Berlin Bilingual School

What Berlin Bilingual School does

Berlin Bilingual School (legal entity: Berlin Bilingual School Pfefferwerk gGmbH) is a non-profit K-13 educational institution founded in 2007 in Berlin, Germany. It delivers bilingual German-English instruction across two campuses — a primary school (Grades 1-6) in Friedrichshain and a secondary school (Grades 7-13) in Pankow — culminating in the bilingual Abitur qualification. The school serves approximately 370-400 students drawn from over 30 nationalities, primarily German/English native-level speaking families and international expatriate households in Berlin. The core educational product combines the Berlin state curriculum (Berliner Lehrplan) with the English International Curriculum, supplemented by a Hort after-school care program, a Personal Development Curriculum covering social-emotional learning, and a Workshop Programme offering electives in sport, academics, and the arts.

The business model is built on income-based tuition fees set on a sliding scale (€50-440/month for primary, €100-513/month for secondary), with sibling discounts, subsidized places for families in need, gifted students, and refugee sponsorship. Additional fees are charged for school trips, teaching aids, and parental work contributions (4 hours/month or €15/hour alternative). The school holds a single Berlin market position and is supervised by the Senatsverwaltung für Bildung, Jugend und Familie. Its go-to-market is community-led: founded by expat parents, the school relies on word-of-mouth referrals, annual Open House events (September for primary, January for secondary), parent-organized tours, and organic social media presence.

The school is structured as a gGmbH (gemeinnützige GmbH) with two core partners: Pfefferwerk Stadtkultur gGmbH (a cultural nonprofit) and the Berlin Kids International parent association (BKIeV), which shares governance and holds a shareholder position. The school achieved notable academic outcomes with its first Abitur class graduating in 2019 with a 1.6 average grade (second best in Berlin), and has received the "Schule ohne Rassismus – Schule mit Courage" (2019) and "Umweltschule Europa" (2020) awards. It is the only school in Berlin offering Leistungskurs Art in English. The institution owns its secondary school building at Granitzstr. 38(A) (acquired December 2019, relocated October 2020 following renovation) and its primary school at Weinstraße 1 (renovated 2018).

Name

Berlin Bilingual School

Legal name

Berlin Bilingual School Pfefferwerk gGmbH

Website

https://berlin-bilingual-school.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Berlin Bilingual School is a non-profit K-13 educational institution in Berlin, Germany, delivering bilingual German-English instruction across primary and secondary campuses. Founded in 2007 by expat parents, it serves approximately 370-400 students from over 30 nationalities and operates under a gGmbH structure with Pfefferwerk Stadtkultur and a parent association.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Bilingual Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Language Immersion & Bilingual Private Schools (EDAJABAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

World Languages Instruction (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAJ)

Keywords

• Bilingual primary education
• Bilingual secondary education
• K-12 bilingual schooling
• Bilingual Abitur program
• After-school care programme

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition fees: Income-dependent tuition fees ranging from €100 to €513 per month for secondary school. Families with multiple children receive discounts. Additional fees for school trips, teaching aids, and parental work contributions are charged separately.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Berlin Bilingual School delivers bilingual (German/English) day-school education to native-level speaking students from Grade 1 through Grade 13, combining the Berlin curriculum with an English international curriculum and culminating in the bilingual Abitur. The school operates two campuses in Berlin (Primary School at Weinstraße in Friedrichshain, Secondary School at Granitzstraße in Pankow) and supplements core academics with a Hort after-school care programme, a Personal Development Curriculum, elective workshops, and a Summer Hort holiday care programme.

Product overview

Berlin Bilingual School offers a unified bilingual educational programme spanning primary (Grades 1-6) and secondary (Grades 7-13) education in German and English, culminating in the bilingual Abitur qualification. The core offering consists of the Primary School and Secondary School programmes, supplemented by the Hort after-school care programme, Personal Development Curriculum for social-emotional learning, Workshop Programme for enrichment electives, and admissions services. The school serves students from over 30 nationalities with an inclusive, community-based approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Primary School (Grades 1-6)
• Secondary School (Grades 7-13)
• Hort After-School Care Programme
• Summer Hort Holiday Care
• Secondary School Workshop Programme
• Admissions and Registration Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Second best Abitur average in Berlin with 1.6 grade point average
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• 2ally.meminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2019Berlin-based startup company specializing in eco-friendly merchandise with focus on individuality and style. Partnership established August 2019 to provide new merchandise/hoodies for secondary students. Students voted on colour and style, with items sold at school events.
• Pfefferwerk Stadtkultur gGmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007In 2007, founding parents joined with Pfefferwerk Stadtkultur gGmbH to establish the primary school. Pfefferwerk remains as one of two main partners in the Berlin Bilingual School Pfefferwerk gGmbH joint structure, contributing to governance alongside the parent association (BKIeV).
• Berlin Kids International (BKI) Parent AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent association that founded the school and serves as one of two shareholders of Berlin Bilingual School gGmbH. Responsible for maintaining the educational concept and supporting the school's mission statement. Association meetings are central for communicating school news and gathering member feedback.
• Senatsverwaltung für Bildung, Jugend und FamiliecoreOthersBerlin Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family serves as the supervisory authority for the school.
• Haus der StatistikminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation with initiatives at Haus der Statistik near Alexanderplatz. BBS established art exhibition at the venue and maintains ongoing contact for potential future expansion.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Strothoff International School: Private bilingual (German/English) school in the Rhine-Main area offering state-recognized qualifications; comparable in bilingual K-12 model though operating in a different German region.
• Berlin Metropolitan School (BMS): Private K-12 school in Berlin offering bilingual (German/English) instruction culminating in the German Abitur or IB Diploma; competes head-to-head with BBS for the same bilingual family segment in Berlin.
• Berlin Brandenburg International School (BBIS): Non-profit, English-medium international school serving K-12 in the Berlin-Brandenburg region; comparable to BBS in mission (international K-12 with state-recognized qualification), governance (non-profit), and target families.
• Berlin International School (BIS): Berlin-based private K-12 school offering bilingual and international education pathways; directly comparable to BBS in target market (Berlin expat and bilingual families), grade span, and tuition-based independent school model.
• Nelson Mandela School Berlin: Berlin-based bilingual (German/English) K-12 school with state-recognized Abitur; operates in the same bilingual K-12 segment as BBS and serves similar expat and internationally mobile families.
• Britannica International School (Berlin): Private English-medium international school in Berlin offering Cambridge/IB pathways; overlaps with BBS in target families (expat and bilingual households) while offering a non-Abitur alternative.
• GISB (German International School Berlin): Private K-12 bilingual (German/English) school in Berlin delivering the Abitur with English-language instruction; directly comparable in curriculum mix, target audience, and tuition-funded business model.

Regional players

• École Voltaire Berlin: French-German bilingual school in Berlin serving Francophone and bilingual families; relevant bilingual peer in the same city, with a different second-language pairing (French vs. BBS's English).

Others

• Pfefferwerk Stadtkultur gGmbH: Non-profit cultural organization and BBS's parent partner/governance shareholder; comparable as an ecosystem partner rather than competitor, providing governance and operational infrastructure for BBS.

Broad incumbents

• Phorms Education (Berlin campus): Multi-site German operator of bilingual (German/English) schools across Germany; comparable in pedagogical approach and target families, but operates a broader portfolio beyond BBS's single-city footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/berlinbilingual
• Instagraminstagram.com/berlinbilingualschool
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzJ9vhS8B7x0v1xZGRpQJ3w
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berlin-bilingual-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Berlin Bilingual School