Choosing a school and enrolling in school

In this article we will go into more detail and share the steps you need to take to find the right school for your child in the Netherlands.

The school enrolment process differs depending on the age your child is when they arrive in the Netherlands, so we will outline the main steps for different age groups.

Enrolling your child in primary school. Children up to 4 years old

Step 1: Register the child at the town hall, get the BSN

The BSN and the address where the child is registered are required to enrol the child in school. Example of the child's details requested on the enrolment form:

???? Step 2: Orientation / School choice

An important step in choosing a school is to familiarise yourself with the school or schools you are interested in. Some schools have drop-in time, others offer tours to new parents. Schools' websites provide information about the school and how you can familiarise yourself with the school.

Website https://scholenopdekaart.nl/ gives a complete picture of schools near you. Here you can find and compare schools, read about school profiles.

Most children attend a primary school close to home. There are practical advantages to choosing a primary school close to home:

  • time to school is shorter

  • you can often cycle rather than take the car

  • children can learn to cycle to school

  • children live close to their classmates so play dates are relatively easy to arrange

  • having classmates close to home often makes it easier for children to make friends who speak Dutch

  • it is easier for parents to meet new parents in their own area, which can also help with integration

???? The advice is to visit different schools so you can form a picture of the right schools for your child.

Step 3: Register your child at school

Before your 3rd birthday, the municipality will send you the primary school application form, which contains a lot of information about the registration and admission procedure.

Once your child is 3 years old, you can use this form to register your child.

It is not possible to register your child at a school before they are 3 years old. In some non-formal schools, such as Jena or open schools where groups work, registration is made a year earlier. This time can be used by parents to visit some schools with different forms of education to make the right choice for their child.

Take the completed registration form to the school of your choice.

Admission criteria: Schools are allowed to work with admission criteria. Schools can decide for themselves which of these 4 admission criteria they use and in what order. For example, schools can give priority to children:

  1. who already have a brother or sister at school

  2. who go to a particular pre-school that works together with the primary school

  3. who live close to the school. The school determines which area has priority.

  4. whose parent works in the school

The school will determine whether you meet the admission criteria. If you meet the admission criteria, your child will be given priority at the school.

Lottery: If there are more applications than places, a lottery will be held. If your child does not get a place at your 1st choice school, then the municipality will look to see if there is a place at your 2nd choice school and then your 3rd choice school and so on.

School response: You will receive a notification within 6 weeks from the school where you can enrol your child. If your child cannot get a place at a school on the top choice list, you will receive information about places that are still available and how to register (again).

???? Step 4: Registration

Once you receive notification of which school you can enrol your child in, you will then be able to make an appointment with the school for enrolment. Once you and the school sign the enrolment form, then you can be sure that your child has a place at the school for the next school year.

Enrolling your child in primary school. Children aged 4 - 5 years

If the child is between 4-5 years old when he/she arrives in the Netherlands, he/she can be enrolled directly in primary school group 1 or 2.

The steps for enrolment are basically the same as those mentioned for the under-4 age group, the difference would be the deadline by which the child must be enrolled in school. The choice of school must be made in a shorter time.

Step 1: Register the child at the town hall, get the BSN

After registering at the town hall and obtaining the BSN, the child must be enrolled in school as soon as possible (within 3-4 weeks).

???? Step 2: Choosing your school

You can start searching for schools in the area where you live and check the websites of the schools you are interested in.

Very useful is the website https://scholenopdekaart.nl/  which gives a complete picture of schools near you. Here you can find and compare schools, read about school profiles.

Once you have chosen a few schools that you would be interested in (2-3 different schools are recommended to choose the most suitable school for your child), you can email or call each school to schedule a visit and discussion with the school administration about the possibility of enrolling your child in that school.

If there are no places available at schools near your home, try looking for schools in a city a little further away.

At the meetings with the people in charge of the schools you can ask for a detailed explanation of how the educational system works, what is the method of teaching in the school, the curriculum they follow, what activities are organised according to age/group, the school timetable, what are the school rules for lunch and snacks.

???? Step 3: Registration

After choosing the school, you will fill in the application form and send it to the school together with other required documents (e.g. copy of the child's passport, BSN).

Enrolling your child in an integration school or school for newcomersți. Children aged 6 - 12 years

Children aged 6-12 who are new to the Netherlands and do not speak Dutch join the so-called newcomer classes  nieuwkomers school / taalschool / taalklas.

Courses for "nieuwkomers" focuses on learning Dutch and familiarising children with Dutch culture, with the aim that they will continue in mainstream Dutch or bilingual education after one year.

To find your child a place in a newcomer class, just follow these steps the usual primary school enrolment procedure. You can apply directly to the primary school you have chosen for your child; the school will consider your application and allocate a place in a 'nieuwkomers' class.

Schools for 'nieuwkomers' exist in most cities in the Netherlands, but it is possible that due to the limited number of places for newcomer classes you may not be able to get a place in the city or area where you live. In this situation you can look for a place in such a school in another town or nearby area.

Using the link https://www.lowan.nl/po/scholen/ you can find a list of nieuwkomers schools in the Netherlands.

Enrolling your child in the International Transition School. Children over 12 years of age

From the age of 12, children are enrolled in an international transition class (ISK international schakelklas). After registration, a child is first tested by the school so that their level can be determined. An admission interview may also be part of the admission process.

After testing, you will be referred to one of the schools with an international transition class in your city or area.

Schakelklassen in Amsterdam
Schakelklassen Utrecht:
  • Ithaka: https://www.ithaka-isk.nl/aanmelden

We remind you of Alina Filimon's article with useful information and advice about school enrolment which you can find on the RomPro Foundation page by clicking on the link:

https://rompro.nl/am-ajuns-in-olanda-cu-copilulcand-si-cum-il-inscriu-la-scoala

Useful links:
References:

https://www.denhaag.nl/en/in-the-city/education-and-childcare/registering-your-child-at-a-primary-school.htm

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dutcheducationgroup/permalink/2404780002904627/

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