Paul Morgan
Principal
We are aware that as parents you have many options for child’s education available to you in Amsterdam. At The British School of Amsterdam we appreciate that families moving around the globe have a lot to contend with.
We are the only school in Amsterdam to offer the full English National Curriculum leading to the highly regarded GCSE and A Level qualifications. This curriculum and qualifications are acknowledged in all countries, including the USA. And as you would expect from a school offering this worldwide educational standard, we have the calibre of staff to match. Unlike many international schools, a large proportion of our staff have been teaching here for many years.
There is however much more to be said about our staff than their abilities in the classroom.
You want a school where the staff know your child like you know your child – not just their name but their hopes, their anxieties, their quirks and their enthusiasms.
Here, we are split by age into three schools. This is not simply to create a friendly atmosphere (although that for sure is what you will find here). It is because we know for certain that for children of all ages, before they can achieve, before they can perform, they must be recognised for who they are.
Pupils can enter the school throughout the year. There are programmes to support children with learning needs and those gifted in a particular area.
Here, at The British School you can both live well and learn well.
| Number of students |
910 |
| Number of nationalities represented in the school |
47 |
| Most common nationality |
British, Indian, American and Dutch |
| Max. number of students per class |
24 |
| Average number of students per class |
20 |
| Does the school employ teaching assistants? |
Yes |
| Native English speaking teachers |
Our school has an international team that currently includes 24 different nationalities. |
| Language support for students not fluent in English |
We have an English as Additional Language Programme which offers support to pupils where their first language is not English. |
| Additional language classes offered by the school |
Dutch, French, German, Spanish |
| Use of technology in the classroom |
Every classroom has interactive whiteboards and in the Senior School, all pupils will use a laptop as part of their regular learning. |
| Is the school ready to use virtual classrooms when needed? (e.g. teaching lessons online if the school is closed, e.g. during COVID-19 closures) |
We are well equipped to hold lessons virtually using Zoom and have an online portal through Firefly to communicate with both parents and students. |
| Do teachers assign homework to their students? |
Yes |
| Approximate hours of homework given |
Depends on the subject and grade level. |
| Uniform required |
Yes |
| Waiting list |
No |
| Deadline for registration (new academic year) |
We accept admissions through the year as long as there are available spaces for the child's age group. |
| Students can join after academic year begins |
Yes |
| External examinations or assessments available |
IGCSE and A Levels |
| Do students practice religion at the school? What religion? |
No |
| School bus service available |
Yes |
| Dedicated staff/programs for students with special learning needs |
Yes |
| School start time |
8:15 |
| School finish time |
15:40 |
| Supervised care before/after school |
Our partner Majest provides supervised care after school and under usual circumstances we could run after school clubs. |
| Extracurricular activities or clubs offered |
The school provides a wide range of activities including football, painting, ballet, street dance, knitting, social club, drama, dance, sculpture club, basketball, yoga, chess and sewing. |
| School provided lunches |
Yes |
| Food alternatives for special dietary needs (ie. vegan, kosher, halal etc) |
Yes |
| Sports activities included |
PE lessons are included as part of the pupils timetables. |
| Sports facilities at the school |
9m high sports hall with ability to split into three separate sections and age-appropriate outdoor spaces/playgrounds for each of the three schools. |
| Qualities and characteristics best defining the school |
The British School of Amsterdam is an international non-profit day school providing world-class learning for children from 3 to 18 years. The school offers a stimulating and caring environment enabling your child to realise their full potential academically and develop the skills and confidence for a fulfilling and responsible life in a changing society. |
| Teaching approach of the school |
The British School of Amsterdam follows the National Curriculum used in England. The school believes that education should promote a love of learning, a sense of self-worth and the worth of others, a global awareness, a sense of responsibility and a sense of wonder. An education in the British School of Amsterdam is focused on the individual. It is about developing the whole individual and enabling each to become the best possible version of themselves that they can be. It is about unlocking potential and opening minds. |
The children follow the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum which sets the standards that all Early Years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe. It promotes teaching and learning to ensure children’s ‘school readiness’ and gives children the broad range of knowledge and skills that provide the right foundation for good future progress through school and life.
We follow the National Curriculum used in England where English and Mathematics are taught every day for one lesson each. There are key objectives that are taught through the lessons and each lesson is tailored to suit the learning ability within a class. Children who are new to English receive additional support and work in small groups either in class or as a withdrawn group. The children also learn Dutch and French. Those that are native Dutch and native French follow a specialised programme in their own language.
We use the UK National Standard Attainment Tests (SATS) to test children formally at the end of each year in English and Mathematics, and these tests are externally marked at the end of Key Stage 2 (end of Year 6). We get very good results from our pupils, typically performing well above national averages.
The Senior School is for children between the ages of 11 to 18. The School offers a stimulating environment and the maximum class size is 22. The pupils benefit from smaller teaching groups in the upper years and in our Sixth Form. Classrooms are used by a range of subjects, alongside specialist rooms equipped for Science, Computing, Music, Drama, Art and PE. The Senior School timetable, split over a two week period, enables a broad and balanced curriculum.
The Senior School follows the National Curriculum used in England where Years 7 to 9 follow the Key Stage 3 Curriculum, Years 10 and 11 study a combination of IGCSEs and GCSEs and the Sixth form follows the A Level programme.
A fabulous city deserves a fabulous school. We have just moved to world-class premises on Havenstraat.
Our new home has brought together all our schools under one roof. This has great advantages for parents with children of different ages, but architecturally we have made sure that each school keeps its own age-appropriate character, and remains small enough to preserve the feeling of a close-knit community.
The building has been totally re-engineered and re-designed and now offers all the forward-looking facilities needed for the best teaching and learning experience for children aged 3 to 18. Our facilities include a magnificent sports hall, a full-sized theatre, fully equipped science laboratories and specially designed music rooms.
We are delighted that you are considering sending your child to The British School of Amsterdam.
We realise that choosing the right school is a big decision which is why we are here to help guide you every step of the way.
Our Admissions Team would be more than happy to help with any questions you may have.
