Amsterdam International Community School

Since 2020 Rynette de Villiers. Previously director at the International School Utrecht.

By Dutch law, only non-Dutch families intending to stay in the Netherlands temporarily for work-related reasons may apply, but with no clear definition of ‘temporarily’, AICS seems to be a bit more flexible here than most other DIS schools.

On the

Some parents transfer their children to regular Dutch schools, usually because they’ve decided to stay in the Netherlands and think their children will integrate better at a local Dutch school. Although most of those students do well, they often need

In school year 2017/18, 88 per cent of the students in DP1 moved up to DP2. In the same year, 82 per cent of the DP2 students received the full IB Diploma, some of them needing multiple (max three) sessions to complete the full package. The year

AICS have developed the primary curriculum so that it seamlessly connects to the learner profiles of the IB curriculum.

Themes of the IPC are studied from different angles, integrating inquiry-based learning and FOSS science projects. Each

AICS considers itself to be an inclusive school, and is known to have accepted special needs students who have been refused at other (private) international schools.

Student support co-ordinators, and internal and external specialists (such as

For the majority of students English is the language in which they’re most conversationally fluent, although some need extra support at secondary level to cope with academic subjects and English literature.

ELA is offered to all non-native

Organised school trips to the world-famous local museums and school-wide projects with professional art teachers. School gardens for groups 6 and 7, where they can experiment growing and harvesting their own crops.

After-school workshops and

DIS (Dutch international) schools receive the same subsidies as ‘normal’ Dutch schools to cover ice skating courses and (obligatory) swimming classes. There's a yearly sports day plus football and basketball teams have occasional match opportunities.

Most parents agree that AICS offers a very nurturing environment for all children.

One parent commented that AICS could be a bit quicker in cracking down on disruptive behaviour, especially since IB is a serious curriculum.

AICS hosts between 55 and 70 nationalities, the biggest groups being Indian, British and American, with more economic diversity than in most private international schools. One new parent commented that she was 'happy to see more "normal" families

The school says there are some financial aid possibilities.

AICS offers a rare and – compared to most international schools – affordable opportunity to follow an education in English and get an IB degree. After years of long waiting lists, the school can finally offer places again - albeit not always at every