We are a caring school where good relationships are fostered and every student is valued. We get to know our students as individuals to personalise the support they need to fulfil their potential. We want our students to be challenged to achieve their very best, to flourish in all they do and to share a positive outlook with others. We pride ourselves on the wealth of learning experiences available allowing each individual to develop into an exceptional yet unique young person.
We are convinced it is important that our students enjoy their stay during their school days, because we think this is the foundation of a successful work and school career. We want our students to be excited by and enjoy each day and to leave us with the enthusiasm, knowledge, skills and attitudes to enable them to confidently and responsibly take their places in the world. Therefore we have introduced a various number of programmes next to the lessons, which accompany und support our students in their individual development. Responsibility, fairness, clarity, individuality and learning together are the main aspects which influence our pedagogical ethos based on the philosophy of Irena Sendler.
Due to our pedagogical approach, our interdisciplinary teaching, our special classes, a various number of support lessons but also of challenging tasks as well as special elective courses in the afternoon and during lunch break, we manage to offer each student an individual programme to achieve the aspects mentioned above.
We pride ourselves of a diversified exchange programme with schools in Spain, Poland and Switzerland. We also take part in programmes funded by the European Union i.e. “Sound in the Silence”.
During the years that students spend at the Irena Sendler School we aim to provide a programme of study that builds upon the work undertaken in primary schools. We also endeavour to promote a broad and balanced curriculum for all students and provide a relevant curriculum for individual student needs.
In the Sixth-Form we offer study programmes which include a wide range of A level courses together with an extensive and varied range of enrichment and extra-curricular activities. We emphasise especially on 5 subjects: Chemistry, Politics, Psychology, Art and PE. Each student has to choose and participate in one of these subjects as a major.
We have active industrial corporate partners to extend and enrich our curriculum, provide training and employment opportunities and to help our students to make the right decisions about their futures.
In 2018 the school inspection has rated the Irena Sendler School as a good to outstanding school in all areas. We are among the top ten schools in Hamburg and are heavily oversubscribed. We care for more than 1000 students in the year 5 – 13. We offer all exams one can achieve at a governmental school.
Irena Sendler, our patron, was born in 1910. Born in Warsaw, Poland, she lived most of her young life in Otwock. Irena Sendler led the rescue of 2,500 Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto and those hiding in the Warsaw area, during the Holocaust in World War II. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Her legacy of repairing the world continues, as good continues to triumph over evil. Irena Sendler died at the age of 98.
She inspires us every day and we are proud that our school is named after her. For us it is a duty and a commitment to support and help people. Therefore, we organize various social projects and activities in which our students take part. We understand diversity and heterogeneity as an enrichment.
