Netherlands · The Hague
ESH is an Accredited European School on separate Primary and Secondary sites. Category I pupils have a reserved place, while Category III pupils need statutory eligibility and space. Language placement is central to the decision.
European School The Hague (ESH) is a co-educational day school on two sites. Early Years and Primary are at Houtrustweg 2. Secondary is at Oostduinlaan 50, in the former Aloysius College building.
ESH opened in 2012 and belongs to Stichting Het Rijnlands Lyceum. It follows the European Schools curriculum and awards the European Baccalaureate. It does not offer the International Baccalaureate or boarding.
ESH is an Accredited European School within the European Schools network. The school’s January 2026 provisions also use the older description “Type II Accredited European School”.
It is not one of the traditional European Schools run directly for EU staff. ESH is administered and partly financed within the Dutch education system. It still follows the common European Schools curriculum and Baccalaureate rules.
This governance distinction matters because ESH publishes its own annual fees. Category I pupils have admission priority and a reserved place, but the current fee table still lists tuition for them.
Category I covers children linked to designated European institutions and agencies. The current admissions list includes the European Commission, Parliament, Eurojust, Europol, EPO, ESA-ESTEC, EUSPA, EMA and Frontex.
The provisions also include certain European teaching staff and qualifying employees of other European bodies. The relevant employer or HR team must issue a statement confirming Category I status.
These pupils have a reserved place when properly registered. That does not mean every requested language arrangement or class is automatically available, so confirm both separately.
Category III covers all other applicants. A child may be admitted only when space exists and one statutory international-education route applies:
Category III families should secure written confirmation of eligibility. A complete application may still be placed on a waiting list because availability is part of the decision.
Primary currently has Dutch, English, French, German and Spanish language sections. The school says the Spanish section will be phased out by 2028–29. Secondary has Dutch, English, French and German sections.
Most teaching takes place in the language section. A pupil’s mother tongue, called Language 1 or L1, may differ from that section. Pupils without their own section are known as SWALS and join an available section.
In Secondary, every pupil takes English, French or German as Language 2 or L2. Language 3 is also compulsory and must differ from L1 and L2. Language 4 becomes optional from S4.
Humanities later move partly into L2. This makes the programme genuinely bilingual, but it also makes language placement consequential. Ask which subjects will be taught in each language at your child’s stage.
Primary lists additional mother-tongue tuition in Italian, Greek, Slovenian, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Czech and Finnish. Availability can depend on staffing and pupil numbers. Obtain the actual 2026–27 timetable.
Children enter the two-year Early Years cycle at age four. Readiness for Primary 1 is reviewed towards the end of that cycle. Early Years includes 2.5 hours of mother-tongue teaching each week.
The five Primary years lead to Secondary. S1–S3 form the Observation Cycle, S4–S5 the Pre-Orientation Cycle, and S6–S7 the Orientation Cycle.
The final two years lead to the European Baccalaureate (EB). This is a distinct qualification, not the French Baccalauréat or the IB Diploma.
EB pupils study at least ten subjects in two languages. Compulsory areas include L1, L2, mathematics, history, geography, philosophy, ethics and physical education. Students also build an elective package within European Schools rules.
The school states that the EB has the same Dutch higher-education standing as vwo, the university-preparatory secondary diploma. University entry still depends on programme-specific subjects and grades.
Applications use OpenApply. Standard documents include a passport, two years of reports, a current-school information form and all relevant medical or special-needs records.
Category I applicants add an employer or institution statement. Category III applicants add eligibility evidence and proof of the €300 non-refundable registration fee.
The school asks September entrants to apply by 1 April. This is a planning deadline, not an absolute closure. Later applications remain possible, but placement may be delayed.
Current-year applications are normally processed within two to three weeks after all documents arrive. Category III decisions can take longer because space matters. Secondary applicants from outside the European Schools system commonly take language and mathematics tests.
An application made more than one year early is held for later processing. A portal confirmation only proves receipt; the director must approve the place and the family must return the enrolment letter.
ESH offers basic support and can add learning or social-emotional provision. Primary works within Dutch passend onderwijs, meaning schools assess what suitable education they can provide and coordinate with local support partners.
Secondary support covers languages, mathematics, study skills, counselling and wellbeing. Language support is available in English, French, German and Dutch at L1 or L2 where applicable. Mathematics support is listed in English and French.
The public admissions material does not promise that every level of need can be met. Submit assessments and prior plans before placement. Ask the support coordinator for a written description of hours, language, staffing and any external cost.
| Stage and status | Annual fee |
|---|---|
| Early Years or Primary, Category I | €8,585. |
| Early Years or Primary, returning Category III | €8,585. |
| Early Years or Primary, new Category III | €9,440. |
| Secondary, Category I or Category III | €12,875. |
The €300 registration fee applies to Category III admissions and is non-refundable. The provisions do not list that fee for Category I.
Early Years and Primary pupils remaining at school for lunch are charged €315 annually for supervision. The January 2026 provisions restrict this charge to those stages.
The webpage’s layout appears to repeat €315 under Secondary. Ask Finance whether any Secondary supervision charge applies before calculating the invoice.
Tuition is due in full or in three equal instalments. The listed deadlines are 1 July, 1 November and 1 January. A pupil admitted after 1 June pays the first invoice within 21 days.
A mid-year start is charged at 100% in August or September. The share falls by ten percentage points each month, reaching 60% in January, 20% in May and 10% in June or July.
Laptop hire or purchase, optional residential trips, canteen meals, bus transport and after-school activities are extra. Ask for current provider quotes because the school does not publish a complete family-budget figure.
Use the official withdrawal form. Notice received before 1 May ends the agreement on 31 July without a further fee. Notice from 1 May through 31 July creates a charge equal to 10% of annual tuition.
During the school year, the charge depends on the last school day. It is 10% before 1 October, then rises by ten percentage points each month. It reaches 50% before 1 February and 100% after 1 June.
The provisions ask for at least 30 days’ notice. Dutch compulsory-education rules also affect deregistration. The school needs evidence of a new Dutch school, departure from the BRP register or an approved attendance exemption.
Cancel bus, canteen and childcare directly with each provider. Leaving ESH does not automatically end those contracts.
Achttax provides door-to-door transport under a separate family contract. ESH helps coordinate but is not responsible for routes, pick-up times or financial matters. Obtain a quote for both campuses before accepting.
Primary after-school care is also external. Basker’s Maples site is adjacent to Primary, and the school lists several other providers. Place availability, transport, hours and childcare subsidies require separate checks.
Admission does not create Dutch residence rights. There is no boarding or school guardianship. Check family residence arrangements with the IND before relying on a school offer.
ESH is a strong fit for Category I families seeking continuity within the European Schools system. It can also suit eligible Category III families who value multilingual teaching and the European Baccalaureate.
It is less suitable for an English-only plan, a family outside Category III rules or a child needing a language combination the school cannot timetable. The two-campus commute also deserves a practical check.
Compare ESH with other options in our The Hague guide and Netherlands education guide.
Official pages and documents we read. If a figure matters to your budget or your application, open the link and confirm it is still current.
Friendly orientation, not an application. Dates, fees, and programme details move. Confirm everything with the school.
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