Netherlands · Amstelveen
An independent English-medium IB day school for ages 2–18 in Amstelveen. Check grade-specific English requirements, learning support and the full cost beyond tuition.
The International School of Amsterdam is an independent, not-for-profit IB day school in Amstelveen, south of Amsterdam. It suits families seeking an English-medium international education from ages 2–18, provided the child’s language and support needs fit the school and the family can meet unsubsidised fees.
ISA reports close to 1,300 students from more than 60 nationalities. Its Sportlaan campus is not in central Amsterdam, so test the daily journey. Door-to-door transport is available through WND Services; request the current route and price for your address.
ISA teaches the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP). The school dates its Diploma authorisation to 1979, the first in the Netherlands; MYP authorisation to 1992, also a Dutch first; and PYP authorisation to 1997, which it identifies as the first worldwide. It describes itself as the first school to offer the complete IB sequence from preschool through Grade 12.
These dates establish experience with the programmes, not a guarantee of an individual outcome. ISA also reports accreditation by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) since 1983, with a five-year review cycle.
The early and primary years use the PYP; Grades 6–10 follow the MYP and Grades 11–12 the Diploma Programme. The resources page provides age-specific brochures, curriculum guides, a school profile with IB results and information on activities and demographics. Read the guide for the intended year group, then ask to see that part of the school.
The admissions policy describes a challenging, university-preparatory education. The committee considers previous schooling, social-emotional development, behaviour, languages and the family’s commitment to the Statement of Community, which sets out shared expectations.
Published priority factors include siblings already at ISA, international families, applications received before the deadline and the date the file becomes complete. Programme needs, support capacity and alignment with school values also count. This is not a neighbourhood school with automatic admission.
ISA may admit pupils with mild to moderate learning challenges or physical disabilities, at the committee’s discretion and within its capacity. School staff may provide initial screening and classroom or group support. Additional private support can carry extra charges. Full documentation is required; withholding information can lead to subsequent withdrawal. Discuss any specialist needs before paying the application fee.
An online application is not treated as started until the application fee is paid and both the Student Application and Household Information sections are complete. That date affects priority. Grade placement depends on records as well as age. Full grades may use wait pools; ask about the specific year group.
The published age reference is before 31 August. Exceptions are rare and require the Director’s decision.
| Grade | Age before 31 August |
|---|---|
| Nursery | 2 (or Rising Nursery from the second birthday, then a further Nursery year) |
| Pre-school | 3, toilet trained |
| Pre-kindergarten | 4 |
| Kindergarten | 5 |
| Grade 1 | 6 |
| Grades 2–8 | previous equivalent grade completed before 31 August |
| Grades 9–12 | previous equivalent grade completed before 31 August, plus the English requirements below |
English-language requirements become more important around Grade 9. The policy permits entry without prior English “until Grade 9”; confirm how that wording applies to a Grade 9 applicant. Progression to or entry into Grade 10 requires intermediate academic English; Grade 11 entry requires advanced academic English. Grade 11 applicants take placement assessments to determine suitable Diploma pathways.
English as an Additional Language (EAL) support in primary may take place in small groups outside the classroom or within ordinary lessons, continuing while needed. In Grades 6–10, the school offers Elementary, Intermediate and Transition levels. Pupils at the first two levels may move up at the end of a semester; Transition pupils may leave the programme at year end.
The full IB Diploma requires entry to Grade 11 by 1 October. Do not assume a Grade 12 transfer is possible without checking prior subjects and programme compatibility. ISA also describes graduation routes other than the full Diploma; the course guide distinguishes their entry requirements from those for individual IB courses. Ask counselling to explain the qualification the proposed route will award.
Dutch begins through culture and songs in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten for pupils already confident in English. The standard Grades 1–5 provision is three Dutch sessions weekly, with two important qualifications:
In MYP, Language A—first-language-level study—is timetabled in Dutch, English, French, German and Spanish. Other home languages may be taught by tutors arranged with help from the coordinator and paid for by the family. The researched list included Afrikaans, Bulgarian, Danish, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Polish, Russian and Swedish; availability depends on the current provision.
In the Diploma years, Dutch and English Language A are timetabled. Other Language A literature courses may be school-supported self-taught at standard level: the school coordinates the course and the family pays a specialist tutor. Ask whether a rebate applies.
The separate after-school Language Academy meets for one hour weekly in three sessions of about ten weeks. It carries an additional charge invoiced by the school and is not a substitute for a curricular Language A course.
ISA receives no subsidy from the Dutch government or another external body. It reinvests revenue in the school and sets annual fees using forecast enrolment and expenditure.
The fees page publishes these tuition figures. They are not a complete first-year budget.
| Grade | Tuition |
|---|---|
| Nursery | €22,815 |
| Pre-school | €22,815 |
| Pre-Kindergarten | €24,870 |
| Kindergarten | €25,255 |
| Grades 1–5 | €27,710 |
| Grades 6–8 | €30,880 |
| Grades 9–10 | €31,895 |
| Grades 11–12 | €32,755 |
The linked schedule of fees contains the application fee, deposit, capital contribution, split-payment administration charges, transport information and withdrawal terms. The research baseline did not establish current amounts for these items, so they are not included here. Ask which deposits are refundable or credited to another payment before adding them to annual tuition.
For Grade 6, start with €30,880 tuition, then obtain the applicable additional charges. Include transport, the Language Academy or a home-language tutor if needed, along with any privately arranged learning support.
Choose ISA for a long-established English-medium IB sequence in Amstelveen, not simply for its international-school name. It is a stronger fit when programme continuity matters and the child meets the language expectations at entry. Its finite support capacity and substantial unsubsidised costs need separate confirmation.
Compare AICS if you need a subsidised international option and meet its eligibility rules. If the aim is Dutch havo or vwo rather than an international qualification, investigate Dutch secondary schools instead. A French route is another distinct choice: Lycée Vincent van Gogh has preschool and primary provision in Amsterdam, but collège and lycée in The Hague.
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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Compare private and subsidised IB schools, Dutch secondary education and French primary education. Eligibility, campus and the child’s next qualification matter more than the international label.
7 minStart 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.