Copernicus Gymnasium, situated in Philippsburg, is a grammar school, which provides an all-round education leading to the Abitur (German school-leaving exam) after nine academic years. This academic year, 2003/2004, there are 1054 pupils who make up the 40 classes at Copernicus Gymnasium. It is the educational task of both the principals and the teachers to try and meet the educational standards of a grammar school, supported by parental trust and co-operation.
   Study groups in the following subjects

Latin
Maths
Spanish
Literature
Biology
Art
Chemistry
Sport
Video

supplement the main subjects on offer.
   Pupils who are particularly gifted find further encouragement in our bilingual (German - English) department and in
            the various study groups for gifted pupils.
Musical pupils can choose to develop their interests through the following activities:

            Orchestra
            Choir
            Big band
            Drama
            Art

At Copernicus Gymnasium the form teachers teach either one main subject or two subsidiary subjects to their own class in years 5 and 6. This makes the adjustment from primary to secondary education easier for the pupils coming from the various primary classes. The teachers, therefore, continue to fulfil the role of adviser and contact partner for the pupils, as is usual in the primary schools.

 Organisational structure

The school has two different streams of teaching:

the language stream with the order: English (year 5) - Latin (year 7) - French (year 9);
 

the science stream: This stream is for all of the pupils who choose French in year 7. The pupils from the language stream can also choose to change over to the science stream in year 9. In this case they have to give up French, their third foreign language.

Bilingual English teaching is available in both streams.
 

The bilingual (German - English) department offers gifted pupils further encouragement through intensified teaching in English with two extra periods a week in years 5 and 6. One extra period a week is taught in the specialist subjects Geography (years 7-8), History (year 9) and Biology (years 10-11), which are then mainly held in English.
 

All pupils attend General Science lessons in years 5 and 6. They do practicals in Biology, Chemistry and Physics in years 9-11.
 

In years 9-11 pupils in the science stream have the chance to take part in a study group, if enough interest is there, where they can do the Latinum (Latin exam) after three years.
 

The bilingual department
The Minister of Education for Baden Württemberg has authorized the introduction of a bilingual department to complement these language and science streams, from the academic year 1999/2000 onwards. This new feature of grammar school education aims at greater competence in English, which complies with the present and future demands of the business world as well as the universities.
  This means that the principle of enabling pupils to absorb information in English from the areas of technology, science, business and society in general, and to present their findings in English, is at the fore. This goes beyond the realms of normal “school” English. A separate timetable has been introduced for the classes within the bilingual department to achieve this aim of providing further encouragement for motivated and gifted pupils.
  The pupils in this department have two extra periods of English a week in years 5 and 6. This is intended to help these pupils develop a better standard of English more quickly. This knowledge is required for the Geography lessons in years 7 and 8, which are taught in English. The pupils then have three extra periods of Geography a week. German is only used when absolutely necessary. The number of History periods in year 9, and Biology periods in years 10 and 11, is also increased so that these subjects can be taught in English as well. At the moment pupils in years 12 and 13, within the bilingual department, are then required to take part in an inter-disciplinary seminar course in English, and to attend either a Leistungskurs (main subject) or Grundkurs (subsidiary subject) in English.

The twinning with the Collège Nationalisé Mixte - school in Ile de Ré, a French island in the Atlantic - encourages the pupils to speak French and helps to develop an understanding between the two cultures.