Newcomer classes

If you are moving to The Hague region for a longer period, you may want your child to attend a mainstream, government-funded Dutch school. With teaching taking place in Dutch.

Lots of schools also offer a bridging year (ISK), or bilingual education (TTO) for non-native Dutch speakers that wish to attend schools in the Dutch school system.

Children of international parents which do not speak Dutch can opt for various types of support.

Children from 4 to 7 years will receive extra support in school, especially around the age of 6 when they learn to write in Dutch
Between the ages of 7 and 12, children can attend special language classes, called schakelklas or nieuwkomersklas. International children attend these classes which last about a year. A list of schakelklas can be found on The Hague municipality website.
When your child is 12 years or older, they can go to a school which offers a language class, called Eerste Opvang Anderstaligen. Depending on age, educational background and abilities, children stay in this class for a year or longer before they switch over to the regular system. In The Hague, there are four schools that offer this
At both primary and secondary level there are bilingual schools offering classes in Dutch and English. The final exams will still be in Dutch.
Kopklassen are intended for children whose lack of Dutch language skills hold them back from achieving the grades they should. These programmes concentrate on making sure that a child can express themselves as well in Dutch as they can in their native language. For more information about Kopklassen in The Hague, see the website of Haagse Kopklas.