Choosing a school in Eindhoven: ISE or a Dutch bilingual route

International School Eindhoven, or ISE, and Stedelijk College Eindhoven answer different needs. ISE’s international departments suit eligible internationally mobile families seeking English-medium education. Stedelijk is a Dutch secondary route after primary school, with bilingual teaching available.

ISE has three distinct departments

International primary follows the English National Primary Curriculum, not the IB Primary Years Programme. It shares the Oirschotsedijk campus with secondary, which offers the IB Middle Years and Diploma Programmes.

Dutch-bilingual primary is on Jan Luikenstraat. It follows the Dutch curriculum, with approximately 70% Dutch and 30% English teaching. It can suit local families planning to remain in the Netherlands.

Attendance at bilingual primary does not automatically establish eligibility for ISE secondary. Ask about the later route before treating it as an assured transition to the IB.

Check international-department eligibility

ISE’s eligibility rules distinguish three family situations:

• A non-Dutch child has a parent or legal guardian temporarily employed in the Netherlands.
• A Dutch child has lived and attended school abroad for at least two years because a parent was posted abroad.
• A Dutch child will live with a parent who is being posted abroad within two years, for at least two years. An employer letter must confirm this.

A separate route into the first Diploma year, DP1, can accept a qualifying VWO 4 report or HAVO 5 diploma with adequate English. Send the precise family and academic circumstances to admissions.

Stedelijk’s TTO leads to Dutch qualifications

At Henegouwenlaan, Stedelijk offers mavo, havo, atheneum and gymnasium. These are different Dutch secondary levels and university-preparation routes; placement depends on the primary-school recommendation.

TTO, bilingual education, changes the language of some teaching. It does not replace the Dutch diploma with an IB Diploma. Ask which subjects later return to Dutch for national examinations.

Stedelijk’s TTO offer is for havo and vwo, not mavo. It teaches 50% of lower-secondary lessons and 25% of upper-secondary lessons in English. The separate IB English subject offered later is not the full IB Diploma.

Stedelijk also has an Oude Bossche Baan site. Confirm the correct programme and address rather than assuming the whole school follows the Henegouwenlaan offer.

Compare compulsory and voluntary costs

ISE’s 2026–27 fee schedule lists €6,690 for international primary. Secondary charges vary by year, reaching €9,466 in DP2. The Dutch-bilingual primary contribution is €2,499 and is voluntary.

Stedelijk’s contribution page reviewed still carried 2025–26 amounts. Request the current voluntary contribution and TTO costs rather than comparing an old figure with ISE’s new schedule.

For entry after Dutch primary school, use the current regional application instructions. The March 2026 window has passed. The Eindhoven hub and Netherlands guide link the relevant profiles and wider system.

Friendly orientation, not formal admissions advice. Always confirm dates with the school.