ISR International School on the Rhine to open a branch of its Kindergarten in Düsseldorf- Niederkassel
Friday, 22 March 2019
ISR International School on the Rhine based in Neuss is opening an English speaking Kindergarten in Düsseldorf-Niederkassel. The former ballet school of the Deutschen Oper am Rhein on Niederkasseler Kirchweg 36 has been torn down and will be replaced with a brand new Kindergarten by mid-2020, with a capacity for educating over 100 boys and girls aged three years and above. The educational philosophy and teaching methods practiced at ISR in Neuss will also be implemented at the site in Düsseldorf. The city council of Düsseldorf has approved of the plans for the new building, the legal change in the use of the property as well as the long-term lease of 50 years. ISR, with the support of the Düsseldorfer architect firm Leckelt, will now embark on building the planned premises.
Mr. Peter Soliman, CEO of ISR, places a high value on establishing an ISR branch in Düsseldorf, as many students, currently enrolled at ISR Neuss, live in Düsseldorf. Especially for students in Kindergarten, the interest from families from Düsseldorf has remained unabated. He says, “In the previous 4 years, we have already expanded our Kindergarten in Neuss twice. Currently, 139 children are enrolled in our Kindergarten. As we noticed a continuous rise in inquiries for Kindergarten spots, we decided against expanding our Kindergarten in Neuss for the third time and instead chose to open a new branch in Düsseldorf. Since there is an acute shortage of Kindergarten places in Düsseldorf, our opening also relieves some of the pressure on the state-run Kindergarten facilities. “
The location of the property in Düsseldorf is ideal. Both ISR Kindergartens are easily connected through the highways A52 and A57. The school expects some Düsseldorfer families currently enrolled in Neuss, to move to the new location in Düsseldorf. Mr. Peter Soliman remains confident that “due to the long waiting list at our current location in Neuss, we expect the vacant spots in Neuss to be filled immediately. “ Currently over 970 students are enrolled at ISR and are prepared for the IBDP (International Baccalaureate) school leaving certificate.
The open and green grounds of the former ballet school are perfect for the new Kindergarten building. The semi-circular building will enable each of the 5 Kindergarten classes to have direct access to the spacious playground. The modern building with generous rooms flooded with natural sunlight will be equipped with a kitchen, a Movement Room for dance, exercise and movement, and a parent conference room.
The international pre-school Kindergarten in Niederkassel is located directly next to the Japanese International School- JISD. Mr. Soliman confirms “We held a lot of preliminary talks with the school and the consulate regarding this project. We have discussed every planning stage jointly and our cooperation with JISD has been very friendly and open. We are certain that both parties will mutually benefit from this project.”
Essential aspects of the educational philosophy currently practiced at ISR in Neuss will also be implemented at the new location. For instance, English will be solely taught by native speakers. Mr. Soliman states “At this age, the children learn by playing” German lessons are also mandatory. Apart from the multi-lingual lessons, the ISR pre-schoolers also familiarise themselves with numbers and letters and are thus optimally and bilingually ready for primary school.
The caregiver to child ratio is low. A team consisting of one fully trained teacher and one/two teaching assistants is responsible for a group of up to 20 children. This enables very individual and comprehensive care for 3-6-year-olds. In total, around 16 employees (including the Head of the Kindergarten) will be managing the 5 Kindergarten groups in Düsseldorf. In addition, a German teacher and a Music teacher will also join the team.
To ensure optimal childcare support before and after teaching hours, the Kindergarten will be open from 07:30 am to 6:00 pm. Catering will be provided by the well-known company Broich which has a specialized nutrition plan focussing on the needs and wishes of the children.
