The German School System
Moving to Stuttgart with school-age kids? Don’t worry, they will have plenty of great schooling options.
On U.S. military or DoD orders? Start with the School Liaison Office (School Support Services, Patch Barracks). It helps with DoDEA eligibility, the school zones and local or international options. The three DoDEA elementary schools are zoned by where you live, and a child may first attend the school zoned for temporary quarters, so ask before you choose where to stay. Details on the MWR public schools page and in our PCS step by step guide. Source: Stuttgart MWR: Public Schools. Checked: Nov 2026
Since each Bundesland is responsible for the education within the state, there are regional differences across Germany. We will focus on Stuttgart and Baden-Württemberg in this article, although much of it applies nationwide.
School Year
The school year in Germany is long but broken up with several school breaks of considerable length. The school calendars in the different states are deliberately set on a staggered schedule so as to avoid too many people traveling at the same time, particularly during the summer vacation.
The school year in Baden-Württemberg starts in mid-September and continues until near the end of July. There are five school breaks, in addition to the occasional state or national holiday.
1. Herbstferien, fall vacation: one week
2. Weihnachtsferien, Christmas vacation: two weeks
3. Osterferien, Easter vacation: one to two weeks (2027: March 30 to April 3)
4. Pfingstferien, Whitsun vacation: two weeks
5. Sommerferien, summer vacation: six weeks
The exact dates and lengths change every year, so check the Baden-Württemberg school holiday calendar (checked Nov 2026).
It is important to be aware that German schools take truancy very seriously. It is possible to apply for an exemption to take your children out of school before the start of a school vacation by submitting a request to the school’s principal. Attendance is otherwise compulsory. Parents who take their children out of school to travel during the school term can be issued fines of up to 1,000 Euro!
Kita: Daycare and Kindergarten
Kita is a shortened version of the word Kindertagesstätte, which refers to anywhere you bring your kids for care during the day. The three main possibilities for children 6 and under are the Krippe (nursery), Kindergarten (pre-school and kindergarten), and Tagesmütter (home daycare providers). For parents who need it, it’s also possible to find daycare for older children for times outside the school day.
Krippe: Nursery
Babies and children up to 3 years of age may go to a Krippe. From age one, every child in Germany has a legal right to early childhood care, either in a daycare facility or with a home daycare provider (this does not guarantee a place in a particular nursery). Nurseries may offer either half-day or all-day care and there are both public and private options. You can find information about Krippe in Stuttgart.
Kindergarten
The German idea of kindergarten is quite different from the American first year of primary school. It is a play-based approach to socializing and learning, far more similar to American pre-school or British nursery school. German children often attend kindergarten from ages 3 to 6, but attendance is voluntary. There are both public and private kindergartens which may run half-day, all-day or have options for both, and fees vary widely.
Many kindergartens follow a particular education approach, such as Montessori or Waldorf. Children have a lot of freedom to create their own play and games. Forest kindergartens called Waldkindergarten or Naturkindergarten are also well established in Baden-Württemberg. Children spend most of the day outdoors, only occasionally coming into a small building to make use of the facilities or shelter from particularly cold weather.
Tagesmütter
Literally “Day Mother,” a Tagesmutter (or the modern male equivalent, a Tagesvater) is a professional home daycare provider who offers childcare for a small number of children, usually within their own home. Parents may opt for a Tagesmutter in various situations, including:
– if they want to give their child more of a family environment, with fewer children per adult.
– if they were unable to secure a spot for their child in the Krippe or Kindergarten.
– if they need only a reduced schedule of care, for example fewer hours in a day or only on certain days per week.
– if they need someone to mind their children after the regular school hours.
The Caritas Association Stuttgart offers a wealth of information about finding and selecting a trustworthy Tagesmutter in Stuttgart.
Public Resources
The city of Stuttgart offers a variety of resources to help you find a place for your child, including a central registration as well as information on different centers.
For city-run (municipal) Kitas, the city now gives out free places all year round through its online Kita-Portal, using a points system; for example, living in the district of the Kita you want earns points (City of Stuttgart, page dated November 2, 2026, checked Nov 2026). You can use the city’s website to look up the various daycare and pre-school options in your area. Independent and church-run Kitas have their own registration, so contact them directly.
The following webpages offer useful information and access to services in Stuttgart (in German).
Overview of Kindertagesstätten
Step-by-step guide to registration
Information about the cost of municipal centers
School
There are two main stages of schooling in Germany. Elementary school, or Grundschule, lasts for four years. Students then attend one of three types of secondary school: Hauptschule, Realschule, or Gymnasium, which differ in length and curricula. There are also Gemeinschaftsschulen which combine the three in one. Most schools are public, but there are private options as well.
Grundschule
Elementary schools in Stuttgart start at age 6 and run from Grades 1 to 4. Teachers have a lengthy training and high degree of pedagogy, so you can expect your child to receive a quality education. Some schools offer support for students learning German as a second language.
At the end of Grade 4, teachers give a recommendation for students to attend a Hauptschule, Realschule, or Gymnasium. This recommendation is based on the child’s academic achievement, aptitude in various areas, and their level of confidence and independence. For the Gymnasium, the recommendation is binding again in Baden-Württemberg: besides the parents’ wish, either the teachers’ overall assessment or the result of the Kompass 4 test in grade 4 must point to the Gymnasium; otherwise the child can take a statewide Potenzialtest, which decides. For the other school types, parents can still choose.
Hauptschule
Hauptschule lasts only five years, ending after Grade 9. The Hauptschulabschluss is the lowest diploma in Germany and generally leads to a combined apprenticeship and part-time enrollment in a vocational school. Academic subjects are taught at a slower pace and vocational courses are also offered.
Realschule
Realschule lasts for six years, from Grades 5 to 10, and leads to a diploma called the Realschulabschluss or Mittlere Reife. It is intended to prepare students for technical and administrative careers, so most students go on to some kind of vocational schooling. The usual academic subjects are complemented by technical classes of various kinds. It is possible for students with high academic achievement at the Realschule to move up to a Gymnasium and go on to university.
Gymnasium
Gymnasium is the most difficult secondary school option. Since the 2025/26 school year, Baden-Württemberg has returned to the nine-year Gymnasium (G9): students starting now study from grades 5 to 13 to earn a diploma called the Abitur (older year groups still finish after grade 12). It is intended to prepare students for university study and thus has a wider range of academic classes to choose from within the subjects of math, natural sciences, social sciences, geography, history, literature, languages, music, and art. In the last two years (Kursstufe), students choose three main subjects (Leistungsfächer), each taught five hours a week; two of them must be German, math, a foreign language or a natural science. Other subjects (Basisfächer) are taught for fewer hours. All subjects are examined in writing at least every six months. The Abitur consists of written exams in all three main subjects and two oral exams.
International School of Stuttgart
The International School of Stuttgart (ISS) is a non-profit institution that offers education to students ages 3 to 18. It is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and recognized by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Education. It has two campuses, one in Degerloch and one in Sindelfingen, although only the Degerloch campus serves students beyond grade 10. The school year runs from the last week of August until the end of June.
The student and teacher populations of ISS are multicultural and multinational. Instruction is primarily in English, although German is also taught at all levels and additional foreign language courses are also offered. ISS has been acknowledged for its STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) initiative.
US Department of Defense Schools
There are five Department of Defense Dependents schools in Stuttgart: three elementary schools (Patch Elementary, Robinson Barracks Elementary and Stuttgart Elementary), one middle school (at Patch Barracks) and one high school (at Panzer Kaserne). The Stuttgart region is divided into three zones to determine which elementary school students will attend (see the current SY26-27 school zone map on the MWR public schools page; check your address with the School Liaison Office), and buses shuttle students residing off base to and from school.
The school year starts in mid-August and ends in early June, with about two weeks off over Christmas and New Year and a one-week spring break around Easter. Check the DoDEA Europe calendar for exact dates. Incoming families can register their children for school at any time.
The schools are accredited by Cognia and follow the standard Department of Defense Education Activity curriculum. The schools offer a variety of extracurricular programs in addition to programs for gifted students and those with special needs, with details available from the USAG Stuttgart School Liaison Officer.