How do you design a school that meets every learners individual needs, without sacrificing structure and direction? This is one of the central challenges in modern pedagogy. In any classroom, learners are rarely at the same place at the same time. Some race ahead while others need more time, different methods, or extra support, and no single teaching approach can fully bridge that gap.
Gymnasium Mainz-Mombach decided to structure their school to address this challenge. As a newly founded school, it had a rare opportunity, not to replicate existing structures, but to rethink what school could be. The aim is to create a learning environment that enables individualisation while still maintaining the necessary structure. This approach reflects the school’s guiding principle: “Rethinking school”. In principle, this means creating learning experiences that support individual growth, opens spaces for exploration and connect education more closely with learners’ everyday lives.
Christian Schlegel, teacher at Gymnasium Mainz-Mombach, summarises this challenge clearly:
"Learning is a highly individual process in which children bring their strengths, weaknesses, questions and needs. This cannot be centrally managed by one teacher for many children at the same time." Christian Schlegel, Teacher
Gymnasium Mainz-Mombach strategies are guided by a clear understanding of learning: young people learn best when they are taken seriously and are trusted to take responsibility.
This understanding is reflected in their everyday practice through a high level of trust. Learners actively shape their day, make decisions about their learning process and learn to recognise, communicate and reflect on their own needs. While they are supported and guided by teachers.
The teacher role at Gymnasium Mainz-Mombach is therefore diverse. Teachers increasingly act as learning guides and mentors.
This Includes:
This learning concept is dependent on trust, and trust has to be built deliberately, through clear structures, transparent processes and a shared mindset across the teaching staff.
At the centre of the learning environment is the “Learning Loft”. This serves as an open learning office where every learner has their own workspace, from which they plan and organise their day.
The day often begins with individual planning. Learners decide which tasks they want to work on, where they want to work and what kind of support they may need. This creates flexible learning groups, as well as phases of focused individual work and intentional breaks.
This way of working is intentionally designed to support different learning needs.
Two structured learning formats play a central role:
In subject-oriented learning, learners work on clearly structured subject content. These are similar to traditional teaching units but are organised as learning pathways within itslearning. They can include different types of material such as texts, videos, exercises or digital assignments. Learners work through the content step by step, understand it, apply it and assess at their own pace.
In topic-oriented learning, subjects are connected through a shared theme. A broader topic is explored from different perspectives. In itslearning, the related materials, assignments and learning steps can be brought together in one central place. This creates connected learning that links content and supports practical application.
An example of this is the project “Design Your Dream Room”, where mathematical concepts such as scale calculation are combined with creative and language-based tasks. Physical models are built in the Makerspace while descriptions are developed in multiple languages.
Learning therefore becomes not only academic, but also practical and creative.
Although learning in these open settings may appear highly individual, the system behind it is clearly structured.
One important insight from the school is:
Individualisation only works when it is built on clear and standardised structures.
Learning formats, processes and materials are intentionally designed in a consistent way so that learners do not constantly need to reorient themselves. This allows teachers to provide targeted support where it is needed most.
The itslearning LMS plays a central role in how this all comes together.
At Gymnasium Mainz-Mombach, itslearning serves as a central platform that structures and supports learning processes.
The following video is in German.
Learning materials are provided in one place, learning pathways offer orientation and learners can work through content at their own pace. And it provides clear and simple communication lines between teachers, learners and guardians.
For the school leadership, the value is clear:
"We use itslearning because the platform provides all learning content in one central place. Every child should be able to follow their own learning pathway."
– Ulf Neumann-Welkenbach, Headmaster
The use of a learning management system makes it possible to integrate digital learning meaningfully into everyday school life and to put individualisation into practice.
Students see the benefit too:
"itslearning helps with learning because you can take it everywhere with you. I can take my assignments on the iPad into different rooms and do not need to carry notebooks or books around."
– Emil, 7th grade student at Gymnasium Mainz-Mombach
One particularly interesting aspect of the school concept is the role of the so-called "Pilot Fishes". This is a group of learners who earn additional responsibility through their achievements and actively contribute to shaping school life.
For example, they organise school tours for visitors, explain the learning concept and guide guests through the school. These tasks are organised independently and show how strongly learners are involved in the school community.
This model supports not only responsibility, but also self-confidence and communication skills. Learners experience that their role extends beyond their own learning process and that they can actively contribute to the development of the school.
At Gymnasium Mainz-Mombach, the benefits of this approach to learning are felt across the whole school community, by the students living it and the teachers enabling it. For learners, flexibility is especially important:
"itslearning helps me a lot because I can use it everywhere and it is really flexible."
– Emil, 7th grade student at Gymnasium Mainz-Mombach
"itslearning helps me because I can decide myself when I have completed a task."
– Sonja, Student at Gymnasium Mainz-Mombach
For teachers, it simplifies their workflows:
"For my everyday correction work, this is a major relief. It also makes many things easier when it comes to communication."
– Christian Schlegel, Teacher
This creates more room for what matters most in pedagogy: learning support, feedback during lessons, reflection and targeted individual guidance.
Digitalisation alone does not change education. It only makes a real difference when it's grounded in a clear pedagogical vision.
At Gymnasium Mainz-Mombach, that distinction matters. Digital tools aren't an end in themselves, they're there to support learning, enable meaningful feedback, and help students develop genuine confidence in navigating the digital world. This is backed by strong technical infrastructure and a deliberate approach to media education, encouraging students to reflect critically on how and why they use digital tools.
School development is an ongoing process. Experiences are reflected upon, concepts are adapted and approaches continue to evolve, because building a school that truly serves every learner is an ongoing commitment, not a one-time project.
Gymnasium Mainz-Mombach demonstrates what a school concept can look like when it consistently focuses on the needs of learners, without losing sight of what works in practice, day to day.
Individualisation does not mean less structure, but better structure. It requires clear systems, reliable processes and tools that support how teachers teach and how students learn. At Gymnasium Mainz-Mombach, itslearning is a central part of making the schools vision possible.