Ages 
The British School in the Netherlands is an academically strong, well-equipped school spread across four campuses (two junior and two senior) with beautiful facilities. Parents especially loce the Vlaskamp location for its huge outdoor area and proximity to the city centre.
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Overview
- Student numbers
- 475
- Curricula
- British
- SEN provision
- SEN considered case by case
- Pre school provision (up to 4)
- Yes
- Religion
- Non-denominational
- Fees
- € 16,950 - € 20,070
- Ownership
- Owned by an Association, a ‘vereniging’ in Dutch
- Linked schools
Head of school
Headteacher
Claire Waller
Since 2022, Claire Waller. Before being welcomed to The British School in The Netherlands (BSN), she was head of primary at Nexus International School in Malaysia.
Ms Waller is originally from Yorkshire, England and has three children – two of
Entrance
Main entry is at the start of the academic year, though entry is possible throughout the whole year. The admissions office works according to a very effective algorithm, placing almost everyone who applies, which usually means no waiting list. They
Exit
Students move on to one of the school's two senior campuses: Voorschoten or Leidschenveen.
Latest results
There are no results to show for this school.
Teaching & learning
Nursery to year 6 follow the foundation stage of the national curriculum, with the usual emphasis on reading and writing, but with a good bit of learning through play as well.
Years 1 and 2 are taught through a 'topic approach’ that’s expanded
- Curricula & qualifications
- British - National Curriculum for England
Learning support & SEN
There is no cap on the number of students accepted who need extra support. Every child is reviewed individually; extra fees charged as needed. Speech therapists are available on campus, as well as some specialists in the area of behavioural
Language support
Significant number of students start school with no or little English. From year 1, these children attend special EAL classes, for which they are brought out of the mainstream classes into a smaller classroom with a dedicated teacher. Some parents
Arts & extracurricular
Plenty of extracurricular activities are on offer eg music, dance, languages, art etc. Even the teachers participate - in tennis matches and bake-offs against other international schools in the region.
Sport
Plenty of space for children to run around and let off steam in the junior school's large outdoor playground while more formal PE (eg football, handball, netball etc) takes place in the sports hall.
Ethos & heritage
Founded by New Zealander Gwen Brunton-Jones (who was married to a Russian opera singer) as The English Kindergarten and Preparatory School in 1935, or so it was thought for a long time. In fact, it was only after high-profile 50th and 60th
Pastoral care, inclusivity & discipline
The school excels in providing new students a soft landing. To help them integrate, all new students get assigned a buddy, based on country of origin or common language.
Every represented country also has a ‘spokesperson’, introduced to potential
Classroom & community
The community is diverse, with students from over 90 nationalities and many different language backgrounds. British students form the biggest group, closely followed by Dutch. Many others have a European nationality (German, Italian, Spanish) and
- School year
- September – July
- Uniform requirements
- Yes
Money matters
The board of management – chaired by the CEO and principal and composed of senior managers within the BSN's teaching and business staff – meets every fortnight to discuss current affairs and take collective decisions. In spite of its size, the school
- Annual fee range
- € 16,950 - € 20,070
- Fee information
- The Annual Fees include compulsory (day) trips and residentials (Key Stage 2, 3, 4 and 5) and exams (Key Stage 4 and 5, and CNaVT exam).
Enrolment fee: € 2,000 (one-off)
Capital Fee: €2,000. Charged annually once a child reaches year 1, to ensure the school’s quality over the longer term and is applied to the development of the school’s infrastructure and facilities
The last word
The British School in the Netherlands is an academically strong, well-equipped school spread across four campuses (two junior and two senior) with beautiful facilities. Parents especially loce the Vlaskamp location for its huge outdoor area and
Accreditations, inspections & memberships
- Accreditations/Inspections
- Council of British International Schools (COBIS)
Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS)- Memberships
- COBIS, HMC, IAPS, High Performance Learning (HPL)
