International schools in the Netherlands: choose the school before the house

A new job gives a family a reason to move. A school helps them imagine actually living there. Somewhere between the offer and the housing search, the question becomes very immediate: where will our child spend the day, and will they feel comfortable walking through the door?

That is a lot to ask a prospectus to answer. The curriculum and the fees matter, but so do the welcome, the journey, and whether your child can picture finding a friend. These five schools offer different possibilities. Start with the one your family could make a life around, and give yourself time to look beyond the first impression.

A place to learn. A place to belong.

Look closely at the day your child would have.

• In the classroom

  A language and learning route they can grow into.

• Between lessons

  Friends, a familiar adult, and somewhere to ask for help.

Let your child have a say

A visit can reveal things a prospectus never will.

Compare the options on the same basis

Start with the year group and the educational route your child can actually join. Ask each school the same questions about language support, learning needs, subject choices, and qualifications. For an older child, moving between curricula can affect which courses they can finish and when. For a younger child, the language of daily teaching and the support available during the first months may matter more.

The five profiles below follow alphabetical order, ignoring “The.” Each covers location, curriculum, and questions for admissions. Use the same checklist during visits, and record the answers while they are fresh. A prospectus describes the school as a whole; your decision depends on the place and support available for one child.

Five school profiles

British School in the Netherlands

British school traditions meet a broadly international community here. With nearly 90 nationalities, BSN offers a familiar educational rhythm for families coming from British schools, alongside plenty of different backgrounds. The choice of campus will shape the everyday experience.

LocationThe Hague and Voorschoten area

The British School in the Netherlands offers British schooling. Its sixth-form pathways include A levels, the IB Diploma, the IB Career-related Programme, and BTEC qualifications.

Ask which campus offers the subjects and qualifications your child needs, how their schoolwork would transfer, and what language or learning support is available. Test the journey to that specific campus.

European School Bergen

ESB has a particularly lovely idea at its heart: children can put down new roots while keeping their own language and heritage close. Its multilingual approach makes room for several ways of belonging. For a family building a life across countries, that combination of familiarity, curiosity, and connection is deeply appealing.

LocationBergen and the Alkmaar area

European School Bergen follows the European Schools curriculum towards the European Baccalaureate. Nursery and primary have English, Dutch, and French language sections, with a second language beginning in the first primary year.

Ask about language-section placement and support for joining midway through a school cycle. Confirm the timetable for the planned relocation to Alkmaar before choosing housing.

International School Eindhoven

The park-like campus gives ISE a spacious, green setting on the edge of the city. Historic and modern buildings sit together, making the surroundings part of its appeal. It is worth allowing time to walk the grounds when you visit.

LocationEindhoven

The International School Eindhoven has international and Dutch bilingual primary departments, alongside IB secondary education. The different primary routes make the language of instruction a useful early question for families considering a longer stay.

Ask which department your child can join, what language and learning support is available, and how the route continues into secondary school. Check the location of that department when comparing journeys.

International School of Amsterdam

ISA offers the scale and variety of a well-established international campus. Its community spans more than 60 nationalities, with children following the IB through successive school stages. Families who enjoy a broad international social world may find that especially attractive.

LocationAmstelveen

The International School of Amsterdam offers the IB Primary Years, Middle Years, and Diploma programmes. For a child already following an IB curriculum, this provides a starting point for discussing continuity in subjects and coursework.

Ask how your child's progress would transfer, which subjects are available, and what language or learning support they could receive. Test the daily journey to Amstelveen.

International School of The Hague

ISH puts visible effort into helping families find their way into school life. Its parent associations and Connectors offer ways to meet people and get involved. For parents arriving without a local network, those first points of connection can matter enormously.

LocationThe Hague

The International School of The Hague offers IB Middle Years, Diploma, and Career-related programmes in secondary. For primary, check the current curriculum with admissions; the school has announced PYP candidate status.

Ask about eligibility, places, subject combinations, and learning support. For a teenager, discuss how the arrival date affects coursework and examinations.

By this point, you may have a favourite on paper. A visit is a chance to see whether that picture holds. Notice the journey as well as the arrival, and leave enough time afterwards to hear what your child noticed. A small detail from them may change the questions you ask next.

School fees2026–27

Annual primary-school budget

Build the school into the household budget

The fee differences are large enough to change which homes, commutes, and working arrangements a family can consider. For an upper-primary place, the listed annual costs run from around €6,100 to €31,300 across these five schools. It is worth knowing that range before becoming attached to a campus.

These rounded 2026–27 figures include the recurring charges used in the chart. Joining fees, transport, care, and some activities can add to the bill. Bergen also charges for items beyond tuition, so its headline fee needs the same careful look as any other school's. Ask each admissions team for a full estimate for your child's year and language section, including what changes the following year. The schedules and calculation details are available under the chart.

Then picture the cost of an ordinary week. Who handles pickup when a meeting runs late? What happens during school holidays? A school that looks affordable on its own may mean a longer journey or more paid care; another may fit naturally into the day. Put those arrangements beside the fees while the housing search is still open.

Draw the week before choosing the house.

School, home, and work need to fit into the same day.

• The morning

  Try the school run at the hour you would travel.

• The afternoon

  Plan pickup, care, activities, and the unexpected late meeting.

Leave room for ordinary life

Choose a routine the whole household can live with.

Get answers before signing a lease

Contact admissions early with your child's age, current year group, languages, learning needs, and intended arrival date. Ask about a place in that specific year and section. A school accepting applications may still have a waiting list for the place you need.

State-subsidised international schools have admission conditions connected to a family's international circumstances. Check eligibility with the school rather than assuming an English-speaking household qualifies. Admissions policies differ across schools; ask each one to confirm the conditions that apply to your family.

On a visit, ask who would welcome your child on the first morning. Who helps them find someone to eat lunch with? How would the school tell you they were struggling? Ask your child what they noticed, too. Their answer may have very little to do with the facilities that impressed you.

If you expect to stay permanently, include a local Dutch school in your research. Talk through language support and the next educational stage. The right choice depends partly on the life your child is likely to have after this move.

Founders: make room for the school search

When recruiting a parent from overseas, discuss schooling before fixing an ambitious start date. Give them time to visit, introduce them to someone who can explain the local options, and be clear about any financial support you offer.

Put the details in writing: what you will reimburse, for how long, and what happens if their employment ends. Give the family space to make the decision. A recruit who can picture their children settling in has one less enormous uncertainty hanging over the move.

The decision becomes easier when a school stops being a name on a shortlist and becomes part of a day you can imagine. Your child knows where they would arrive. You know how pickup would work. There are still new things to learn, but the family has somewhere to begin.

Sources and selection

The profiles are alphabetical. School information and fees were checked in October 2026; current places and individual costs are confirmed by admissions. Fee schedules and calculation notes sit with the chart.