My son attended the Heinrich Heine Gymnasium for almost a year and our experience can be best…read moredescribed as terrible. We are American and relocated to Germany for my husbands work (I am a psychotherapist and my husband, a physician). My husband wanted our son to experience his German heritage and culture by learning the language and intregrating into the German system. My son was accepted based on his high academic performance and test scores in private school in New York. He spoke no German and the administration stated that they would help him transition into the German system with help in learning the language. What was stated and what happened were very different. My son was yelled at by teachers because they thought that he did not belong at the Heinrich Heine because he was not German and did not speak the language (some of the boys translated to him what they were saying). He was told (in English) to "go home, you do not belong" and "what are you doing here?" You are not German, why are you here?". He was also grabbed by the arm and pushed by the Sport teacher because the class was instructed to stand in line and my son did not understand what the teacher was saying. My husband called the headmaster and the director several times, speaking in German, requesting an appointment to discuss the problem and received no return phone calls or email. No one would acknowledge the issues or discuss. The teachers would not talk to my son or help him with translations. My son grew to hate going to school so much, that I finally had enough and instructed him one morning to just walk in the school and clean out his locker and LEAVE, without saying anything. He did this and no one in the school noticed that he was missing for 2 days. We finally got a letter in the mail stating that they wanted both parents signature releasing my son from school. The letter was dated 3 days after he physically left. No phone calls or emails. There is talk about the Heinrick Heine wanting to transition into an International School, which would attract foreign students living in the Kaiserslautern area (There was an article in the local paper). My personal opinion is that the teaching staff and the female director (Barbara B) are in no way trained or have the skill or compassion to work with foreign students. As an American, I was shocked at how my son was treated by teachers and how dismissive the administrative staff was to us. Why would you even admit a foreign student, if you are going to mis treat them? I rated the school 2 stars based on how my son was treated by teachers and the administrative staff. On the positive side, I do feel that the academics are superior and my son loved the math class. He stated that the courses were at the level of what he experienced in New York and that he was challenged. However, this school is missing a sensitivity chip and is in no way prepared to motivate and accept foreign students. I would never recommend this school to a foreign student, especially an American student. I transferred him to another local Gymnausiam, where he has had an excellent experience!