Kandern (CSK).

Bilingual Teaching
A bilingual Christian education is offered for grades 1-4 through a partnership with Christliche Schule Kandern (CSK).
Admissions

Admissions
Step 1: All families must complete an initial inquiry form. The Admissions Office responds with cost/tuition information and answers to questions submitted through the form. Through the inquiry form submission, the family will set up an OpenApply account and have access to the BFA application. Note that BFA serves Grades 5–12; families with a child in Grades 1–4 should contact Christliche Schule Kandern (CSK).

Waitlist
Step 4: If the enrollment deposit is not received by the deadline, students will be placed in a wait pool and their space may be given to another applicant.
School Events
The school has not added events
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