{"id":41632,"date":"2024-11-14T09:45:11","date_gmt":"2024-11-14T08:45:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vebs.de\/school-foundation-handbook\/"},"modified":"2025-06-26T17:53:00","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T15:53:00","slug":"school-foundation-handbook","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vebs.de\/en\/verband\/schulgruendung\/school-foundation-handbook\/","title":{"rendered":"School foundation handbook"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This information is only intended for registered users and their founding team. Distribution and publication is only permitted with the express permission of the VEBS. <\/sub> <\/p>\n\n

The VEBS handbook for founding a Protestant denominational school<\/h1>\n\n
\n\n

Procedure for founding a Protestant denominational school under independent sponsorship<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n
  1. Pray and make the concern known in nearby churches <\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Determine demand (you need at least 10 new children every year) <\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Coming together as a team with different gifts <\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Finding your spiritual identity <\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Watch videos on the legal basis and articles of association\/founding an association <\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Register with VEBS for the next start-up seminar (or webinar). <\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Visit & get to know existing denominational schools <\/a>(Overview here)<\/span> <\/a> <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Found a sponsoring association <\/a>(sample articles of association here)<\/span> and obtain the green light for non-profit status from the tax office at the same time as founding (sample letters also <\/a>available here) <\/a> <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Formulating a pedagogical concept <\/a>(Templates<\/span> are available from the VEBS) <\/a> <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. Clarify financing <\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  11. Finding (initial) premises <\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  12. Have premises approved (can take many months!) <\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  13. Submit an application for approval to the school authorities (obtain a checklist from the school authorities)! <\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  14. Search for employees (VEBS helps) and hire them <\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  15. Conduct admission interviews with parents <\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  16. Plan your school opening service! <\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n
    \n\n

    1) First and foremost and always: Pray!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

    When you found a Christian school, it means that it will not be “your” school, but that it will be a “Jesus school”, that this school will belong to God. And then it goes without saying that we are in intensive conversation (i.e. prayer) with God about this plan. Surely you have already prayed about this task and calling. But now it’s time for you to invite others to pray about it too. This is also a good opportunity to publicize the call to start a business to the very target group from which you will later draw your employees and also the parents of the children. In concrete terms, this means approaching people in your circle of friends and acquaintances as well as church leaders! And ask them all to take up this prayer request and spread it within their congregations. Ideally, you will be given the opportunity to make your request known in churches before or after a church service. Anyone can pray – even grandparents who live far away from their grandchildren, even old and sick people who cannot come to your information events or later to your preparation and association meetings, even people who cannot donate anything – everyone strengthens the idea of founding a school through prayer! <\/p>\n\n

    \n\n

    2) Determine the medium-term need for pupils!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

    Starting a Christian school is a prayerful endeavor – but it also means starting a small business!You will soon be responsible for employees, parents, children and buildings. That costs an awful lot. You need income to be able to pay salaries, buildings, materials and much more! All of this is only possible if you have a sufficient number of children year after year, so that after a desert period of three years*) you can cover your expenses with the public subsidies and the usual parental contributions (note: in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, no official parental contributions are permitted – only donations to a separate support association). The number of children required for a school class and its funding varies greatly from state to state. But the general rule is: for a school, you need at least twelve new children per school year who are admitted to your school as six-year-olds, otherwise you will not have enough income. Only twelve children per year already assumes that you have mixed\/inter-year classes (pedagogically valuable). If, on the other hand, you are aiming for homogeneous classes, you will need as many as 24 new children every year.If these figures are not achievable, you will unfortunately have to bury your school project. <\/p>\n\n

    \n\n

    3) Coming together as a team with different gifts <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

    Founding a school is a team effort – you can’t do it alone. You need the following gifts in your school foundation team: <\/p>\n\n