Primo pilot project launched in 16 Bremen daycare centers
In Bremen, all children must take a language test before starting school so that they can receive optimal support before enrollment. To reach more children earlier in the future, the Institute for Quality Development in the State of Bremen (IQHB) is currently testing a new language assessment procedure (Primo-Test) together with 16 daycare centers in Bremen.
New procedure at Primo-Test
The Primo pilot project no longer focuses on the first day of school, but on the child's birthday: children are now being tested even before their fifth birthday. Senator for Children and Education, Sascha Karolin Aulepp, emphasizes: "We know that we need to start language support early so that children can start school strong." "It's fantastic that we can reach children this early, actually as young as four, even before their fifth birthday. And children without a daycare place and their families get to know the daycare center where the language support takes place directly during the test," the Senator adds.
Targeted language support measures in the kindergarten transition year
In Bremen, more than 5,000 children undergo the language assessment process each year. All children identified as needing language support who are not yet attending daycare are automatically registered by the Senator for Children and Education at a daycare center to receive targeted language support during the so-called daycare bridging year. In 2024, nearly half of the tested children were found to have a need for language support.
New approaches in the Primo pilot project
In Bremen, language proficiency assessment and subsequent support are based on Section 36 of the Bremen School Law (BremSchulG). The amendment to this law, passed at the beginning of the year, was the first step towards making the process more flexible; in particular, the previous regulation regarding the cut-off date for assessment was changed so that the IQHB (Institute for Quality Development in Education) can conduct the pilot project. The test date is now based on the child's birthday, not their first day of school. Furthermore, up to four test dates are offered per year, allowing families to be offered make-up appointments in case of illness, for example.
Flexible procedure in 16 daycare centers
Since the amendment to the school law came into effect, the IQHB (Institute for Quality Development in Education) has been testing the flexible procedure in 16 daycare centers, primarily in Woltmershausen and the Neustadt district. Children from these centers no longer need to go to the primary school for the test; instead, they are tested at the daycare centers. Initial trials have already been successful. Now, the institute is examining whether the procedure can be implemented sustainably under the varying conditions in the city of Bremen.
Key innovations at a glance
- Testing takes place in daycare centers – the survey is conducted where many of the children spend their daily lives, and where children without a daycare place can end up.
- Multiple testing windows per facility – flexible dates replace the previous rigid deadline.
- On-site deployment of qualified IQHB test administrators – relieves the burden on schools, daycare teams and families.
- Digital testing platform on tablets – the organizational effort is significantly reduced by the presence of the test administrators.
Source: Press Office of the Senate of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, Senator for Children and Education, Press Release , June 23, 2025