At the British School in the Netherlands, an education is for life, not just for childhood. Read on to find out how they prepare each student for a bright future.
When you are moving to a new country, you want to know that the education your child receives is at least as good as the schooling they had back home. And once they have left school, you want them prepared for the road ahead – which, for expatriates, may well be trans-global.
The British School in the Netherlands provides a first-class international education for children of all nationalities aged 4-18. And it is an education which goes way beyond what takes place in lessons.
Academic Excellence
BSN students leave school with the academic credentials that universities are seeking. In 2018, there was a 100% pass rate for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (78% worldwide) with an average score of 34 points. Four students got 41 points and above, including two with 44 points, putting them in the top 1% of students worldwide. 97.9% of students passed their GCE A-levels with a grade A* to E, with one in three grades and A* or A.
Cultural and Social Enrichment
In addition to an inventory of excellent qualifications, the BSN students are rounded individuals with “a cultural awareness that is extremely mature” (ISI).
One of the reasons for this is surely the abundant arts provision at the school. There are concerts, school bands, orchestras, musicals, plays, and dance performances. These foster tenacity, reliability, and self-confidence and – above all – are enormous fun for the children.
The extra-curricular offer at BSN is prodigious and prepares them for a bright future. Junior school students have a huge choice of activities, such as Choir, Young Engineer, and Journalism. In the senior school, clubs like Debating, STEM club, and Young Enterprise lay a great foundation for the world of work post-BSN.
With a timetable of tournaments all over Europe and specialist sports leadership training, the BSN nurtures your child’s talents and teaches sportsmanship, deeming it a skill for life.
Outside the school, the BSN organises an array of exciting excursions and residential trips for the children such as a team-building water sports trip for Year 7, Project Africa for Year 11, and skiing for students aged 11 upwards.
Life Skills
Central to the BSN’s value system is “preparing its community to be confident citizens and leaders in tomorrow’s world” and fostering the personal qualities necessary for success in the wider world.
Students are taught to be independent learners who are at ease with modern international life. Language proficiency is an important part of this so Dutch is taught from age four, while English support, tailored to your child’s needs, is provided for non-native speakers.
BSN students are at ease with technology and enjoy using it as part of their learning. There is, for example, a 1-1 iPad Programme from Year 6 (age 10) and there are various programming and computing clubs for older students.
Project work, field trips and a culture of questioning, ensures that the students’ are creative thinkers with strong problem-solving skills. “Their capacity for research, enquiry and creativity is high,” noted the ISI. BSN students are capable learners, eager to investigate, understand and evaluate – skills which will serve them well later in life.
The personal development of the students is taken seriously at the BSN. A Life Skills programme is taught from Year 8 and there is a (senior school) debating club, an active student council, and a student leadership system in the junior and senior schools. Students are trained to find their voice, develop self-confidence, and go out into the world as tolerant and knowledgeable citizens.
Your Window to the World
The BSN offers a world-class education that extends beyond the classroom walls. It is an education that sees the children as global citizens and helps them explore the fascinating world around them. It prepares them academically and culturally and helps them develop the personal skills they need to succeed. The BSN prides itself on giving students an education for life. School is just the starting point.
To find out more about the British School in the Netherlands, visit their new website or go along to their open day on February 6th 2019.
Note: The British School in the Netherlands has paid to be featured on Amsterdam Mamas because they believe that their services would be of interest and benefit to our readers, and we think so too. For more information on sponsored posts and advertising on Amsterdam Mamas, please see our Advertising and Disclosure policy.
photo credits: The British School in the Netherlands
Deborah Nicholls-Lee
Deborah Nicholls-Lee is a freelance journalist who moved to the Netherlands from the UK in 2009. She is the founder of Clean Page Copy, a proofreading and copywriting service for non-native speakers of English. See her website to find out more about her work.
