Bilingual elementary school "Altmark" (2019*)

The bilingual elementary school "Altmark" is a state-recognized alternative school in independent sponsorship, which operates as an open all-day school from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm. It is the only bilingual school in the north of Saxony-Anhalt. Pupils learn English here according to the immersion principle, i.e. a foreign language is learned alongside the everyday language in daily interaction with each other.

In addition to the assumption of training and further education costs and paid time off for these professional qualifications, employees are provided with all work materials free of charge. Employees can also use company bicycles or company vehicles for business trips. Educational work and organizational development are communicated transparently to everyone, and concerns can be discussed quickly via short channels and flat hierarchies. The employees also appreciate the attractive working and learning environment with modern facilities. Rituals such as personal congratulations, flowers and gifts on anniversaries also contribute to mutual appreciation.

The aim was to review the measures already introduced to secure skilled workers and motivate employees. The anonymized participation and moderated evaluation as well as the analysis by an external partner were also a good argument for the survey.

In future, the payment of collectively agreed salaries is being considered to guarantee an income commensurate with the job. The desire for more flexible working hours in the form of an hourly account was also expressed and taken on board. Staff appraisals will take place more regularly in order to take the best possible account of employees' personal resources and wishes. Internal feedback opportunities between teachers and school management are to be developed and were included as a topic in a team consultation for teaching staff in the second school year. And as a final important aspect, work processes will be designed in future to reduce psychological stress in the workplace. To this end, seminars on personal time management and resilience training are planned in the further training plan.