Learning

We have a high level of focus on international education enabling students to continue their education anywhere in the world. We teach English, celebrate home languages and make sure our students also learn Dutch, enabling them to participate in Dutch society.

We also offer an additional learning pathway, our Dutch Enrichment Programme (DEP) with both English and Dutch as languages of instruction running from groups 6 – 8. This prepares for secondary education in the Netherlands.

All Dutch international schools are a member of either IB Primary Year Program, (IBPYP) or the International Primary Curriculum (IPC). This gives us the opportunity to really work together in a community of Dutch International Schools.

Optimist International School follows the International Primary Curriculum (IPC). Learning guidance is taken from the British National Curriculum (NC) for language and mathematics.

IPC is an internationally recognised comprehensive theme based and creative curriculum with a clear learning focus on a combination of academic subject, personal and international learning. The great thing about IPC schools is that no matter where they are located in the world, they follow the same fundamental approach to learning, allowing students to seamlessly pick up their studies where they left off when moving countries.

In a world that is increasingly interconnected, IPC makes a point of fostering an international, inquisitive and growth mindset.  We embrace each child’s continuous learning journey; ‘Bringing out your child’s inner magic’.

Through our school-wide programme for Personal, Social, Health and Well-being Education (PSHE) we explicitly teach strategies for managing emotions, stress and relationships effectively, promoting positive self-esteem, resilience and self-awareness

Along with our class teachers and learning support assistants, we also have specialist teachers for additional support in English, Dutch as an additional language (DAL), Mathematics and Physical Education (PE). We offer sport, art, music and dance as part of our IPC learning, and also as extra project-based activities during school time, sometimes in collaboration with external providers.