It is known for the fact that a great number of its former students have become professional football players.

When the gesamtschule was introduced in North Rhine-Westphalia in 1969, the school was established as Gesamtschule Gelsenkirchen, and was the only one in North Rhine-Westphalia to start with grades 5 and 11, so that the first students took the abitur in 1972.

As part of the 100.000 Watt-Solar-Initiative für Schulen in NRW, the school was equipped with a photovoltaic plant.

Since 1995 it has the Talentzentrum Gelsenkirchen, and since 2000 the Fußballschule Auf Schalke/Teilinternat Gesamtschule Berger Feld.

[2] Among the students of the partial boarding school who have later become professional footballers are Mesut Özil, Sead Kolašinac, Manuel Neuer, Julian Draxler, Joël Matip, Benedikt Höwedes, Alexander Baumjohann, Sebastian Boenisch, Tim Hoogland, Michael Delura, and Alexandra Popp.