As opposed to the integrated form of the comprehensive school, schoolboys and girls at a co-operative or additive comprehensive school only stay together in the so called observation stage (which comprises the fifth and the sixth form/grade). Afterwards they are split up into the school forms of the threefold ("jointed") educational system, that is to say they either attend a lower, a middle or an upper secondary school form class. The teachers decide on this splitting up.
There is no separation in sports lessons.
Advantage: The schoolboys and girls stay in their school building.
Disadvantage: The final exams to take are not left open as long as possible. Permeability (i.e. going up and down in different proficiency courses) after the sixth grade/form is not any better than with the jointed educational system.

In 1968 Hamburg started with one integrated comprehensive school (Gesamtschule Alter Teichweg) and one co-operative comprehensive school (Heinrich Hertz Schule). Because of the continuously high enrolment figures a second co-operative comprehensive school location was set up in 2000, first as a dependency of HHS. Since the school year 2000/2001 it is an independent school.
Not a few people say it was a wrong decision to set up a second co-operative comprehensive school where there are all school forms already there thus endangering existing school locations, and at the same time having Hamburg districts with no comprehensive school supply at all.

In 2002 the new Hamburg senate has determined that the co-operative comprehensive schools in Hamburg should lead their students within 12 year’s time to the A levels (Abitur) since unlike the integrated comprehensive schools, they split them up into different proficiency classes (streams) at an early stage.

From a leaflet of a Hamburg co-operative comprehensive school:
"The traditional school forms under the same roof
(The co-operative comprehensive school) combines the merits of the jointed schools (steady classes with form masters and mistresses, appropriate demands) and those of the integrated comprehensive school: no premature sorting, no relegation, permeability through prospects of ascending and descending."

The CDU parliamentary faction in Hamburg wants to take away both Hamburg co-operative comprehensive schools from the combine of comprehensive schools. In future they ought to be called co-operative schools and no longer be under the control of the comprehensive school department. From grade/form 7 onwards both schools may also be all-day schools. (Hamburger Abendblatt, 26/04/05, p. 12)

Within the framework of the educational reform of the conservative-green senate the Hamburg co-operative comprehensive schools will be transformed into City District Schools.

 See also
ARGE - what is it all about?
Integrated Comprehensive School

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