Rotterdam school search
Rotterdam offers three quite different international routes. Harbour is an English-medium primary within BOOR, RISS is a subsidised international secondary with eligibility rules, and Nord Anglia is a fully private school from age three through the IB Diploma.
Start with your child’s age and the family’s likely length of stay. Rotterdam’s three main English-medium options are not interchangeable stages of one school.
Harbour International Primary School covers the primary years. Rotterdam International Secondary School, or RISS, starts at about age 11 and leads from International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) courses to the International Baccalaureate (IB). Nord Anglia International School Rotterdam is a private route from age three through Year 13.
Choose Harbour when a primary-age child needs teaching in English and the family’s circumstances meet the school’s international-education rules. It is part of Stichting BOOR and sits on Graaf Florisstraat. The 2026–27 school fee is €4,500, plus a one-off, non-refundable €300 application fee.
Harbour teaches Dutch language and culture for about two hours a week. Its own guidance says that this limited exposure cannot guarantee mastery of Dutch. That matters if you expect the child to move later into a Dutch-medium secondary school. There is also no school bus or canteen.
Choose RISS when the child is ready for secondary school and qualifies for subsidised Dutch international education. It has a junior campus on Bentincklaan and a senior campus nearby on Schimmelpenninckstraat. Grades 6–10 are on the junior campus; Grades 11–12 are on the senior campus.
RISS normally admits foreign pupils living temporarily in the Netherlands because of a parent’s work. It also has defined routes for Dutch nationals returning from, or preparing for, at least two years of education abroad. Dutch pupils who have completed HAVO 3 or VWO 4 may have separate access to the IB Career-related Programme or Diploma Programme. Ask Admissions to confirm the relevant rule before relying on the school.
Choose Nord Anglia when you need a fully private English-medium school, an entry point before primary age, or one campus route through the Diploma years. It is in Hillegersberg on Verhulstlaan. Admission runs throughout the year, subject to space.
Harbour is a primary school, so the next secondary application still needs planning. Harbour pupils have a separate RISS process after the Grade 6 information event, but a recommendation is not an automatic place.
At RISS, Grades 9–10 lead to IGCSE qualifications. Grades 11–12 offer the IB Diploma Programme and the IB Career-related Programme. The latest entry into either two-year IB route is normally 1 November. A transfer into Grades 10 or 12 is possible only when the previous programme and subject package match.
Nord Anglia offers an English-medium continuum and the IB Diploma at the end. That continuity is useful for families expecting another international move. It is less compelling if the goal is integration into Dutch education and local Dutch fluency.
RISS’s official 2026–27 fee booklet publishes annual tuition of €8,250 in Grade 6 and €9,340 in Grades 7–9. The figures are €9,060 in Grade 10, €9,980 in Grade 11 and €9,950 in Grade 12. New pupils pay a €250 registration fee and a refundable €500 security deposit. Harbour transfers do not pay the registration fee. Grade 11 also has a €590 Chromebook charge, while external examination fees are billed separately.
Nord Anglia’s 2026–27 annual tuition runs from €16,300 in Foundation to €24,500 in Years 12–13. Its additional compulsory entry costs include a €300 application fee, a €1,600 annual registration fee and, from Year 1, a one-off €3,000 capital-development fee. Learning support, secondary English support and transport can add materially to the total.
These figures use different fee structures. Compare the full first-year amount for the child’s actual grade, including deposits, devices, examinations and support.
The Netherlands guide explains the national system. The language guide helps with the long-term English-versus-Dutch decision.
The Rotterdam city hub keeps the school profiles together.
Friendly orientation, not formal admissions advice. Always confirm dates with the school.
Harbour offers English-medium primary education in Rotterdam under Stichting BOOR. Its 2026–27 annual fee is €4,500, plus a €300 non-refundable application fee. Dutch is taught for two hours a week once a child’s English is sufficiently developed. The school warns that this may not prepare a child for a later Dutch-medium or bilingual school.
RotterdamA private English-medium day school in Hillegersberg from age 3 through the IB Diploma. Budget for annual registration, support and transport as well as tuition.
RotterdamRotterdam International Secondary School provides subsidised English-medium education from Grade 6 to Grade 12. Students move from the Foundation Years to IGCSE and then choose the IB Diploma or Career-related Programme.
WassenaarASH is a private day school in Wassenaar offering an American diploma with IB and AP options. Families should budget for annual tuition and capital fees, plus a separate enrolment charge. Special Education carries an additional annual fee.
Start with the qualification your child would actually receive. Then check its subjects, language demands, and recognition in the countries where they may study next.
7 minStart with your child and the family's likely plans. Define the non-negotiables, verify the school's claims, compare three realistic options and visit with specific questions.
7 minTuition is only one line of the budget. Separate charges from advance payments, record what each figure includes, and ask the school to confirm your calculation in writing.
7 minA useful visit should help you picture your child’s school day and resolve the questions that matter to your family. Ask for concrete examples, then separate what you observed from what you were told.