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Principal's Welcome

DHPS - Tradition and Cosmopolitanism - Unity in Diversity - DHPS

For more than 100 years now, the Deutsche Höhere Privatschule Windhoek guarantees excellent academic education. Learners of more than 20 different nations learn together in the kindergarten, pre-school, primary- and secondary section. The learners are instructed by international teachers, who are pedagogically committed to each individual learner. The academical offer provides learners of different linguistic and cultural background the opportunity to pursue their individual educational goals and to achieve their aspirations in an increasingly international world.

Bilingual training for all learners is an important advantage, which DHPS- school leavers are equipped with when they enter their studies or career. DHPS alumni study and work successfully in various fields in many countries in Africa, Europe and the rest of the world.
Your contact person(s)
Jörg Przybilla

Jörg Przybilla

Schulleiter - Principal

Tel: +264 (0)61 373 122

Primary School

Primary School

Welcome at the DHPS Primary Section


“The right way from the start - the opportunity to be a child in a comprehensive educational institution.”

In the primary section of the DHPS (Grades 1-4) about 350 learners are taught in sixteen classes. All Grades are divided into three German medium and an English medium class. The primary section adheres to the Baden-Wurttemberg curriculum with the focus on the class-teacher-principle.

Educational programs at the DHPS enrich the curricular offer of internal and external differentiation as from the primary section.

After school, our learners have the opportunity to play, craft or rest in our waiting class until 13h30. This service is offered free of charge.

In addition, learners of the primary section can participate in a varied offer of extra-mural activities at the DHPS or can live and learn with their friends in our Child & Youth Center, our full-day supervision offer until 17h30.

Of course we are in close cooperation with our pre-school and Junior Secondary section to guarantee a smooth transition between the different stages of school. Have a look at how we structure this internally.


Take a glimpse at the latest news at our primary school:

Book boxes for our Primary School

What can you do when a work assignment or group work has been completed in class? The learners of the DHPS primary section will surely no longer be bored!

Thanks to the proceeds of a past Big Walk, primary school learners can keep themselves busy with the brand-new books of the book box in their class now.
For each grade there is one book box that is intended for the use in the classroom only* and allows the children insights into many exciting stories in their free reading time.
The selection of books that was chosen for the boxes was based on a book survey that was carried out last year. Of course, the contents of all boxes have equal values, so that no class is left out or even is unhappy!
When the books were handed to the learners and their class teachers the joy was boundless and they were bursting with curiosity...

We hope that the learners of the primary section have lots of fun with the new books and enjoy reading!
A big thank you again to the organizing committee, sponsors, parents and visitors of the Big Walk for the generous support! It's great to see what could be achieved by your help.


* The books and the use thereof in the free reading time do not replace borrowing books from the library for home, but serves as an additional reading opportunity in the classroom.

Buddy Bench - a helping tool in our school life

Finding a playmate on the school grounds sometimes poses a challenge to children. Sometimes they feel lonely and isolated in the complexity that comes with playing together and building relationships.
In order to promote interaction on the school grounds, the DHPS has decided to put up a buddy bench.

If a child feels excluded, cannot find his/her friends or wants to make new friends, he/she can simply sit down on the bench. A fellow learner can then invite him/her to play along or just sit down to chat.
By mediating the purpose of the buddy bench and demonstrating to the learners, how they can use it to establish new relationships, we also provide an opportunity for them to develop in this field.

In this way, the social skills and empathy of our learners are strengthened; they learn to solve problems themselves, pay attention to each other and respect one another.
The bench is also a valuable tool from a pedagogical point of view, because it complements the social and emotional learning in the class room.

We have placed the Buddy Bench on the playground of the grade 3 and 4 classes that the mentioned competencies are strengthened in the early phases of school development and the learners can further enhance them during their future school career.
A special thanks goes to our art teacher, Ms Karin Hammer, who has designed this bench with her art group.

Joint effort for cleanliness: Our learners should take responsibility in keeping our school yard clean and tidy and become part of our clean-up project.
Weekly clean-up is performed on the playgrounds of grades 1+2 and grades 3+4. A sign on the classroom door is used to indicate which class is on duty and to remind children when it is their turn to clean up.
After breaks, small groups of 4-5 children assume clean-up duty on the playground. Areas included are the big playground, bordering playgrounds, as well as staircases.
The children are equipped with a small portable dustbin and two rubbish tongs to pick up papers, plastic bags, etc.

We wish all learners lots of fun and thank you for their efforts. Let’s all work together, to keep our school clean and tidy!

“Straighten up” is a postural exercise programme designed to raise awareness about the importance of back and spinal health. It also is a way to integrate movement-promotion into the school day. Through different forms of games and exercises, the back muscles are strengthened; posture, perception, physical abilities and skills are improved.
Learners can learn better when learning processes are holistic. The more senses are addressed in classroom, the more effective the learning performance.
Since February 2017, Dr. Drews and Ms. Nakamhela once or twice a week present the exercises in one of the Grades 1-4.

Our teachers of these classes have been introduced to the different exercises and movements as well as to ensure regularity in lessons. Posters in the class rooms provide visual support. After each posture training session, children receive a stamp on their hand, to clearly show who participated in back-training, to show them that their spinal health is important and to remind them to "straighten up".

On behalf of the entire school community we would like to thank Dr. Drews and Ms Nakamhela for their great commitment. We wish our learners a lot of fun and pleasure!


Your contact person(s)
Conni Hecht

Conni Hecht

Leitung der Klassen 1-4 - Head of grades 1-4

Tel: +264 (0)61 373 139

Junior Secondary section

Junior Secondary section

The junior secondary section of the DHPS is our integrated section, with subjects being taught in German, English and bilingually.
This concept was developed to ensure the long-term viability and relevance of the school, to provide equal opportunities to all learners as well as to give further effect to the school’s mission statement with regard to being a school where genuine integration of cultures takes place.

From Grade 5 our German and English speaking learners will be taught together - in some subjects, such as Maths, the lesson will be completely bilingual, some subjects are taught in German or English only.

  • Subjects offered in the Junior Secondary Section are as follows; German, English, Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Geography, History, Economy and Administration, Computer studies, Technical studies, Religion, Ethics and Sports.
  • In Grade 6 the learners choose their second foreign language: French or Afrikaans.
  • The subjects Art and Music in Grades 7 and 8 are semester courses. In Grade 9 learners opt for either Art or Music. Computer studies is offered for one semester.

Curricula of the junior secondary section are based on the German applicable gymnasium curricula of Baden-Württemberg, and have been supplemented by Namibian country-specific elements. The new curriculum offers "Hauptschul"- and "Realschul" learners the possibility to achieve these German school leaving certificates in Grade 9 or 10.

  • All classes are offered a one-day methodology training.
  • Excursions & adventures: The Grade 6 all learners go on a four-day excursion to NaDEET together, while in Grade 8 a four-day Grade excursion to Rooisand is offered. Grade 9 classes conduct a one-week job-shadowing.
  • At the end of Grade 9, parents decide on the future school career: either the DIA-branch (Gr 10-12) with the resultant German International Abitur or the Cambridge-branch (also Gr. 10-12) with the resultant Namibian Senior Certificate, the highest Namibian school leaving certificate.
  • A wide offer of extra-mural activities supplements the compulsory lesson program. Participation in these activities is voluntary. The offer is re-organized on an annual basis.
Your contact person(s)
Carola von Blottnitz

Carola von Blottnitz

2. stv. Schulleiterin - 2nd Vice Principal

Tel: +264 (0)61 373 137

Dr. Joachim Prinz

Dr. Joachim Prinz

Leitung: deutschsprachige Mittelstufe - Head: German Junior Secondary Section

Tel: +264 (0)61 373 123

Secondary School

Secondary School

Two routes - one destination: The school leaving certificates offered at the DHPS


At the DHPS, learners can choose between two different school leaving certificates:
The Cambridge Certificate or the German International Abitur (DIA).

After Grade 9, our learners opt for the Cambridge or the DIA stream.
Both high school diplomas are worldwide recognized university entrance qualifications.

Find out more about our high school certificates here:
Your contact person(s)
Uwe Rauhut

Uwe Rauhut

DIA-Coordinator

Tel: +264 (0)61 373 124

Xenia Pieterse

Xenia Pieterse

Cambridge - Koordinatorin / Coordinator

Tel: +264 (0)61 373 133

German Language Diploma (DSD)

German Language Diploma (DSD)

More than 65 countries, over 900 schools worldwide and about 51.000 participants each year are representative for the success of the German Language Diploma (DSD).

We are extremely proud that also in the English medium classes at the DHPS, the German language diploma is offered.

DSD I:

The DSD I (B1) entitles to admission to a preparatory college in Germany.

DSD II:

The DSD II (B2 / C1) entitles (considering the results of the Cambridge certificate) admission to a German university or high school. No additional language examination in Germany is required.

Further advantages:

The DSD is free of charge for DHPS learners and has lifetime validity.
The DSD improves job opportunities, because even in Namibia German speaking professionals are highly sought after.

DHPS Support Centre

A Closer Look of the DHPS Support Centre

The Support Centre consists of a multi-professional team and serves as a place of support.

Together, we accompany learners, parents and teachers. As part of dyslexia and dyscalculia support, creative, customised lessons are delivered in one-on-one and small group settings. These sessions are based on information from school psychology reports and internal diagnostic procedures.
From perception training and spelling strategies to exploring arithmetic, learners receive individualised support in various subject areas.

We also provide emotional support and offer a space for relaxation, listening and encouragement.

In constant collaboration with all those involved in the learning process, we endeavour to create learning arrangements that promote our learners' success at school.
Furthermore, we address social challenges and current issues through support programmes and implement additional team-building activities to strengthen the class community in everyday school life.

Together we are strong.
Dyslexia refers to a weakness or disorder in reading comprehension.
In dyslexia lessons, learners are supported and encouraged in spelling and reading in small groups according to their needs.

Dyscalculia, on the other hand, refers to an impairment of arithmetic skills, particularly in basic arithmetic operations. This is to be distinguished from a less severe and often temporary arithmetic disorder.
In remedial lessons for dyscalculia, learners receive targeted support in acquiring basic arithmetic skills based on their individual areas of need.

Support lessons take place twice a week during regular school hours, in consultation with the teachers. In the case of a combined disorder/weakness (dyslexia and dyscalculia), learners receive one hour of dyslexia or dyscalculia support lessons per week.

To be admitted to the support programme at the DHPS Support Centre, a school psychologist's report must be submitted. Based on this report, a binding compensation plan is drawn up, which may include accommodations such as extra time for tests, reduced assessment of spelling, and the use of aids in mathematics.
Learners are admitted to the remedial lessons after written registration by a parent or guardian.
The allocation of remedial lessons considers the available teacher hours and the urgency of support needs.

For enquiries, please contact foerdern@dhps-windhoek.com.
Ms Silke Berens and Ms Andrea Lägel are in-house school psychological counsellors and school social workers at DHPS.

They provide advisory support to help learners, parents, and teachers with questions, concerns, and challenges at school or at home. They also address issues such as learning difficulties, behavioural problems, difficulties in social interaction, or critical life situations, providing support and guidance.

Their services include accompanying classes of all levels in team-building and social training, such as in class teacher lessons. Additionally, they offer workshops on learning methods and stress management in the senior secondary section.

Counselling is a solution-seeking and clarifying form of support, covering areas such as stress competence, stress management, and the development and application of individual social and personal skills and resources.

Appointments can be made via email or through the online contact forms. Learners can also spontaneously attend counselling in person during the school day.
The detailed contact forms are available here:

To make an appointment or to contact us, please feel free to get in touch!


Your contact person(s)
Silke Berens

Silke Berens

School Counselor - Schulpsychologische Beratung

Tel: 061 373 117

Andrea Lägel

Andrea Lägel

School Social Worker - Schulsozialarbeiterin

Tel: 081 784 9619

Title:
Informationsschreiben DHPS Förderzentrum - Information letter DHPS Support Centre.pdf
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    DHPS Förderzentrum Abmeldeverfahren - DHPS Support Centre Deregistration
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    Anmeldung DHPS Förderzentrum 2024 - Registration DHPS Support Centre 2024
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    • Your contact person(s)
    Luisa Hoffmann

    Luisa Hoffmann

    Leitung DHPS Diagnose- & Förderzentrum - Head of DHPS Support Centre

    Tel: (+264) 061 - 373 120

    Inclusion

    Inclusion

    “Learn and live together boundlessly”


    Being a German school abroad, the DHPS is a school of diversity: Learners, teachers and staff originating from different cultures, countries and mother-tongue work and learn together every day over again.
    Thus, we also attach importance to unrestricted access to education. On these pages you will find out more on how this is concretely lived out at the DHPS.

    What is meant by inclusion?

    The inclusion concept is increasingly seen as implementation of a human right and as the
    efforts towards equal, boundless and unrestricted participation of everyone
    in all sectors of society.
    Inclusion in education and learning primarily means equal appreciation for all learners and staff, as well as to increasing participation of all in culture, teaching subjects and the school community. We attach importance to responding to the diversity of our learner community and to overcome learning- and participation obstacles.
    By projects and by overcoming barriers, we strengthen the view that differences between learners are not problems that need to be solved, but opportunities for life.
    The significance of inclusion in schools, education and teaching and thus the intention to build communities, develop values and improve performance, is the beginning of inclusion in society.
    (Partially from source: Boban, Hinz: Index für Inklusion. Halle 2003.)

    How does inclusion at the DHPS look like?

    What does inclusion mean for our school? What changes by inclusion?

    An inclusion community provides diverse developmental and learning opportunities. Children in joint classes mostly achieve better results and also learners with special talents can be promoted in mixed ability classes. In addition, social skills of all learners are promoted and self-concepts of the children are strengthened in joint classes. It is clear, that inclusion is not only an advantage for children with special educational needs, but that all children benefit from inclusive education.

    “There are the real fences well hidden in the hearts and minds of people. Tomorrow, I hope these fences are torn down, then our thoughts are set free - And so is life!”
    (Raphael Müller, 8 years old, a very special child)

    News from the Inclusion Department:

    School Development

    What does school development involve?

    The focus is on the well-being of the learners and their capability to act independently and maturely. The overall objective is the school's mission and the ability for autonomous, responsible action and decision.
    Society and co-existence is always changing and the demands on children and adolescents in a globalized society are becoming more challenging and complex. Emphasize cannot solely be on the impartation of knowledge, since knowledge is constantly changing.
    The intention is to teach skills to enable learners to solve problems. Schools need to meet these requirements.
    School development is a vibrant process that is never completed and therefore frequently requires new measures to be taken.

    Get an overview: PQM at the DHPS

    The Steering Committee

    The steering committee consists of representatives of all school committees: School management, school board, teachers, SRC, hostel, parents, section representatives, representatives of all working teams.

    Responsibilities of the Steering Committee:

    • Coordination of learning development
    • Continuation of the mission statement
    • Mentoring of work groups
    • Consultation and coordination of action plans
    • Initiation and supervision of evaluations
    • Implementation of measures

    Internal differentiation /Individualization

    At our school we have trained propagators of the issue of cooperative learning. Under their assistance, teachers are comprehensively trained for these forms of tuition.
    Objectives:
    • Individualized learning by cooperative learning methods
    • Skills oriented method concepts
    • Development of internal differentiation/skills oriented curricula

    Teacher´s trainings

    SchiLF/ReFo:
    Training is offered each year school internally, for the entire teaching staff (and partly also for the administration,) as well as regionally. This training contributes to the development and implementation of school development measures.

    PLG (Professional learning groups):
    At the DHPS, since 2010, so-called professional learning groups (PLGs) have been established. All colleagues are involved; they are organized in teams and deal with different topics.

    Evaluations

    BLI
    SEIS
    Inspection Visit
    IQES
    Peer Review

    Promotion of the German language

    Have a look at the department German as a foreign language.

    Extension of the feedback culture

    Objectives:
    • Transparency in the assessment of oral learner performance
    • Improvement of structured communication between learners and teachers in lessons
    • Extension of feedback culture regarding personnel development

    Social learning

    Motto days/day of kindness
    Peer Mediators
    School outings
    DHPS Interact Group
    Drug Prevention Group

    DHPS – Tools for School Development

    Evaluations and SchiLF (school-specific training seminars)

    Apart from regular school-specific training seminars (SchiLF-meetings), the findings of three SEIS+ studies (2006, 2007, 2013), one study by the Namibian Ministry of Education (2006), a Peer Review (2016) and the BLI 2017 serve as the basics for development at school.

    Based on these findings particular fields of attention could be identified leading to different measures which already have partially been implemented or still are being implemented:

    • Focus of Development: Methodological Competence
      Exemplary measures taken: Disseminators and training seminars for cooperative earning, multi-methodical composition of lessons through double periods, method curricula, method workshops
    • Focus of Development: Feedback Culture
      Exemplary measures taken: self-evaluation sheet for oral performance, joint lesson planning, cooperative lesson observation, lesson-correlated teaching teams, evaluations
    • Focus of Development: Individualization
      Exemplary measures taken: Increase cooperative learning concepts, integration of method concepts, individualized learning methods: open learning, study groups, the library as study center
    • Focus of Development: Media Literacy
      Exemplary measures taken:working with SMARTboards, training seminars with regard to technical and content related questions and topics, transforming the library into a media center
    • Focus of Development: Language competence German
      Exemplary measures taken: remedial concepts, New Grade 8 E, German language concepts (DaM/DaF).

    Continuous Implementation of the Mission Statement
    Teaching teams, cross-cultural grades, joint competitions, outings / school trips lasting several days (Rooisand) for team building in a complete grade, Bazaar, mediation programme, values education, prevention of addiction, environmental education by means of school trips (Nadeet), work experience, numerous special interest groups at school, independent learning.
    The mission statement is the basis of our educational programme which was adopted in 2021.

    SchiLF
    Every year so called SchiLF- training seminars are organized for all teachers (and for the administration at times) which contribute to the development and implementation of school development measures.

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