The British School In The Netherlands

The British system offers internationally recognised qualifications allowing access to universities worldwide and provides a consistent record of excellent academic achievement. The educational progress of our younger students is monitored through a mixture of ongoing classroom observation and assessment. Parental consultations take place throughout the school year both informally and formally.

At age 16 (Year 11) students sit their GCSE's (General Certificate of Education). This series of examinations usually covers 8-10 subjects which have been selected by the students, in consultation with parents and staff, some two years earlier.

Those students opting to remain for the final 2 years of school (Years 12 & 13) can choose to take a further 4 or 5 Advanced and Advanced Subsidiary Level examinations or follow the IB Diploma programme. It is the results of these A Levels and IB Diploma studies which will provide students with the necessary qualifications to enter university if they so desire.

The Key Stages

The British system is broken down into different key stages. Each key stage covers two or more years of a child's education.

The first of these is the "Foundation Stage", which covers children from age 3 to 5. Whilst entry to the BSN at Foundation 1 level provides an excellent start to a child's school life, both educationally and socially, children do not legally need to start school until the September following their 4th birthday - this is the point at which children start in Foundation 2. Foundation Stage, Key Stage One and Key Stage Two are always based within a Junior School and cover ages 3 to 11. The year groups go from Year Group Foundation 1 to Year 6. Click here to read more about the junior schools' educational programme.

Key Stages Three and Four represent the Senior School phase of a student's education. As students in Years 12 & 13 are no longer of compulsory school age, the term 'key stage' no longer applies. These two final years are historically referred to as the 'Sixth Form'. Sixth Form students at the BSN can choose between two courses of study, depending on their personal aptitude: the IB Diploma Programme or the A Level system. Click here to read more about the senior school's educational programme.