On Friday, June 27, 2025, the school year somes to close at Dresden University School (USD) with the ceremonial presentation of certificates. For the first time, an entire year group took part in the final examinations. On Friday, 55 students will receive their certificates for the special, main and secondary school tracks in a ceremony at TU Dresden. After the summer vacations, some of the students will begin preparing for upper secondary school as part of the school trial on the "School of the Future".

Another successful year after first secondary school exams in 2024

All of the young people from the pioneering years - almost all of whom have been studying at the then "University Secondary School" since it was founded in 2019 and then at the University Community School since 2022 - have passed the exams. "The success of our first 10th examination year fills the teaching staff with much joy and gratitude," Maxi Heß is delighted, because "Tomorrow we will be handing over the certificate of secondary school leaving certificate for the first time and also the first special school certificate obtained at a community school. Our pupils have achieved wonderful results together with the learning support team. And a good number of them even want to come back to the Dresden University School after the summer vacation to continue learning. I think that's great!" In the 2024 school year, seven students in the first examination year passed their secondary school certificate after year 9.

The learning facilitators from the qualification level present 47 students with their secondary school certificate, five of whom receive awards for their excellent exam results. The secondary general school graduatesalso excelled in their exams once again. Four students can continue their studies at secondary school level in the coming school year with a qualified secondary general school certificate. Also in the 2025 school year, three university school students are among the best in Saxony and received an award from the Saxon Ministry of Education. However, the school community also honors individual students for their outstanding commitment in various areas.

Learning together for longer for individual success and more community

At the Dresden University Community School, students learn in mixed-year and mixed-level groups, which means that they are not separated according to the qualifications they are aiming for. "Development is unpredictable," says Prof. Anke Langner, explaining one of the basic assumptions underlying the school's didactic concept: "At the age of 10, it is not yet possible to definitively determine which educational path a child will take. At the same time, we know that learning together for longer can support individual success and also serves to create a sense of community," explains the scientific director of the accompanying research at the TUD Dresden University of Technology. The best example of how this form of permeability works are the pupils for whom the qualified lower secondary school leaving certificate last year opened the way to the intermediate secondary school leaving certificate - and two of whom are now considering whether they would like to continue learning until their Abitur.

No grades up to grade 9 - feedback promotes learning success

The young people at the university school only receive their first numerical grades from year 9 onwards. These complement the feedback that promotes learning, the core of the feedback culture in the concept of the joint school trial by TUD Dresden University of Technology and the state capital of Dresden. With their results, the students show that the innovative teaching-learning formats tested and researched in the 15-year school trial prepare them well for traditional examformats - as well as for "life after school".

Some of the successful exam candidates leave the school for continued vocational training, and the first training contracts have already been signed. They were guided in this by learning in projects with increasing independence and responsibility, but also by the youth school and the Friday internship. In these formats, pupils in years 7 and 8 can experience the solution of real-life problems at extracurricular learning locations.

After the loop year into upper secondary level

Another part of the 2025 cohort remains at the school with very good results and will prepare for upper secondary level from the coming school year. "This is not something we take for granted," explains student representative Hedi Götze. "When I came to the school in 2019, it was still divided into primary and secondary school, and the prospect of the Abitur only existed in the concept paper. I don't find it dramatic that I now have to take a gap year."

The school community is once again motivated by these good results - which were also achieved during the intensive start-up phase under challenging conditions such as the coronavirus-related school closures. It is looking forward to the next development steps towards the Abitur milestone. The students are actively involved in shaping these with regard to their needs.

About the University School Dresden

Dresden University School is a joint project of the state capital Dresden and the TUD Dresden University of Technology. It is a public and free community school run by the city, where innovative forms of teaching and learning are tested under academic supervision. In addition, it is a training school for future teachers and prospectively, a further education school for teachers. The ForUS - University School Research Unit at TU Dresden is providing scientific support for the school trial.

Read more about TU Dresden’s research project: https://tu-dresden.de/gsw/unischule
Read more about the University School Dresden: http://universitaetsschule.org

You can find insights into the research project and everyday school life on various social media channels under @unischuleTUD: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. News from the University School Dresden project can be found regularly in the TU Dresden GSW newsletter.