What We Do
Grundschule voraus - gemeinsam. gestalten. lernen
Promoting educational equity - learning to shape together
Primary schools are an important place for educational equity. Children with the most diverse starting conditions meet here. Here they learn to read, write and do arithmetic together - and at the same time to deal with cultural, social and individual diversity. The course is set for democratic coexistence.
But giving primary school children all the opportunities to which they are entitled presents teachers and primary school administrators with great challenges. This is the approach of the initiative of the Alfred Toepfer Foundation F.V.S., the Heraeus Educational Foundation and the ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS . In alliance with education experts, we want to contribute to ensuring that primary schools once again receive the attention, appreciation and recognition they deserve.
We are looking for the primary school leaders of tomorrow
Leading also means bringing together: The initiative "Grundschule voraus - gemeinsam. gestalten. lernen" focuses on the future of primary school leadership in the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.
We want to provide dedicated primary school teachers with targeted support for their professional professionalisation and personal development through our further training and qualification programme - together with the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training and the State Institute for Teacher Training and School Development.
In 2025/26, we once again want to accompany and support 18 committed primary school teachers from the 5th year of their career with experience in formative leadership tasks on their way to becoming primary school leaders. The one-year, in-service qualification programme consists of three modules and is complemented by a growing network of people from schools, education and science.
The call for applications for the 3rd year will start in spring 2025. Further information on how to apply will follow here.
- Flyer and Poster 2024/25
- Dates and programme 2025/26
The annual schedule at a glance
Official kick-off in July 2025 from 17-19 h in Hamburg (date not yet decided)
#Kurswechsel Auftakt in 11 September 2025 from 16-18 h in Hamburg (date not yet decided)
2 times 5 academy days in the seminar centre Gut Siggen in autumn and spring (presence)
3 meetings for collegial counselling in small groups in Hamburg (digital/presence)
2 Elbblick Talks in Hamburg (presence)
Practical project at your own school to accompany the process
Closing event and certificate award ceremony in Hamburg
The programme consists of three modules which are an integral part of the one-year further education programme:
The Academy
Autumn Academy: 30.09. - 04.10.2025
Contents: Leadership for me - Leadership in togetherness - Leadership in primary schools - Change in primary schools - Practice project - Network design - Science meets practice - Fireside chats and much more.
Spring Academy: 09.03. - 13.03.2026
Contents: Understanding primary school as a complex organisation - communication in challenging situations - change and design - motivating myself and others - network design - science meets practice - fireside chats and much more.
Programmübersicht_Module_Die Akademie
The network
Accompaniment through professional learning communities
Dialogue formats with leaders from different areas of society
Interlocking with offers for young leaders of LI Hamburg
The practice
Planning, initiating and implementing a practical project at your own school
Experience in assuming leadership
In-process support by the network in the form of peer counselling (three counselling rounds in small groups in Hamburg)
Project funding of up to 1,000 euros possible
- Information on the application and selection process
The programme is aimed exclusively at primary school teachers who teach in Hamburg, Germany.
- Application 2024
We look forward to receiving your application! Simply send us a CV (max. two pages) and a short video (max. four minutes!). The film does not have to be professionally produced. It can be recorded authentically and free of technical refinements using a smartphone.
For the introductory video, please refer to the following questions:
What do I expect from the programme? What do I want to contribute? Which topics and questions particularly concern me?
And in addition, select at least two of the following five questions and briefly introduce yourself personally.
What drives me as a prospective primary school head?
Where do I see the greatest opportunities and challenges of primary schools in the next 10 years?
What can I contribute to overcome the challenges?
Describe an experience that has made you feel you have grown personally and broadened your scope of action.
Our programme aspiration is to effect change over a longer-term period of 5 to 10 years. What do you want for your personal development period in the next few years?
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