International German School Ho Chi Minh City (IGS)

IGS is situated at 253 Luong Dinh Cua, An Khanh Ward, Thu Duc City (formerly District 2) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The campus sits in a residential and green-lined neighbourhood with good access to major arterial roads; the school also provides its own bus service to facilitate daily commuting for families.

The school structure is divided into three main levels: the U6 section (nursery, kindergarten, preschool for children aged 2 and under 6), Primary school (Grades 1–4), followed by Secondary level I (Grades 5–10) and Secondary level II (Grades 11–12). Learners who join later and without German language skills may follow a dedicated lateral-entry programme.

IGS is a co-educational day school open to children of all nationalities.

The school publishes an Inclusion Policy, indicating that students with diverse learning needs (for example in German as a foreign language or other areas) may receive differentiated teaching and supportive measures within inclusive classroom settings and small group settings.

IGS is part of the network of German schools abroad (“Deutsche Auslandsschulen”) and is recognised by the Federal Republic of Germany. It follows German curricula in its instructional framework.

The school does not have any religious affiliations.

From the 2025/26 academic year the timetable indicates that mandatory lessons conclude at 15:15, with optional afternoon activities following. The day is structured into morning lesson blocks and an afternoon segment for clubs or supervised study.

IGS operates a dedicated school-bus service. Students are collected from home and transported to the campus and returned to home at scheduled times.

The International German School Ho Chi Minh City (IGS) follows the German national curriculum adapted for international learners, progressing from Kindergarten through Grade 12. In the U6 section (ages 2–5), learning focuses on early childhood development, play-based exploration, and bilingual language foundations in German and English. The Primary School (Grades 1–4) builds literacy, numeracy, and interdisciplinary knowledge in alignment with curricula used by German schools abroad. In Secondary I (Grades 5–10), students follow the German overseas curriculum, with subjects such as mathematics, science, social studies, and languages taught in both German and English. At the upper secondary level (Grades 11–12), IGS offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP), preparing students for university entry worldwide. Instruction emphasizes multilingual competence, with German as the main language of instruction and selected subjects taught in English.

IGS’s School Regulation emphasizes collaboration among students, teachers, school leadership and parents as a basis for a trustworthy and respectful school climate. The Inclusion Policy also frames diversity, respect and participation in learning as core aims, noting that students with different backgrounds and needs learn together and that the school fosters a community of shared responsibility. The documentation does not present a separate “SEL programme” by name (for example, an explicitly labelled social-emotional curriculum or distinct SEL team) beyond these general statements about culture and interaction.

IGS explicitly publishes an Inclusion Policy which states that all students learn together in general education classrooms and that support is provided for a range of needs: learning difficulties (reading/writing, dyslexia, difficulties with numbers/dyscalculia), speech/language deficiencies, behavioural differences and giftedness. The policy makes clear that IGS is not a specialist SEN institution; rather, it offers inclusive support through differentiated teaching, additional help, small-group interventions and an inclusive classroom environment. The policy further states that culturally and linguistically diverse learners, students with different educational levels and needs are included in the same framework.

IGS does not publicly disclose a dedicated EAL programme specifically labelled as “English as an Additional Language”. Although the school mentions multilingual instruction (German and English) and offers Vietnamese and French language subjects, there is no clearly detailed EAL support path outlined in the publicly available documents.

IGS’s School Regulations include sections on health supervision, duty of care during school hours and excursions, and consent for medical or first-aid measures. However, the documents do not describe a distinct mental-wellbeing programme (for example a counselling team, mental-health workshops or dedicated wellbeing staff) in the published policies.

The school publishes a comprehensive School Regulation that sets out its general duty of care, supervision obligations, rules for learning and behaviour, and procedures for excursions and school transport. The regulation defines expectations for students and guardians, emphasises working together in trust, and outlines the organisational basis for a safe learning environment.

1. Application Submission
Parents begin by completing the school’s online application form available on the IGS website. A non-refundable application fee of VND 3,000,000 is payable at this stage. Required documents include copies of the child’s passport, health certificate or vaccination record, and previous school reports (if applicable).

2. Review and Trial Period (U6 Section)
For applicants to the Kindergarten and Preschool (U6) section, IGS usually arranges trial days to help the child and teachers assess readiness for placement. The school observes the child’s adjustment, social interaction, and general well-being during this period. A formal admission confirmation is issued once the trial period is successfully completed.

3. Admission Review (Grades 1–12)
Applications for Primary and Secondary are reviewed by the Admissions Committee. The review may include consideration of previous academic performance, language proficiency in German and English, and, where appropriate, assessment tests or interviews. Admission decisions are made once all required information is received.

4. Offer and Registration Fee Payment
Successful applicants receive a formal offer of enrolment from the school. To secure the place, parents must pay a registration fee (VND 45,000,000 for Kindergarten or VND 70,000,000 for Primary/Secondary) within 14 days of acceptance. This fee is one-time and guarantees the student’s place.

5. Tuition Invoice and Payment
Once registration is confirmed, the first tuition invoice is issued. Fees must be paid according to the school’s payment schedule—typically before the academic year begins or within the specified billing deadline.

6. Orientation and Start of School
After payment and confirmation, students are assigned to a class and introduced to their teachers. Families receive orientation information before the academic year starts, ensuring a smooth transition into the IGS community.

The school does not publicly disclose a scholarship scheme for prospective students on its admissions or registration pages. There is no detailed information on eligibility criteria, discount programmes or awards published on the official site.

IGS does not publicly describe a formal “waitlist” or “pool” system for admissions.