About Us – Schule am Budenberg

Brief Profile of the Schule am Budenberg

The Schule am Budenberg has its roots in 1959. Under the leadership of Hans Weber, a first remedial class for children with learning disabilities was set up in the rooms of the Johann-Textor-Schule. Thanks to a dedicated teaching staff, the school has developed steadily and became known throughout Germany for its educational achievements. The Schule am Budenberg moved to its present location 50 years ago.

Today we are a school with a focus on supporting learning as well as a department for physical and motor development. Affiliated with the school is a broadly positioned regional counselling and support centre (rBFZ).

At present, 76 pupils from grades 1 to 10 are taught at the Haiger location. They attend our school because they receive special support for their academic learning here in small learning groups. Some of the pupils at our school have physical disabilities, so that they are supported through special intervention measures in the areas of motor skills and learning. In addition, pupils are taught at our school who are entitled to special educational support in the areas of emotional and social development, language or hearing.

Each class has its own classroom, equipped according to the needs of our pupils. In addition, specialist rooms and a gymnasium are available. Because of the large catchment area, the vast majority of our pupils are commuters, which means that most of them are brought to and collected from school by minibus.

The Schule am Budenberg is an all-day school. Pupils attend school every day from 8.15 a.m. to 3.10 p.m. (Fridays until 12.20 p.m.). On two afternoons a week, there is the option to attend an elective course. Some of these courses are run by external cooperation partners. Since our school has a large canteen, pupils can enjoy both a healthy breakfast and a substantial lunch there.

In order to relieve families in terms of time, various therapies such as speech and occupational therapy are carried out at our school by external specialists. Particularly popular is the therapeutic horse riding, which takes place twice a week in Breitscheid.

Our pupils can obtain the standard “Vocationally Oriented School Leaving Certificate” at our school. Afterwards, they often move on to further educational institutions. Since 2009, there has been a close cooperation with the Johann-Textor-Schule, which enables some of our pupils to obtain the Hauptschule leaving certificate. In addition, for many years we have cultivated a good working relationship with the Lebenshilfe, where there are also repeatedly further perspectives for our pupils.

Two aspects in particular are among the special features of vocational preparation at our school: Firstly, due to meeting standards that apply throughout Hessen, the school has been continuously awarded the “OloV Quality Seal” for outstanding career orientation since 2013. Secondly, our student-run company is a cornerstone of successful career orientation at the Budenbergschule. In addition to lessons and skills-building modules, commissions from business serve to realistically reflect the working world.

Alongside the main campus at Vogelsgesang, the Schule am Budenberg is also a regional counselling and support centre (rBFZ). 34 primary schools in the northern Dillkreis and 12 secondary schools receive special educational support from specially trained teachers who are exclusively deployed at these schools.

In total, in addition to the 24 colleagues at the main school in Haiger, another 48 special education teachers work here. Their task is to advise and support children with special educational needs in mainstream schools. Equally important is the preventive area of work at the mainstream school. This includes a wide range of advisory and supportive measures within the system.

“We consider it our fundamental task to support our pupils in making use of learning opportunities, realising their potential, and being enabled to want to learn more independently and throughout their lives. For this, also in life after school, methods and practice are needed. These competencies need to be acquired. In doing so, our pupils should be supported in the best possible way.”
Jörg-Martin Jacob, Principal of the Schule am Budenberg