ONBOARDING FOR BBIS PRINCIPALS

Organisational Chart

BBIS Campus Map

Staff Guidance Handbook

Your Personio account provides essential information that you should review carefully. It also displays the organisational structure of the Primary School Section, giving you a clear overview of your teams.

• Your Personio Account: Start here for all your standard HR information. Read carefully.
• P&C Newsletter: Stay updated with regular P&C newsletters. Read the latest here.
• BBIS Staff Guidance Handbook: The main reference for BBIS policies, campus info, school sections, departments, and resources. Find policies under “BBIS on Campus”.

Key Meetings and Communications:

• Annual Staff Assembly: CEO’s outlook and annual plans at the start of the year.
• Works Council Meetings: Quarterly meetings for all staff; contact the Works Council in House 4 (Boarding House), Level 4, room 4435 or via betriebsrat@bbis.de.
  Newsletters can be found in the staff handbook under the heading “BBIS on Campus” / “Works Council”. https://sites.google.com/bbis.de/works-council-betriebsrat/works-council-betriebsrat
• Supervisory Board Updates: Key decisions communicated via e-mail from the Director of Marketing, Admissions, and Communications after each meeting.

Whole School E-mail Guidelines:
Please familiarise yourself with our Communication Guidelines for sending school-wide e-mails.

Mission:

We are your supportive partner….

• for all aspects in your employment
• in employment-related matters with the authorities
• in providing clarity and transparency around BBIS systems and processes
• for trustworthy and sensitive issues

Scope of Service:

For all your enquiries please contact support.hr@bbis.de.

Front Office Team supports you with regards to

• Use of Personio in your role as staff member and hiring manager
• Getting-settled matters
• Onboarding and offboarding topics

Back Office Team supports you with regards to

• Employment matters with authorities (prolongation of residence titles, pension etc.)
• Your own employment matters
• General questions around staff employment
• Salary scales
• Personio processing (how to release days off etc.),
• Works Council questions

P & C Project Coordinator is responsible for

• Implementation of HR-related projects
• Personnel requirements from the authorities
• Researching HR policy issues

Your main point of contact: Chief People Culture Officer (CPCO) for trustworthy and sensitive issues.

For all your enquiries please contact support.finance@bbis.de.

Travel & Purchasing-related services are:

• Travel Booking
• Booking of PD
• Purchases for school supplies, not personal purchases or capital items

Please note: Capital Items need to be approved by CFO/CEO beforehand.

For purchasing enquiries please use the following contact details: support.purchase@bbis.de.

Accounting-related services are:

• Processing & settlement of invoices from external suppliers / service providers (ECA Business etc.)
• Accounts receivable – invoicing to parents (School&Boarding fees, class trips a.s.o.)
• Technical support for SAP/CKS (CKS is an approval system for invoices)
• Monthly reporting to budget with detailed account information

For the clarification of invoices received please use the following contact details: admin.finance@bbis.de.

If you are to receive external invoices please forward them to: invoice@bbis.de From there, all invoices are automatically pulled into SAP-Processing.

Your main contact: Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for umbrella topics like budget management etc.

Marketing (nadine.ingerson@bbis.de)

• Brand Collateral: Creates all branded materials (profiles, brochures, posters, etc.) and ensures adherence to style guidelines.
• Signage & Clothing: Designs campus signage and branded clothing; procures branded giveaways.
• Brand Consistency: Ensures correct usage of logo, school colours, and brand elements.
• Yearbook: Collaborates on the school yearbook.
• Approval: Director of Marketing, Communication and Admissions signs off on all branded items.

Communications (nadine.ingerson@bbis.de)

• Newsletter: Designs, creates, and distributes the monthly school newsletter.
• Website: Manages content and updates for the BBIS website.
• Social Media: Oversees all BBIS social channels and content.
• Media Production: Coordinates photos/videos for marketing in line with brand.
• Alumni: Manages BBIS Alumni platform and communication.
• Guidelines: Develops communication and brand guidelines.
• Approval: Director of Marketing, Communication and Admissions is responsible for sign-offs.

Admissions (admissions@bbis.de)

• Tours: Provides school tours to prospective families.
• Documentation: Issues required certificates and family member campus cards.
• Student Data: Collects and manages contact info, photo permissions, and prepares student files.
• Deregistration: Manages student departures.
• Placement: Student enrolment/placement decided by leadership team; admissions team handles process

Your main point of contact: Director of Marketing, Communication and Admissions for all questions arising.

For all your enquiries regarding the following topics please contact fm-support@bbis.de.

• Car Park Management
• Technical maintenance of buildings
• Cleaning
• Re-move equipment / assembly of furniture

Campus Security (Access Control) is a top priority at BBIS. The Head of Technical Administration is responsible for the Security on campus. For all requests please contact him directly.

Main services – responsible Safety Advisor and FM staff member:

• Key and ID Card Management (Access to School Sections)
• Administration of locker codes for students
• Administration and distribution of Codes for staff mail boxes
• Bridging communication with Katerine GmbH (catering operations)
• Administers log-in for i-Net Menu

For the above mentioned enquiries please contact heike.lang-jock@bbis.de

Your main contact: Chief Operation Officer (COO) for topics like FM budget management, campus security and development, room planning and documentation, request for changes of purpose in using school spaces, etc.

Events are planned and organised exclusively by the event coordinator. This role liaises with all functions in the school that are relevant to the event.

For event planning, please contact: event.request@bbis.de FM Hausmeister-Team will only assist on request from the event coordinator.

For all your enquiries please contact support.it@bbis.de.

Main services:

First Level Support:

• Resetting Passwords or general Application support for school platforms like iSAMS, ManageBac, Schoolbuddy, Seesaw
• Any kind of Software related questions
• Replacing Power supplies for iPads/iPhones
• Replacing Accessories like headphones, keyboards, mouses
• Technical support for meetings

Hardware requests

• Apple MacBook per Teacher
• Windows Laptop or Intel PC per admin staff
• Request for iPhone
• Request for iPad

Software requests

• Applications
• Apps
• Subscriptions

Organisational requests:
Events are planned and organised exclusively by the event coordinator. This role liaises with all functions in the school that are relevant to the event.

For enquiries regarding event planning please contact: event.request@bbis.de.

Your main point of contact: Head of IT for all questions arising.

In the following you will find an overview about the main school platforms and systems in use.

The school platforms are administratively managed by an external service provider. In case of technical issues you please reach out to: support.schoolplatforms@bbis.de (in addition a message is automatically forwarded to our in-house IT department).

When it comes to questions and support with regard to pedagogical issues the Director of Technology is your first point of contact.

In the staff guidance book, under “BBIS on Campus”/”Educational Technology” you will find detailed information about the core school platforms, data protection guidelines as well as tutorials and other knowledge-based information on the use of software used at BBIS.

BBIS also offers regular training that is conducted and/or coordinated by the Director of Technology.

The following provides you with a short overview of the systems and to what extent they are used in Primary School and BBIS.

iSAMS

iSAMS offers integration with ManageBac and OpenApply. Basic data of parents and students are already entered by the Admissions Department so that all relevant sections (Secondary School, Primary School and Early Education, BBIS Boarding, Admissions, IT, and some admin staff members) have access to the basic data.

However, iSAMS with its additional features is used differently in the school sections. Whereas Secondary School is in full use of iSAMS and features (Attendance, Timetabling, Cover Manager), Primary School Office is practicing some topics differently:

Student Attendance: Primary School Office uses iSAMS.

Timetables Primary School: Timetables for home teachers are drawn up for certain subjects (German, art, music, sport, mother tongue), but Google Sheets are also used to share timetables for all other subjects.

Timetables Early Education: Google Sheets are in use.

ManageBac

The platform is accessible for students, parents and teachers to manage and share important information and resources for the classroom.

Primary School uses ManageBac for the creation of student reports; parents can automatically retrieve the reports there.

OpenApply

OpenApply is used for the admission of students. A payment system is integrated so that parents can pay the service fee for the initial application cashless. As already mentioned, the key data of the families are automatically transferred to iSAMS and ManageBac.

Cover Manager

Cover Manager is used in Secondary School for the substitution of sick faculty members.

The Primary School office still prefers to work with google sheets.

School‘s Buddy

It is used for the booking of time slots for parent-teacher conferences (PTC) by parents and for the booking of extra-curricular activities (ECA) by parents for which a fee is charged. Invoicing for extracurricular activities takes place automatically via the tool and Finance Department.

PYP Office tracks ECA activities in Primary School regularly. There is an extra google sheet to share students’ ECA attendance with the respective functions: ECA Coordinator, Room Booking and Contracts with FM Team.

Seesaw

Seesaw is a digital learning platform that has been specially developed for pre-school and primary school pupils. It enables teachers, students and parents to collaborate and communicate with each other. Seesaw combines teaching tools, portfolios, and inclusive communication features to facilitate learning.

Personio

It is an HR centre data base and recruiting tool.

The CEO, Management Board and the Pedagogical Leadership Team are involved in the recruitment process and are obliged to follow the recruiting process, this also applies to the management of staff absences.

SAP

In use for the processing of invoices and invoice approval via CKS system. All budget responsible functions (Executive Board, Management Team) are obliged to approve the invoices within CKS-System.

Welcome You

All BBIS guests must be registered via ‘Welcome You’. The registration is picked up by the ‘Reception Team’. You will be informed of your guest's arrival on the day of their visit.

I-NET Menue

BBIS offers a lunch payment system. All employees can use their own ID card to place individual orders and make cancellations in the Cafeteria in House 2 Level 2 and in the Café. The FM Team sends all new employees information on how to use the system.

BBIS Bookmarks

Some of the tools mentioned are also listed as BBIS bookmarks in Google Chrome.

Maintenance of e-mail mailing lists at BBIS

There are also a number of mailing lists that are maintained manually by the respective departments.

BBIS currently offers a standard process when it comes to the onboarding of new staff. New e-mail is entered in Personio and thus automatically ends up in the large whole school mailing list. The whole school mailing list is the basis for the Primary School mailing list.

Basically, Principal’s e-mails are added to the following mailing lists:

• Whole.school@bbis.de
• Admin.all@bbis.de
• primary@bbis.de

BBIS Telephone List

PYP Digital Hub

How to initiate processes in your role as staff member

How to initiate processes in your role as principal

Reporting Data Breaches

If you become aware of a data protection breach, please report it directly to the Head of IT and Director of Technology.

• They will investigate the matter and consult with our external data protection advisor (to be contacted only by them).
• Results are discussed with the CEO to determine if escalation to Brandenburg authorities is required.

Professional Development Process

• Policy 5001: View Policy
• Application Template: Download Template

According to Article 7 of the Basic Law (state constitution), the school system is the responsibility of the state. The right to establish public and private schools is guaranteed.

As the cultural sovereignty of the federal states means that responsibility for the school and higher education system in Germany lies with the federal states, they can organise and designate the education system differently. Due to their cultural sovereignty, they are responsible for the implementation, supervision, organisation and financing of the school system, which is done via the school laws and school regulations as well as the curricula and syllabuses of the federal states.

BBIS Berlin Brandenburg International School GmbH is an authorised replacement school in Grades 1 to 10 (Genehmigte Ersatzschule in den Klassen 1-10) and receives state funding. BBIS also receives subsidies for the age groups 3 to 6 years (Kindergarten). Receipt is subject to certain conditions.

We do not receive any subsidies for Grades 11 and 12, as these classes are only recognised but are not authorised in the German system.

In cooperation with the School Director (CEO), the Finance Department allocates the subsidies for the whole school.

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MBJS) is the supreme authority for all educational institutions. It approves them and is also entitled to inspect them.

The number of children to be cared for in the kindergarten may not exceed 78 (72). The number is calculated based on the play area for each child. This can be found in the MBJS operating license (Betriebsgenehmigung).
 

School Law State of Brandenburg: https://bravors.brandenburg.de/gesetze/bbgschulg

Staff Ordinance (Early Education): https://bravors.brandenburg.de/verordnungen/kitapersv

In addition to the employment contract, you will find a description of all responsibilities here:

Ensure the BBIS mission and vision is supported and maintained by the best possible development, implementation and delivery of curricular, extra-curricular, and social and emotional learning,

Create a climate and culture that is learning focussed, reflective, values relationships and collaboration, is internationally-minded, models global citizenship, and values professional accountability,

Develop rich collaborative relationships with students, staff, and parents through meetings, assemblies, focus groups, small group meetings, and other forums, building strong, supportive, solutions-focussed teams,

Lead learning programmes in the relevant section, overseeing, guiding and supporting Curriculum Coordinators and other pedagogical leaders, instructional coaches and faculty,

Ensure consistency and alignment of curriculum, assessment and reporting through cyclical review and curriculum mapping, while using a detailed knowledge of the latest research in pedagogy, assessment and reporting,

Implement and lead the utilization of systems to collect and analyse student data, and lead processes that ensure that data analysis contributes to school improvement planning and the improvement of student learning outcomes,

Work closely with the Head of Student Support Services to ensure learning support, English as an additional language, counselling, college counselling and careers guidance meets the learning needs of students, and that child safeguarding is priority,

Responsibility for a school schedule that maximizes optimal student learning in all areas,

Responsibility for ensuring the organisation of internal and external assessments, including the requirement that all guidelines and best practices are rigorously observed,

Practice and lead positive student behaviour management procedures,

Lead school improvement processes in the relevant section, overseeing, guiding and supporting the Curriculum Coordinator and other pedagogical leaders, instructional coaches and faculty,

Contribute to the planning and implementation of school-wide school improvement plans, and provide guidance and support to the Accreditation Coordinator and Curriculum Coordinators in accreditation and programme evaluation,

Ensure that relevant stakeholders are kept informed with up-to-date handbooks and publications, newsletters and briefings, information released by the IB, parent and student,, information sessions, and individual counselling and advice for students and parents,

Collaborate with the Admissions Office regularly to support prospective and incoming families through the admissions process, and make recommendations for student admissions,

Supervise and evaluate staff while providing constructive feedback on teaching and learning,

Propose staffing changes and work with the Leadership Team and Human Resources on staff recruitment and recruitment processes,

Collaboratively plan new staff orientation programmes and professional development with the Leadership Team, identifying needs and opportunities, providing approval to requests for training, and ensuring that accurate records are kept,

Prepare the annual budget proposal for the relevant section and manage the budgets approved,

Effectively communicate with various constituencies,

Lead a vision for EdTech integration and ensure the effective use of technology to extend the student learning environment, increase teacher productivity, and provide excellent opportunities for 21st Century learning,

Lead Instructional Assistants to maximize student learning,

Work collaboratively with other divisions to best serve our Early Elementary to Grade 12 students,

Keep the Director regularly informed of critical and strategic matters,

Prepare annual reports for Managing Directors and the Board,

Perform other duties as assigned by the Director.

Your appraisal and set of key performance indicators:

Basically, the process for setting your annual goals is the same as for all staff. In addition, medium-term and long-term strategic goals are set for Primary and Early Education.

Annual targets for the respective functions at the school are reflected in staff appraisal meetings in autumn and spring: usually in the month of September, the annual targets for the school year that has begun are set and in spring the degree of achievement is discussed.

Previous appraisals can be viewed in a meeting with CPCO on request.

BBIS Teaching Appraisal Policy

Administrative Appraisal Form

Faculty Appraisal Form

During the in-service training Human Resources Team will present all the types of absences which are to be considered when it comes to application and authorisation of staff requests. You will find a presentation “P&C introduction and Absences” on the landing page of your Personio Account.

Further support is provided by the P&C Back Office.

Contract Amendments

The competence of principal does not cover modifications of parts of employment contracts. Please beware of the fact that if you regard modification, supplements or wishes of modifications as necessary feel free to contact your Supervisor and People & Culture Department.

If it is necessary to assign a different combination of academics for a teacher, please refer to the People & Culture Department first so they can check if the relevant teacher has the permission to teach the new specific academic.

In case of part-time requests please also reach out to P&C.

Any additional agreements (such as secondary employment) must be put in writing in cooperation with the P&C department and signed by both the employer and the employee.

Commencement of Work

According to German Labor Law, prospective employees may only start work once their employment contract has been signed by the management and the new employee in the P&C department.

If the employment contract is not signed until after the employee has started work, it can be considered legally permanent.

Termination of Work Contracts by the Employer

CEO and P&C Team are your first point of contact to share the relevant details. There may be the need or request to include Works Council at some stage.

After clarification, P&C will arrange for the letter which has to be signed by Management, CEO and COO.

The exit interview is conducted by the CPCO and its purpose is to obtain general, forward-oriented feedback.

Should a staff member ask for a work certificate or a letter of reference, HR will take the necessary steps.

Termination of Work Contracts by the Staff Member

Staff members shall send their signed notice of cancellation (for the next possible date) to support.people@bbis.de. Back Office will take over and follow-up and confirm the termination.

The next steps (exit interview and reference letters) are initiated by HR and are as described above.

Issue official Work Certificate for Administrative Staff

According to German law only the employer, who is represented by the management, is authorised to issue work certificates and similar documents for the employees.

Should an employee ask for a work certificate, please refer him to the People & Culture Department and they will then take the necessary steps.

Usually, work certificates are mainly issued for administrative staff.

Issue Letters of Reference for Faculty Staff

Please make absolutely sure that it becomes obvious to the reader that you are expressing your personal opinion about the employee and are not giving an official statement on behalf of the school or the school management.

Therefore, please do not use official school stationary and the reference should only be signed with your name.

Details regarding your position within the school should only be mentioned within the text as otherwise one could get the impression that it is an official certificate of employment according to German law.

Reference Requests for Faculty Members

BBIS has paid increased attention to recruiting staff who meet the same safety standards in order to provide our children with a safe environment.

For this reason, BBIS performs multi-level safety checks throughout the recruitment process. There are also official requirements, such as measles immunization, without which employment at our school is not possible.

BBIS also records all extended police clearance certificates from the last work stations and a current one from Germany every three years. Principals must obtain references prior to any employment. BBIS will simplify this process in the near future, as P&C will centralize the request for references. HR will provide an update on the process as soon as it is ready.

Core Recruitment Commitments

BBIS Berlin Brandenburg International School is committed to child protection and safeguarding. Prior to the appointment of all staff and volunteers, appropriate background checks are carried out to confirm the candidate’s identity, medical fitness, right to work in the country, previous employment history, professional and character references, qualifications and experience. This information will be taken into account in determining whether their appointment will be confirmed.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Anti-Racism

In line with our mission, inclusion stands in the centre of our core values at BBIS to inspire everyone in our learning community to be responsible, compassionate global citizens. As such, we encourage applications for all positions from all educators with the relevant certification, including those who identify as BIPOC, educators with (dis)abilities, LGBTQ+ educators, and those traditionally underrepresented in the international school community to apply to join BBIS.

Recruitment Process

Recruiting and advertising is managed by the HR Front Office.

In your role as an active recruiter, you have been granted administrative rights to carry out the most important steps in Personio.

You will receive further support from the P&C Front Office as part of an induction.

Salary and Payment System

Here is a brief overview of the salaries and payments made during the year:

• Salary according to salary table: group classification once at hiring, afterwards salary adjustments through COLA/SIO, salary tables not applicable anymore due to increases in percentages.
• Salary adjustments COLA (cost of living adjustment) = In accordance to the works agreement, percentage adjustment based on the consumer price index with effect from August 1 each year.
• Salary adjustments COLA (cost of living adjustment) = In accordance to the works agreement, percentage adjustment based on the consumer price index with effect from August 1 each year.
• Annual rewards such as November bonus = depending on the school's economic surplus and only for eligible employees according to works agreement. During the last years around 200 EUR gross.
• Additional compensation for:
  • Positions of Responsibility (POR) = between 1.000 and 6.000 EUR/school year depending from position,
  • Next application period for SYs 2026-28 in November 2025 possible,
  • Extra-Curriculum Activities (ECA) = 25 EUR/h and 125 EUR/day i.e. excursion
  • Student supervisory projects (Extended essay and Personal projects) = 100 EUR/student
  • Class trips = 50 EUR/week day and 100 EUR/weekend day for participating staff and + extra 100 EUR/a day for trip leaders (not for one day trip)

Payment Cycles

• Salary and POR payment legally must be paid until the last day of month
• ECA payment in 3 terms (with payroll end of December, April and July)
• Class trips and other reimbursements submitted to P&C until the 10th of a month will compensated in the same month, documents submitted later by the end of the following month
• SIO and salary adjustment, always effective from August 1st
• November bonus (dependent on economic surplus and only for eligible employees in accordance with the works agreement) will be paid with payroll end of November
• Relocation allowance will be transferred at the end of this month with the August salary
• All payslips in Personio

Staff Planning and Duties in Early Education

According to the Brandenburg state regulation, the MBJS must be notified once a year of the full number of staff employed and quarterly during the school year.

Staff deployment is linked to personnel cost subsidies, which must be applied quarterly based on the current number of staff and the number of children in care.

It is therefore essential to keep a staff deployment list together with HR (previously there were two separate lists). This entails the following obligations:

Any changes in the staffing of roles and additional deployment of teachers for supplementary project plans must be entered there.

P&C Project Coordinator will introduce you further into the subject (1:1 meeting session and presentation) - guidance on regular basis by P&C.

Staff Planning for Grades 1 to 5
Personnel requirements planning and personnel resource planning for the school divisions are carried out in collaboration with the CEO and CPCO.

Relevant plan variables include the ratio of students to teachers, the salary levels and the derivation of the budget structure in the respective school year.

Planning meetings for the following school year are usually scheduled in the autumn/winter of each year.

Planning of Positions of Special Responsibilities (POR)

POR positions are usually advertised every two years.

The advertisement for the positions for the 2026/2027 school year begins in November 2025.

Here are shortcuts to the current whole school assignment and a description list showing remuneration and hours of work for the respective role.

POR Assignments
POR Description List

Campus time for teachers is usually

• Monday/Wednesday/Friday 8 am to 3 pm and Tuesday/Thursday 8 am to 4:30 pm

Full-time teachers have 1200 minutes of "contact time" per week with students for e.g. lessons, homework, supervisions, substitution for absent colleagues. The remaining time is flexible working time for meetings, planning, marking, and can be managed outside of campus time.

• School assistants: Up to now, the rule has been that School Assistants start work a little earlier than teachers, i.e. at 7:45 a.m. (Agreement for Working Hours for School Assistants)

Work scheduling for school assistants is one of the most important tasks to do at the beginning of school-year.

The working schedule shall be drawn up for one school year and shall include an overview of the start and finish of daily working hours as well as the time and duration of breaks.

The employer shall provide the Works Council with an early draft of the working schedule on the Monday of the last school week before the summer holidays. This early draft shall be treated as confidential by the Works Council as there are likely to be many changes made to it during the summer holidays. School assistants should not expect to have a fixed work schedule on this basis.

Three days before the start of school the Works Council shall receive a final draft of the duty roster for the purposes of co-determination.

If the Work Council does not write to the Employer setting out the reasons why it does not agree with the final draft within three days of receipt, the working schedule shall be deemed to have been agreed for the relevant school year.

Principle aspects of working hours:

The standard working hours for full-time employees is 40 hours per week. Part-time employment contracts are also possible.

Up to now, the rule has been that School Assistants start work a little earlier than teachers, i.e. at 7:45 a.m. However, different arrangements may be made within the framework of company agreements. This must be done in consultation with the school principal.

The daily working hours to be worked within the currently agreed framework times of 6.00 am to 10.00 pm are determined by the working schedule set by the employer, agreed with the Works Council and jointly adopted by both parties.
 

Please also take note of further principles when setting up the new schedule.

The People & Culture department concludes framework contracts with substitute teachers for the temporary replacement of permanent staff at the request of the school divisions. The recruitment of substitute staff is standardised via Personio.

If substitute teachers are deployed, a daily contract must be signed before the actual work assignment. The PYP Office has been authorised to conclude these daily employment contracts with the temporary teacher. It is obliged to document the hours worked at the end of the day and have them signed by the substitute teacher after the assignment has been completed. The hours are always invoiced on the 15th of the month.

For this purpose, both templates with original signatures (daily employment contract and hours documentation) must be sent by the PYP Office to the P&C department.

It is essential to note that the conclusion of daily employment contracts with temporary staff is only possible once the framework contract has been signed by the management and the employee.

Employees on sick leave are not allowed to come to work or work from home for BBIS during their sick days, as this is against the employer's duty of care towards the employee. If an employee recovers more quickly, the employee must provide a doctor's confirmation in the form of a cancellation of the sick leave.

If the Nurse Office is not occupied, the school secretaries are available to look after the children. If medical care is required, first aiders are involved or the emergency medical service is called.

The school trips take place regularly in the fall and spring. Next date: September 29 to October 2.

Class trips are part of the school curriculum. If a student is sick, a sick note is required. If a student is unable to attend for other personal reasons, the student must attend substitute lessons for the duration of the class trip.

The role of Class Trip Coordinator was introduced last year. It is advisable to hold a kick-off meeting with the Class Trip Coordinator and the PYP Office to discuss the distribution of tasks for the orderly organization of class trips.

Please note: If a parent takes part in school trips as accompanying person, it must be ensured that a current certificate of good conduct and a valid measles immunity certificate (born from 1970) are presented before the school trip takes place.

More details: Policy 6200

Home Room Teacher distributes the unsigned permission slips to the class. The permission slips signed by the parents are collected in the PYP office and forwarded to the nurse office: the nurse team checks the permission slips for information on the students' medical needs and contact the parents before the trip if necessary.

Please see staff handbook under “BBIS on Campus”/Permission Forms/Trip Forms

Please note: If changes or additional forms are required for any reason please be aware that all forms in use at BBIS are based on the legal principles of the State of Brandenburg and/or Germany. Changes to forms in use or the creation of new forms must be proposed to the management and must be legally reviewed before they are sent to our parents, students, employees, etc.

Student Attendance:

Parents submit their leave requests for their children directly via iSAMS. Those requests are automatically forwarded to the PYP office (pyp.office@bbis.de) and the respective Homeroom Teacher.

If the parents' excuse for their child meets the conditions for a sick note, the PYP Office has the authorization to approve the request. If the reason for the leave request is that, for example, the parents want to leave Germany early for the summer vacation, the PYP office will forward this to the Principle so that the Principle can clarify directly with the Parents.

PYP office is tracking ECA activities in Primary School regularly. There is an extra google sheet to share students’ ECA attendance with the respective functions: ECA Coordinator, Room Booking and Contracts with FM Team.

The main person responsible is the Activities Coordinator.

More information in the Staff Guidance Handbook under “BBIS ECAs”

Additional Information:

In Germany, compulsory schooling is regulated in the individual state constitutions due to the cultural sovereignty of the federal states. The federal states are authorised to do so by the Basic Law. Art. 7 Ab

In Germany, all children and young people who have their main residence in the country are legally required to attend school. The most important points about compulsory schooling are

Start: Compulsory schooling usually begins in the year in which a child reaches the age of six.

Duration: Full-time compulsory schooling (general compulsory schooling) usually lasts nine years, in some federal states such as Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen and Thuringia ten years. Full-time compulsory schooling is followed by compulsory vocational schooling (part-time compulsory schooling), which usually lasts a further three years if the child is no longer attending a general school.

Obligation: During this time, children and young people must attend school and take part in lessons and school events. Parents are also obliged to ensure that their children attend school regularly.

Rights and duties: Compulsory school attendance is associated with the right to education, but also with the obligation to attend classes regularly and punctually. Violations of compulsory school attendance can lead to educational measures, fines or, in serious cases, even imprisonment.

The responsible school authority is based in the state of Brandenburg. The visit of the school inspector usually takes place once a year between March and May. It is prepared in good time by the P&C Back Office team and the principal is involved in the details through preliminary discussions with the P&C Back Office team. The aim is to get to know the current management of the respective school area and to observe the teaching of new teachers. This is followed by a final meeting with the P&C department, which receives the general feedback from the school inspector.

In connection with this policy, there is a Code of Conduct for employees, a Peer Abuse Guide and Boarding School Guidelines which are continually updated.

Link to BBIS Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy

Data protection is a fundamental right embedded in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has been the central data protection law in the EU since 2018 and regulates the processing of personal data.

The Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG) supplements the GDPR in Germany and contains specific regulations for public authorities and the area of law enforcement.

The GDPR applies to all companies and organisations that process the personal data of EU citizens, regardless of whether they are based in the EU or not.

The GDPR strengthens the rights of individuals, such as the right of information, correction, deletion and cancellation.

Companies and organisations that process data have comprehensive obligations to ensure data protection, such as data minimisation, purpose limitation and transparency.

In Germany, both the federal and state data protection authorities are responsible for monitoring compliance with data protection regulations.

The aim is to protect the privacy and informational self-determination of citizens and to strengthen trust in the digital economy.

Everyone at BBIS, but especially management functions, are obliged to report any data breaches they become aware of to data.protection@bbis.de.

Please read the General Data Protection Policies carefully.

The following procedural steps must be strictly observed:

a. Students to line up silently, leaving all belongings including coats and bags.
b. Close the windows.
c. Turn off the lights.
d. Shut the door (do NOT lock).
e. Follow the emergency direction signs.
f. Check that escape routes are safe and passable.
g. Leave the building quickly, quietly and without pushing or rushing.
h. Assemble at the assembly point on the sports field.
i. DO NOT RETURN UNLESS OFFICIALLY AUTHORISED BY THE SCHOOL DIRECTOR

All forms in use at BBIS are based on the legal principles of the State of Brandenburg and/or Germany. Changes to forms in use or the creation of new forms must be proposed to the management and must be legally reviewed before they are sent to our parents, students, employees, etc.

The BBIS Executive Board consists of the School Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Operation Officer (COO), Chief People and Culture Officer (CPCO). It is responsible for the most important areas of administration:

• Finance & Accounting
• Facilities Management
• People & Culture
• Other business areas that ensure the school is embedded in the state education system and its regulations, as well as maintaining political contacts with mayors and other relevant officials

The Executive Board meets regularly to discuss main areas and to decide how to move forward.

The Pedagogical Leadership Team consists of the Principals of each School, the Head of Student Support Services and the Head of Boarding. It is responsible for the most important areas of pedagogy:

• Primary School (Early Education to Grade 5)
• Secondary School
• Student Support Services
• BBIS Boarding

The CEO meets with Pedagogical Leadership regularly to discuss main areas and to decide how to move forward.

Both, the Executive Board and the Pedagogical Leadership Team are supported and supplemented by the

• Director of Marketing, Communications and Admissions
• Head of Technical Administration (FM)
• Head of IT and
• Director of Technology

The Executive Board meets regularly in an extended circle with the Head of IT, Director of Marketing, Communications and Admissions, Head of IT and Director of Technology for exchange of information and for decision-making.

All teams and additional functions including the deputy principals form the Management Team.

Additionally, the team of nurses supports/helps students and staff with health issues as required and takes care of administrative tasks relating to care and requirements from the respective Ministries.

The nurse reports to the CEO.

BBIS failure culture is based on four cornerstones: transparency, solution orientation, reflection, and empathetic action. It corresponds closely with the BBIS values of pioneering, reflective, excellent, and caring, and with our mission to empower global citizens to be active, responsible, and innovative. Mistakes are not concealed, but used as valuable learning opportunities for sustainable development and continuous improvement at the individual and institutional levels.

For more details, please click here.

• Getting a deeper understanding of Personio Recruiting Processes and Administration of Absentees (support sessions from Front Office / Back Office)
• Getting to know Fire Alarm Processes in depth and the duties for a principle connected to this - supported by School Director incl. Facilities Management
• Getting to know internal reporting of child protection in deep and the duties for a principle connected to this (supported by the Officer of Child Protection)
• Introduction to iSams – how it used at BBIS (Navigating student and parent information) - supported by the Director of Technology
• Introduction to Staff Planning in Early Education and its specifics / supported by P&C Project Coordinator
• Obligatory training from a lawyer to understand the legal framework of Youth and Child Protection in the state of Brandenburg / supported by an external trainer

In addition to the in-service days, P&C will provide a further plan of in-depth professional induction and counselling to give you the best possible start to your role as our new Primary School Principal over the next 6 months. The training sessions listed above will be part of this plan.

Get more Umbrella Information about BBIS and its Business Partners

• BBIS Strategic Plan
• CIS Accreditation Report / MSA / IB
• Purpose of the BBIS Foundation
• Purpose of PTA
• BBIS Management Report SY 2024/2025
• Remuneration System at BBIS
• Corporate History of BBIS Campus Development
• Travel Planning and Reimbursements
• Potsdam Bus / Katerine (Catering) / Kötter (Security) / Blitz (Cleaning)

Your Personnel Development is essential

• Specific Trainings (German lessons B 2 Level)
• Induction Works Council Topics and other Legal Matters

HR is Caretaker of People and Culture

• How to handle complaints of students / parents / staff
• Increase well-being, reduce stress, motivate
• Insights in Talent Management / Empowerment
• Support in settling crisis, conflicts, death of a colleague
• Support legal processes: conduct exit interview, termination of contract
• Disciplinary employee measures in Germany