The Heliosschule – Inclusive University School of the City of Cologne
The state-run Helios School is a legally independent institution under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture, which, in close cooperation with the University of Cologne (which falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Science), is jointly implementing the concept of an inclusive university school. Until the planned move into the new building on the Helios campus in Cologne-Ehrenfeld, the elementary school is located on Mommsenstraße in Cologne-Sülz and the comprehensive school on Borsigstraße in Cologne-Ehrenfeld. Both schools collectively go by the name Heliosschule to embody the concept of a school spanning grades 1 through 13.
Educational Guidelines
The Heliosschule is the first school in Germany to pilot the concept of inclusive pedagogy developed by Prof. Dr. Kersten Reich, which formulates 10 overarching guidelines that are concretely implemented here and elaborated upon in publications, among other places:
1. Comprehensive Inclusion (Democracy Education)
2. Participation
3. High-quality school
4. Gender-equitable school
5. An active and healthy school
6. Inclusive, competency-based teaching and learning model
7. Organization and structure of the full-day school
8. Qualified and collaborative staff [multidisciplinary teams]
9. Space, architecture, accessibility
10. University-affiliated practice school: teacher training and research
Facts and figures
The elementary school at Mommsenstraße 5 (Cologne-Sülz) began the 2015–2016 school year with 50 students and, since the 2018–2019 school year, has been educating 195 students from all elementary school grades in mixed-age learning environments. The team currently consists of 17 teachers, and the full-day program employs ten educational specialists, eight support staff, two kitchen assistants, and several contract staff. In total, there are 31 inclusion support staff members responsible for 20 children. (https://goo.gl/maps/FTbte6uYVXS2)
The comprehensive school is currently located at its interim site at Borsigstraße 13 (Cologne-Ehrenfeld) and began this school year with 108 fifth-grade students. Currently working here are 12 teachers, a school social worker, and a social education worker. For the 2019/2020 school year, another grade will begin with 20 children in each of six core groups. (https://goo.gl/maps/GawCheADyFK2)
The school’s new building
Press review
• A dreamy new school. (August 21, 2013). Taz.de daily newspaper. Retrieved from https://www.taz.de/!5060876/
• Rösgen, H. (March 19, 2015). Making room under the Ehrenfeld lighthouse. Kölner Stadt Anzeiger. Retrieved from https://www.ksta.de/koeln/ehrenfeld/heliosgelaende-in-koeln-unterm-ehrenfelder-leuchtturm-wird-platz-gemacht-1657600
• Larmann, R. (June 26, 2015). The Helios site in Ehrenfeld is getting an extraordinary school. Kölner Stadtanzeiger. Retrieved from https://www.rundschau-online.de/region/koeln/architektur-wettbewerb-helios-gelaende-in-ehrenfeld-bekommt-eine-aussergewoehnliche-schule-1285546
• Windrath, M. (August 7, 2015). Helios School to launch new educational concept after summer break. Kölnische Rundschau. Retrieved from https://www.rundschau-online.de/region/koeln/inklusive-universitaetsschule-koeln-heliosschule-startet-nach-den-ferien-mit-neuem-paedagogischen-konzept-22300964
Publications on the topic of school architecture
• Huebeli, Ernst (ed.) (2012): Planning and Building Schools. Fundamentals and Processes. Montag Foundation for Youth and Society; Montag Foundation for Urban Spaces. 2nd, revised ed. Berlin: Jovis.
• Imhäuser, Karl-Heinz (2014): What Kinds of Spaces Does an Inclusive School Need? Framework Conditions and Basic Structures for New Learning Environments. In: Pädagogik 66 (11), pp. 46–49.
• Kricke, Meike; Reich, Kersten; Schanz, Lea; Schneider, Jochem (2018): Space and Inclusion. New Concepts in School Construction. 1st ed. Weinheim, Basel: Beltz. Available online at http://www.beltz.de/de/nc/verlagsgruppe-beltz/gesamtprogramm.html?isbn=978-3-407-63047-6.
• Reich, Kersten (2010): Educational Architecture. School Architecture and New Learning. In: Schule NRW (4), pp. 170–172. • Reich, Kersten (ed.) (2017): Inclusive Didactics in Practice. Examples of Successful Schools. Weinheim, Basel: Beltz (Inclusive Education). Available online at https://content-select.com/index.php?id=bib_view&ean=9783407290304.
• Reich, Kersten (2018): Chapter 1: The Helios School - Inclusive University School in the City of Cologne. In: IRHE 3 (1), p. 4. DOI: 10.5430/irhe.v3n1p4.
• Reich, Kersten; Asselhoven, Dieter; Kargl, Silke (2015): An Inclusive School for Everyone. The Model of the Inclusive University School Cologne. 1st ed. s.l.: Beltz. Available online at http://www.content-select.com/index.php?id=bib_view&ean=9783407293985.