What Is the Open All-Day School – and Why Does It Matter Right Now?
The open all-day school (in German: Offene Ganztagsschule, or OGS) is an extended care programme at primary schools. After lessons end, children stay on for lunch, homework support and leisure activities.
From the 2026/27 school year, Germany introduces a legal entitlement to all-day care for all primary school children. [1] This is a major milestone. But it also creates enormous pressure on schools and care providers.
A survey by the Association for Education and Upbringing (VBE) found that one in four school principals cannot guarantee a place for every child starting school in 2026/27. [3] The main reasons: not enough space and, above all, not enough qualified staff.
If you are new to working in an open all-day school or want to build your knowledge, Diingu offers a free introductory course: Fundamentals of the Open All-Day School. It covers everything you need to know – clearly explained and fully online.
The Staff Shortage: A Growing Challenge
The shortage of qualified staff is the biggest challenge facing open all-day schools across Germany. According to an analysis by the Bertelsmann Foundation, more than 100,000 additional educational workers will be needed by 2030 compared to what is likely to be available. [6]
Several factors drive this shortage:
- The new legal entitlement massively increases demand for places
- Many positions are part-time with irregular hours
- The work is emotionally and physically demanding
- Staff turnover is high
The GEW (Education and Science Workers' Union) stresses that maintaining educational quality is a central concern. [2] Simply creating more places is not enough. Quality staff are essential.
This means providers face a clear task: they must systematically qualify career changers (people entering the field without a traditional educational background) alongside trained professionals. [5]
Who Works in Open All-Day Schools?
OGS teams are wonderfully diverse. You will typically find:
- Qualified childcare workers (Erzieher:innen) with formal pedagogical training
- Social educators (Sozialpädagog:innen) specialising in work with children and families
- Career changers from sport, music, art or other fields
- Freelance specialists paid on an hourly basis
- Volunteers supporting the team
This diversity is a real strength. But it also makes consistent quality standards more challenging to achieve. Everyone on the team needs a shared foundation of knowledge – regardless of their background.
The Diingu course Professional Attitude helps teams develop exactly that shared foundation. It is particularly valuable for multiprofessional teams (teams made up of people from different professional backgrounds).
What Qualifications Do OGS Staff Need?
There are no uniform national qualification requirements for OGS staff in Germany. But practice and professional debate point clearly to the key areas of competence every team member should develop.
Pedagogical Foundations
Staff need to understand how children learn and develop. This includes:
- Basic knowledge of developmental psychology (how children think and feel at different ages)
- Methods for learning support (guiding children without doing the work for them)
- Approaches for children with additional needs
The Diingu course Pedagogical Foundations provides a clear and accessible introduction.
Legal Basics
OGS staff work within a legal framework. Key areas to know include:
- SGB VIII (Book Eight of the German Social Code – the central law governing child and youth welfare)
- Duty of supervision (the legal obligation to keep children safe)
- Basics of data protection (how personal information about children and families must be handled)
The course Legal Foundations of the Open All-Day School explains these topics in plain language.
Recognising and Responding to Child Endangerment
This is one of the most critical areas of all. Child endangerment (Kindeswohlgefährdung) refers to situations where a child is at risk – for example through neglect, physical harm or abuse.
OGS staff are often among the first adults to notice warning signs. They need to know:
- Which signs may indicate a child is at risk
- What Section 8a SGB VIII (the legal provision on mandatory reporting) requires of them
- Who to contact and how to escalate concerns
The Diingu course Child Endangerment prepares staff for exactly these situations.
Inclusion and Diversity
Inclusion means that all children participate in everyday life together – regardless of disability, background or language. In the OGS, this is not a theory. It is daily practice.
Staff need knowledge and skills in:
- Supporting children with disabilities or additional needs
- Language development (helping children with limited German language skills)
- Navigating cultural diversity in group settings
The course Diversity-Sensitive Practice in the OGS shows how to put this into practice. The course Language Development and Support in the OGS offers concrete methods.
Working with Parents
OGS staff do not only work with children. They are also a point of contact for parents and caregivers. This requires:
- Professional communication skills (staying calm, clear and respectful – even in difficult conversations)
- Basic conflict management (recognising and de-escalating tensions)
The courses Professional Communication – Working with Parents and Foundations of Communication build these skills step by step.
Supporting Learning Time
A large part of OGS work involves learning time support (homework help and study guidance). Staff should know:
- How to motivate children without putting them under pressure
- Which learning methods suit which children
- How to support children who struggle with learning
The course Fostering Motivation provides practical tools for this everyday challenge.
Challenging Behaviour and De-escalation
Children sometimes display difficult behaviour. This might include aggression, withdrawal or bullying. OGS staff need:
- An understanding of why challenging behaviour occurs
- Techniques for de-escalation (calming a situation before it spirals)
- Strategies for responding to bullying (when children systematically exclude or harm others)
The courses De-escalation Techniques and Dealing with Bullying offer concrete guidance.
Self-Care: Looking After Yourself Is Part of the Job
Working in an open all-day school is rewarding. It is also demanding. Noise, large groups of children, emotionally charged situations and limited break time can take a real toll.
Self-care (actively looking after your own health and wellbeing) is not a luxury. It is a professional necessity. Without it, burnout becomes a real risk.
Here are some practical tips for everyday life:
- Use short breaks intentionally – even five minutes of quiet makes a difference
- Communicate your limits – say clearly when you are reaching your capacity
- Seek support from colleagues – talk through difficult situations as a team
- Build in regular reflection – take time to think about your work and how it is going
- See training as a resource – new knowledge brings confidence and reduces stress
Resilience (the ability to cope with difficult situations and recover from them) is a skill that can be developed. The Diingu courses Stress Management and Resilience and Self-Care help you build that resilience.
Why E-Learning Works So Well for OGS Staff
Many OGS staff work part-time. Shift patterns vary. Attending in-person training is often simply not possible.
E-learning (digital learning via the internet) is a natural fit. Here is why:
| Benefit | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Flexible | Learn when it suits you – evenings, weekends, whenever works |
| Affordable | Many courses are free or low-cost |
| Location-independent | No travel required |
| Self-directed | Set your own pace and focus on what matters most to you |
| Repeatable | Revisit content whenever you need a refresher |
The Federal Ministry for Education and Research emphasises that expanding all-day care only makes sense if quality is guaranteed. [4] Digital learning formats are a key part of that quality equation.
Multiprofessional Teamwork: Growing Together
Open all-day schools bring together teachers, childcare workers, social educators, freelancers and volunteers. Each person brings different training and perspectives.
Multiprofessional cooperation (working effectively across different professional backgrounds) is a genuine strength – but it needs to be actively nurtured.
Key ingredients for good teamwork include:
- Clear agreements and open communication
- Mutual respect for different areas of expertise
- Shared goals and values
The course Multiprofessional Cooperation shows how teams can work together more effectively.
Related Training at Diingu
Diingu offers a comprehensive range of online courses designed specifically for OGS staff. All courses are free to access, flexible and written in plain language. Here is an overview of the most relevant options:
Getting Started
- Fundamentals of the Open All-Day School – the ideal starting point for anyone new to the OGS
- Legal Foundations of the Open All-Day School – essential legal knowledge made accessible
- Pedagogical Foundations – understanding how children learn and grow
- Child Endangerment – recognise, respond and protect
- Professional Attitude – understanding and owning your professional role
- Diversity-Sensitive Practice in the OGS – turning diversity into a resource
Deepening Your Practice
- De-escalation Techniques – staying calm when things get difficult
- Stress Management and Resilience – protecting your own health and wellbeing
- Professional Communication – Working with Parents – confident conversations with families
- Fostering Motivation – inspiring children to engage with learning
- Fostering Social and Emotional Skills – supporting social learning
- Language Development and Support in the OGS – supporting children with language needs
- Dealing with Bullying – recognising and responding to bullying
- Self-Care – taking good care of yourself
- Multiprofessional Cooperation – growing as a team
- Protective and Risk Factors in Childhood and Adolescence – strengthening and protecting children
- First Aid Essentials – acting correctly in an emergency
- Foundations of Communication – communicating clearly and respectfully
- Fostering Media Literacy – supporting children in the digital world
- Health Promotion – promoting wellbeing in everyday OGS life
- Foundations of Self-Reflection – getting to know yourself better
Sources and Further Reading
[1] Staff Shortage in the OGS: Causes, Consequences and Solutions (ktp-digital.de, March 2026) – https://ogs.ktp-digital.de/blog/posts/fachkraeftemangel-ogs/
[2] Staff Desperately Sought – GEW (January 2025) – https://www.gew.de/aktuelles/detailseite/personal-verzweifelt-gesucht
[3] All-Day Schools: Survey Finds Shortage of Space and Staff – Deutsches Schulportal (February 2026) – https://deutsches-schulportal.de/bildungswesen/rechtsanspruch-auf-ganztagsbetreuung-ist-das-zu-schaffen/
[4] All-Day Care Expansion Continues – BMBFSFJ (December 2025) – https://www.bmbfsfj.bund.de/bmbfsfj/themen/familie/kinderbetreuung/ganztagsbetreuung/ganztagsausbau-geht-kontinuierlich-voran-133604
[5] The Staff Shortage in All-Day Care from the Perspective of Practitioners – Reinhardt Verlag – https://www.reinhardt-verlag.de/uj20220606_rose_der_fachkraeftemangel_im_ganztag/
[6] Staff Radar: More Than 100,000 Professionals Missing for Quality All-Day Care – Bertelsmann Foundation (July 2022) – https://www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de/de/themen/aktuelle-meldungen/2022/juli/mehr-als-100000-fachkraefte-fehlen-fuer-guten-ganztag-fuer-grundschulkinder-bis-2030