Top 10 Best International Schools in Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Florencius International School is an independent private primary school (3-11) and is situated in leafy surroundings close to Amsterdam. At Florencius we follow the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) and British standards. Our focus lies both with the academic and the social/emotional development of our students.

We offer small classes, individual attention and a warm and safe environment.
Because of our holistic approach, children at Florencius International School develop into positive but critical, self-confident global citizens. High ambitions also ensure we know how to get the best out of each student.

Our close collaboration with the Florencius Dutch primary school means that our school is an excellent choice for children and families who are interested in an international education, but also want to feel at home in The Netherlands or already have a home in The Netherlands. We are also the best choice for children who need a safe, small and familiar environment in order to develop and flourish.

De Nieuwe Internationale School van Esprit (DENISE) offers widely accessible international education of high quality standing in present society with broad awareness of the collective responsibility for the world we live in.

De Nieuwe Internationale School van Esprit wants to achieve this by offering a broad international curriculum as well as an anchor for life in The Netherlands. DENISE uses five different programs so every student can be served at their own needs and personal choices. Besides the academic learning goals DENISE also puts great emphasis on the students’ personal development. Qualities such as cooperation, thoughtfulness, resilience and adaptability are fostered in a systematic way. Finally, DENISE wants to be a place where parents actively participate and help form the program’s international profile.

DENISE stands for high quality international education, as well as an anchor for life in the Netherlands. It does so by offering an English-Dutch Dual Language program based on the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) for Primary education and on the International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC) for Middle Years education.

Through the IPC students learn to engage with the material in meaningful and exciting ways, such as inquiry-based learning and learning through discovery. Thanks to the flexible structure of the IPC, every child can develop according to their own pace and learning style. Besides the academic learning goals, the IPC also puts great emphasis on the students’ personal development. Qualities such as thoughtfulness, resilience and adaptability are fostered in a systematic way.

Our aim is to ensure that our students receive high quality Dual Language education from the first year on. Our Dual Language Program helps develop our students’ speaking, reading and writing skills building on their existing (first) language skills. With the help of an Dutch class teacher on three days and a English class teacher on two days, students are enabled to explore and learn in both languages.

The British School of Amsterdam (BSA) is the very best that British international education offers. An accredited provider of the National Curriculum used in England leading to the highly regarded GCSE and A Level qualifications to the international community in Amsterdam. In 2021, BSA students at A Level achieved 51% A*/A grades and 87% A/C, and for GCSE achieved 59% A*/A and 92% A*/C.

We have three school sections, the Early Years School for children aged 3 to 6 years old, the Junior School for 6 to 11 year olds and the Senior School for 11 to 18 year olds. Each has their own distinctive character that offers a stimulating environment where pupils benefit from small class sizes and truly talented teaching staff. Classes for the Early Years and Junior Schools do not exceed 24 and for the Senior School, we do not exceed 22 in a class. A high proportion of our teachers have experience in the UK and we can proudly say have been with the BSA for a long time, some exceeding over 20 years with the school. As well as an academic focus, our teachers recognise your child as an individual and know not just their names but their hopes, anxieties, their quirks and enthusiasms.

Our school building has some of the finest educational facilities in the city of Amsterdam including a magnificent sports hall, beautiful playgrounds, a large theatre, fully equipped science laboratories and music rooms. The school is located in Amsterdam Oud-Zuid near several green spaces, and is easily accessible for families commuting from different parts of the city and surrounding areas.

The International School of Amsterdam (ISA) is a globally-recognised leader in educating for international understanding. Founded in 1964, ISA was the first school in the world to offer all core IB programmes from the age of 2 to 18.

ISA offers a programme of extracurricular activities to add diversity to the learning experience and an important social element to the lives of the students from Pre-School to Grade 12.

Fine Arts
Art, Ballet, Building and Construction, Chess, Cooking, Dance Mix, Drama, Forest School, Kufara Marimba and Yoga.

Sports
Basketball, Cross Country Running, Field Hockey, Fitness, Fun & Gym, Golf, Gymnastics, Judo, Karate, Sailing, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis and Volleyball.

Music Academy
Piano, voice, violin, viola, cello, harp, guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, recorder, flute, clarinet, oboe, trumpet, trombone, saxophone, marimba, drums and songwriting

Language Academy
French, Spanish, Hebrew, Turkish, Mandarin, Hindi, Korean and German.

At ISA, we want our students to be strong – in both mind and body. Starting from grade 5, students can try out to become a team member on one of several seasonal ISA teams. While students compete to win, the main focus is to learn about sportsmanship, teamwork, dedication and leadership – all valuable life skills.

ISA is a member of the Northwest European Council of International Schools (NECIS), a sports organisation consisting of 11 international schools in Northwest Europe that focus on healthy competition, sportsmanship and full participation from student-athletes.

- Basketball
- Cross-Country
- Golf
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Track and Field
- Volleyball

Amity International School Amsterdam is a young and vibrant school based in Amstelveen. The school opened in February 2018 and is continuing to grow and flourish.

We pride ourselves in supporting and challenging every student to achieve excellence in their behaviour, academic work, sport, the arts, culture, citizenship, spirituality and relationships. We place particular emphasis on providing the students with opportunities to develop leadership and collaborative skills, as well as finding ways for them all to serve others and contribute to the wider community. 

Amity International School Amsterdam is a fully international school with students and staff from 39 different countries. Being such a diverse school allows us to learn from each other and helps your child to gain a better understanding of what it means to be a global citizen and internationally minded. 

Optimist International School Amsterdam is a primary school for children 4 - 11 years old.  Our wonderful new school building in Floriande, Hoofddorp (metropolitan region of Amsterdam) is well-equipped to offer a rigorous and inspiring international curriculum.

The beautiful Haarlemmermeerse bos and area around us provides our school with many opportunities for outdoor learning. We are a caring international community that guides children to become compassionate, committed global citizens.

We provide our pupils opportunities to discover and develop their unique talents. 

At International Primary School Almere (IPS) learning is our core business and International Mindedness is central to our school. Located centrally in The Netherlands, close to Amsterdam, we offer an opportunity for your child to learn and develop with a strong and balanced learning programme.

Within a 25 minute drive from Amsterdam, you will find International Primary School Almere. A diverse, international community of students, parents and educators, forging covenants in learning and teaching for the success of all learners. Our school fully believes and commits itself to integrate individual diversity and cultures.

In a safe and inspiring environment, our students discover the pleasure of learning and are challenged to become real-world citizens.

The Japanese School of Amsterdam (JSA) is a Japanese language school founded in 1969. It is a medium sized school with around 200 students situated in the western part of Amsterdam.

In order to improve communication skills, Dutch and English conversation classes are held from the first grade of elementary school. In addition, in order to enhance local understanding, education exchanges with local schools and off-campus learning are conducted. Through these activities, JSA will improve the international sense of students.

Gifted Minds International School (GMIS) is the first international school to be located at Hoofddrop that has approximately 2000 sq meters of a former office building with 4 levels ,has been converted to a school learning environment for international students.GMIS has raised the global bar for our students learning to golden international standards with our eclectic teaching approaches and pedagogical practices. Our current research based curriculum that caters to each individual child’s needs.

At GMIS,teachers and students invent,rethink,co-construct and innovate ideas for teaching and learning processes which are combined in excellence with equity for the paradigm of international education.All students and staff at GMIS have meaningful targets and measurable goals to achieve, for the pillar of primary school international education.

Winford Bilingual Primary School offers a bilingual education ratio of 50% English and 50% Dutch. We have created our own unique curriculum using the Dutch national curriculum and the UK national curriculum, both of which are linked closely with the International Primary Curriculum (IPC). Each classroom has a fully qualified English and Dutch speaking teacher. Each teacher speaks their native language to our students, and all subjects are taught in both languages. 

This helps Winford Bilingual Primary School children develop their communication and comprehension abilities in both Dutch and English.