Salem International College (Spetzgart Castle/Campus Härlen)

– on the home strait

The students of the Abitur and the IB are instructed at both locations, that are only a 15 minute walk apart. Life in the college is characterised by the living arrangements in the two places, Spetzgart and Härlen. Mainly students of the final class of the Abitur and the IB live in the Härlen Campus. The apartments of the House Tutors are also in the wings. The students shape the daily life of the school considerably by their commitment. They come of age while they are in the college and are allowed more freedom in the way they organise their own time, but they also take on more responsibility for themselves and for the community. The rules for living together are based on the result of a political process which they work through together, and are developed further in committees of the school administration, together with the director. Trying to balance everyone's interests thus becomes an integral part of daily life.

Activities in the Upper School are along the same lines as in the intermediate level – whether it is the services, drama, the arts, handicrafts, creative and artistic leisure pursuits, or sport. Here too there are school teams in various disciplines which take part in competitions beyond the regional boundaries. An extensive outdoor programme leaves room for meeting personal challenges in the world of nature.

Culture has a firm place in the life of the Upper School. The extensive art and culture programme includes productions of plays and musicals by the students, guest performances by famous artists and ensembles, or trips to cultural events. One special event in the school is the “Spetzgart Supper”. Students at Spetzgart Castle invite guests to a lecture and discussion with a celebrity from the world of society, culture or politics.

Every community needs political structures. Those of Salem International College are set down in a constitution [PDF file, approx. 220 KB]. This gives an insight into the manifold democratic structures which form, accompany and supervise the communal life of the college. Students who carry out the functions named there experience real situations of conflict, and the pressure to make decisions while searching for compromises, they take responsibility.

Every community also needs rules. The rules of the Upper School for both Spetzgart and Härlen are laid down in the manual [PDF file, approx. 270 KB]. It is given to every college student at the beginning of Year 12.

Preparation for the final examination and the time after that is at the centre of boarding school life in the Upper School. Not only what has been learned at the high academic level , but also the skills which have been acquired outside the classroom are recorded in the so-called “Salem Report” As a complement to the Abitur certificate or the Full Diploma of the IB it summarises the valuable key qualifications for the Salem school-leaver's future career and personal life.