Firday, 14 June 2024, is a very special day, and not just for eight Year 9 students at the University School Dresden. They received their graduation certificates for successfully completing their secondary school at a ceremony at TU Dresden. This also marks a special day for the entire school community, as the first final examinations since the school was founded in August 2019 were held in May and June 2024.

First grades since 2020

All eight candidates in the year group of 57 students successfully passed their secondary school leaving certificate (Hauptschulabschluss), and five of them even achieved a qualified secondary school leaving certificate, i.e. very good grades and examination results. Since the exemption from grading in the 2020/21 school year, the pupils also received numerical grades again for the first time in addition to the regular feedback and performance documentation in the school and learning management software. The qualified secondary school leaving certificate (qualifizierter Hauptschulabschluss) entitles the young people to continue studying at Dresden University School and prepare for the secondary school leaving certificate after year 10 (Realschulabschluss).

Enabling transitions in a school community

The mixed year and level groups at a "school for all" make this transition easier, as well as the transition to the Abitur later on. The pathways are more permeable, because in the mixed groups, the children and young people can always work on tasks at different levels in the different perspectives - instead of subjects, the USD has the areas of languages, mathematics & natural sciences and social sciences. With the qualified graduation certificate, students are therefore well prepared for further learning and remain in their social group.
For learning facilitator Nino Haustein, learning at one of Saxony's first community schools primarily means community: "At Dresden University School we fill the word 'community' with life, therefore it's not unusual that secondary school students learn with special needs students and form friendships. We cultivate a culture in which it is okay to develop your own potential later on."
"With its concept, which focuses on individual needs, Dresden University School enables children and young people to develop their personalities and skills in a special way. With their individual development, each graduate shows once again that learning paths are not predictable and that one cannot assume a linear progression. Instead of an early division into the usual school types and corresponding qualifications (special school, secondary school, grammar school), it is important to create a conducive environment for pupils to learn together and to strengthen them with confidence in their abilities," adds Prof. Anke Langner, Head of the University School Research Centre and responsible for the scientific monitoring of the joint school trial by the City of Dresden and TU Dresden.

Mastering extraordinary challenges as pioneers

For school principal Maxi Heß, the eight students have not only successfully completed secondary school, but have also made history: "They are the first pupils at Dresden University School to reach this milestone and are therefore pioneers who have paved the way for many generations of students to come. They can really be very proud of this." The teacher finds this achievement particularly remarkable, as the young people have mastered their school years under extraordinary circumstances: "In 2019, most of them co-founded our university school in Dresden, just like us learning support staff, and embarked on an extraordinary journey with us. Just six months later, the coronavirus pandemic turned all of our lives upside down and also posed major challenges for learning and teaching. The (then still) children had to get used to online lessons, learn independently without their classmates and often do without familiar structures and support. However, they have proven that even in difficult times, they do not give up and adapt to the new conditions. They have shown that they are flexible, resilient and determined."

What happens after the excellent degree?

The committed pioneer points out: "Furthermore, Dresden University School was and is still in the process of being established. Learning in such a young school means that not everything works perfectly right from the start." With this in mind, the learning support team is particularly proud of Jannes Thiele and Lars Voigt, who are among the best exam candidates in Saxony. Next week, they will be honored for this special achievement together with the best graduates from secondary schools in Saxony.

But what does the future hold for the graduates and how well prepared are they for their future careers? Lars, who won the award, initially had a carpentry apprenticeship in mind at his internship company, "but unfortunately the company isn't taking on any new apprentices this year. During my Friday work placement in Year 8, I spent a whole school year in a joinery every week and found the right career for me. Now I'm preparing for my secondary school graduation affter Year 10 at the university school and maybe afterwards I'll be able to join my dream company." Otherwise, a basic vocational training year in wood technology is a good opportunity for him to pursue his career aspirations, says the well-informed graduate.

Self-determined and practical learning motivates him

For him, the move to the university school in year 6 was a good decision: "The free project work is particularly great because we don't just rattle off the theoretical material, but look for additional tasks ourselves, for example making a product for the project presentation. That's motivating, of course! My favorite project in the science perspective was making various everyday objects from metals and alloys, such as lead balls, aluminum bowls, copper coins and silver jewelry." He always feels well supported by his learning guides.

University school graduate Clara would first like to complete a voluntary year and take a closer look at various professions: "I spent a year in a daycare center during my Friday internship and for the 9th grade internship I spent two weeks at the zoo looking after the giraffes and zebras, donkeys and kangaroos. It was quite exhausting, but it was also great fun because I just love animals." In the coming weeks, she will spend a few taster days getting to know a farm with riding stable, visit another nursery and also the primary school at Dresden University School. "That's my school that I know, but it's a different building. Everything looks completely different in the container building for the small children and the learning guides are not the same either. I already know some of them and they are very nice." Riding school, daycare center or university school? She will decide what to do after the summer vacations after the taster days.

Further growth and challenges

The school community, which moved into the old GDR building on Cämmerswalder Straße in 2019 with 200 children in grades 1, 2, 3 and 5, has many more milestones ahead of it. "Dresden University School means change," says principal Maxi Heß, summarizing what challenges the school community will shape in the future: the first secondary school examination in the 2024/25 school year, the further growth of the student body to around 1,000 children and young people in a community school with a grammar school upper level and the move to a contemporary learning building.
"But today we are celebrating! I would like to give the first graduates this piece of advice: Stay curious and open to new things. The world is constantly changing and offers countless opportunities. Use the skills and knowledge you have acquired at Dresden University School to develop your skills and explore new avenues. Be courageous and dare to make mistakes in order to learn and grow from them."

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, in the future, a further education school for teachers. The school trial is being scientifically supported by the ForUS research center at TU Dresden.

• Information on the research project at TU Dresden: https: //tu-dresden.de/gsw/unischule
• Information on the Dresden University School: http://universitaetsschule.org

You can find insights into the research project and everyday school life on various social media channels under @unischuleTUD. Follow the links to Dresden University School on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Contact:
Maria Neuland Agüero
Tel.: +49 351 463-39917