International Schools in Amsterdam
There are 19 international schools in Amsterdam and the surrounding area, 3 of these are British schools and 7 are International Baccalaureate schools.
About Amsterdam
Amsterdam, the capital city of The Netherlands, has a population of around 850,000 in the city and 2.4 million in the metropolitan area. Amsterdam is well known around the world for its long, fascinating history and cultural heritage. It is famous for its unique architecture, extensive canal network and comprehensive system of cycle routes. Cycling is a very popular and easy way to get around the city, in fact there are actually more bikes than people in Amsterdam. Public transport, via trains, trams, the metro, bus and ferry, is also straightforward and convenient. Amsterdam is a very family friendly city with hundreds of playgrounds and child friendly cafés around the city. The Dutch, and their children, have frequently featured highly in, or topped, a variety of world happiness ratings. Dutch families combine traditional family values with mutual respect and a desire to raise independent children. They also have a good work life balance and parents share their child-rearing responsibilities. One little known fact about Amsterdam is that it has beaches. Strand Zuid, Dok and Sloterplas, around the periphery of the city, all have beach restaurants, water and sand.
Amsterdam Schools
The south of the city, Oud Zuid, with its leafy, green neighbourhoods and wealth of cafés and shops, is considered to be the most chic and expensive part of Amsterdam. There are many residential neighbourhoods with carefully preserved older houses and well built, spacious apartments. It is bordered by Amsterdam's largest city park, the Vondelpark and is home to Winford Bilingual Primary School, Lycée Francais Vincent Van Gough, The British School of Amsterdam and Amsterdam International Community School.
Further south is the area of Amstelveen, quieter, greener and yet still within 15 minutes of the city and the airport. Housing here is a little less expensive and there are more properties with their own garden. This area contains the enormous Amsterdamse Bos (Amsterdam Forest) and is home to Amity International School, The International School of Amsterdam and Florencius International School.
Further out of the city to the west is the town of Hoofddorp, leafy and green with excellent shopping, plenty of suburban housing and new developments underway. It is becoming increasingly popular with international families and has excellent transport connections into Amsterdam, Den Haag and the airport. Frequent trains to the airport take only 4 minutes. Hoofddorp is home to the Optimist International School and Gifted Minds International School.
To the north of Hoofddorp is the beautiful, old city of Haarlem with its cobbled streets and traditional gabled houses. Haarlem has excellent shopping and a great selection of cafés and restaurants. The residential areas are within easy cycle access of both the city centre and the North Sea beaches and Amsterdam is only 15 minutes away by train. Haarlem is home to the International School Haarlem.
Often likened to a miniature version of Amsterdam, Haarlem has a similarly picturesque old-world charm, with cobbled streets, winding waterways and gabled houses. Though rich with historic architecture, it's a lively city packed with culture, nightlife, dining hotspots and some of the best shopping streets in the country. All that vivid history inspires plenty of entrepreneurial vision too, with young digital businesses and agencies gravitating to Haarlem, while rejuvenation is a key characteristic (just look at the Jopenkerk, a former church in the centre, transformed into a thriving brewery, café and restaurant).
Another area that should be mentioned is Almere. Situated across the Ij (pronounced eye) to the north east of the city, Almere is one of the newest cities in the Amsterdam area. This area is built on reclaimed land and has a modern architectural aesthetic. Houses are modern and spacious with gardens and are located in small, safe neighbourhoods with plenty of good cafés, restaurants and shops. The area is very leafy and green with plenty of parks and playgrounds that many children cycle to on their own. Transport links are good and trains to Amsterdam take only 20 minutes. This area is home to the International School Almere and the International Primary School Almere.