“Blick über den Zaun”: A Visit from our Critical Friends

Schule Schloss Salem is a member of the school association “Blick über den Zaun” (BüZ), which has existed since 1989 to promote school development “from below”. The aim of BüZ is to help schools learn from and support each other through regular peer reviews, conferences and workshops.

From 11 to 14 February 2025, we had the honour of welcoming our critical friends from the working group of the BüZ school network. These teachers from various schools in Germany spent three nights in our boarding school to gain a deep insight into our everyday school life. The visitors spent a whole day shadowing individual students and teachers. From breakfast to wing time, they accompanied their hosts and experienced first-hand everyday life at Schule Schloss Salem. The visits included visits to the lower and middle school at Schloss Salem and to the upper school at Schloss Spetzgart.

The visit was guided by an observation question agreed with the entire school community, which was: How do our students at Salem experience individual care and attention? The chosen format of the visit allowed for numerous discussions with students, mentors and teachers. The visitors were impressed by the open and welcoming atmosphere at our school. This exchange was a valuable opportunity for everyone involved to learn from each other and take away new ideas for their own educational work.