Despite being called The British School, we are in fact a huge international community and have a large number of non English-speaking parents for whom the transition to a different country can be particularly difficult. We appreciate that the move to a new country can be very daunting so we offers support to families in a number of ways.
International Representatives
To help support our international parents, we have a group of International Representatives - these are BSN parents who can communicate with people in their mother tongue and assist them in ways that, as English speakers, we cannot.
On arrival in The Netherlands these representatives will make contact with new parents from their country to answer any questions they may have and to welcome and introduce them into both the BSN Community and their own national expat community. These representatives are also happy to be contacted by parents currently just considering the BSN as a school for their child, they can provide help and advice on many aspects of school life.
In addition to this important role, the committee also meets 3-4 times per term and deals with a wide range of issues which are considered to relate to the international nature of the school community - or specific cultural segments of it. The International Parents Committee also organises a range of social activities and events and actively supports the social events organised by the PTA. The majority of International Representatives use these events as an additional catalyst to stimulate the involvement and support of their own international communities in school life.
Area Representatives
Area Representatives exist to help welcome new BSN families into their new residential areas and into The Netherlands. These representatives are provided with up-to-date information on new arrivals, both throughout the year and at the start of term. This information enables them to make contact with new families and provide them with any help and advice that they might need. One of the most valuable services is that of putting new parents in touch with other BSN families who may be living in the same area.
Community Welcome Packages are supplied by the school and contain a wide range of information about living in The Netherlands - these packages are distributed to newcomers by the Area Reps. In addition, with the support of the marketing department, the Area Representatives help host a 'Welcome New Families Event' at the start of the school year and provide them with any additional helpful information.