ISR International School on the Rhine Neuss / Düsseldorf / Meerbusch

ISR International School on the Rhine will open an additional campus in Düsseldorf-Oberkassel for the 2027–28 school year. Restoration of the landmark-protected Altes Comenius at Comeniusstraße 1 began earlier this year and is progressing so swiftly that classes for Grades 1–6 can begin there in August 2027. One of the state capital’s most storied school buildings will thus return to its original purpose. Enrollment opens in October 2026.

The new campus is an extension of the existing school rather than a newly founded one. Its curriculum, educational approach, enrollment contract, tuition structure, and quality standards are therefore identical to those of the Neuss campus and the ISR Kindergartens in Düsseldorf-Niederkassel and Meerbusch-Büderich. The ISR Kindergarten Düsseldorf-Niederkassel is just a few hundred meters away, making the transition to Grade 1 especially smooth for the children who are already learning there, as well as for their families.

After Grade 6, students move on to the Neuss campus with a guaranteed place and without having to reapply, continuing their educational journey through the Cambridge IGCSE to the IB Diploma Programme. ISR deliberately keeps its secondary school and IB Diploma years together on a single campus, ensuring a range of high school courses that is both broad and specialized. On average, students spend eight years at ISR. 

Above all, the new campus offers Düsseldorf families dependable support. All-day care is guaranteed from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.—at no additional cost—and an established substitute teacher system ensures that classes continue even when teachers are absent. A school nurse and a Wellbeing Counselor dedicated to supporting the whole child will be on site. As in Neuss, ISR offers a school bus service, and the campus is easily accessible from many parts of Düsseldorf via the nearby Belsenplatz and Barbarossaplatz public transit stops. Safety standards are the same as on the Neuss campus: a security officer will be on site to accompany students during arrival and dismissal, monitor access to the grounds, and ensure a safe environment for families. 

Instruction follows the Cambridge International Primary and Lower Secondary Curriculum, which, as part of the Cambridge Pathway, structures students’ learning from Grade 1 through the IGCSE and on to the IB Diploma. Mathematics, English, German, science, social studies, and computer science form the core of the academic program, while art, music, physical education, and social-emotional learning are part of every school week. German is required for all students—either as a first language or as a foreign language, based on the North Rhine-Westphalia state curriculum. Beginning in Grade 6, students add a third language: French, Spanish, Japanese, or Chinese. 

A Historic Building with Modern Facilities 

“With this step, we are restoring the Altes Comenius to its original purpose: a school building will once again be a school. What excites us about this building is how it will bring together more than a century of educational tradition and state-of-the-art facilities,” says Peter Soliman, Managing Partner of ISR. “It will be an ideal combination.” In addition to thoughtfully equipped classrooms, the new campus will feature a spacious auditorium, a gymnasium, a modern library, and newly designed playgrounds and outdoor learning spaces. 

The new campus will be led by three experienced members of the ISR leadership team: Eileen Lyons (Academic Leadership), Colm Rowan (Head of Elementary School Düsseldorf), and Annika Poestges (Head of Administration & Marketing). ISR is also committed to continuity in the classroom: teachers who have taught at the Neuss campus for years will move to Oberkassel, joined by new colleagues who have been onboarding in Neuss since the start of this school year. As a result, families in Oberkassel will be welcomed by a well-established team from day one. As at every ISR location, the Oberkassel campus will maintain a ratio of one staff member for every six students. 

The strength of ISR’s academic program is reflected in the results of its most recent graduating class. In 2026, ISR graduates in the IB Diploma Programme—which leads to the full IB Diploma, recognized in Germany as equivalent to the Abitur—achieved an average score of 36 points, around 20 percent above the global average of 30 points, with a pass rate of 100 percent. Nearly a quarter of graduates (24 percent) scored 40 or more out of a maximum of 45 points. All graduates leave ISR with two diplomas: the IB Diploma—earned as a bilingual diploma by 59 percent of the Class of 2026—and the High School Diploma. In the Cambridge IGCSE examinations, taken at the end of Grade 10, the pass

rate was likewise 100 percent, with 66 percent of all exams awarded the top grades of A* or A. In the DELF French-language examinations, every candidate passed, and the highest score was 96.5 out of 100 points. 

A Wide Range of Opportunities for Neighborhood Families 

“For us, opening this new school comes with a genuine responsibility toward Oberkassel and the entire district,” Peter Soliman emphasizes. “A school is an essential part of its neighborhood, so we want to open ISR to the local community—for example, with a Christmas celebration in the courtyard or themed evenings, to which we warmly invite our neighbors. In the future, families who are not part of the ISR community will also be able to benefit from our wide range of offerings, such as the expertise of our University and Career Counseling team or our Wellbeing Team.” 

With the Oberkassel campus, ISR is responding to years of growing demand from international and Düsseldorf-based families on the left bank of the Rhine. Enrollment opens in October 2026, and applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the school year. Current ISR families from the three ISR Kindergartens and the Neuss campus will receive priority admission for the inaugural 2027–28 school year. 

Interested families are invited to learn more about the new campus and meet the team at the ISR Open House on October 10, 2026, at the Neuss campus. Tours of the new ISR Elementary School Düsseldorf will be offered beginning in February 2027. Admissions inquiries may be directed to Isabel Reimann (Admissions) at +49 (0) 2131 40388-11 or admissions@isr-school.de.