Quick Guide to our Admissions Policy
The mindset for students in learning and life
In a hurry? Fly through this Quick Guide below.
Got plenty of time? Please read our Admissions Policy.
Please note: this Quick Guide is a summary. The Admissions Policy contains the full and legally binding information.
About our Strategic Plan
At International School Hilversum, we work according to our Strategy Plan. This is the philosophy and framework behind our school approach, designed to prepare students to be Ready for the World. If your child joins ISH, the Strategy Plan also applies to them as a student. By registering for admission, you state that you as a family and your child attending ISH stand behind this plan.
For a more detailed explanation and practical examples, please visit the Strategic Plan page.
About Admissions
Admissions at ISH are handled with care. To decide whether ISH is a good fit for your child, we look at a few key elements:
Regulations by the Dutch government
Like all International Schools in the Netherlands, we must follow government regulations. These rules apply to everyone and exceptions are not allowed.
Level of development
In most cases, your child’s level is sufficiently shown through school reports and a questionnaire completed by their previous school.
Match with the programme
Through the IB Learner Profile, an intake interview and a questionnaire, we look at whether we see a good match between your child and our programme.
Additional assessments
Only if needed, additional assessments may be used to gain a clearer picture.
Please read on to see what applies to your situation. Further explanations can be found below.
For Dutch students applying to Bilingual VWO (Tweetalig VWO), the admissions approach is slightly different. Please refer to the Admissions Policy or visit our VWO page for specific details.
About Academic Expectations
ISH offers a challenging school programme. Students need to be able to keep up with the level of the grade they enter. At the point of entry, we check whether this is a good fit. This is mainly based on school reports and a questionnaire from their previous school.
About Age Requirements
Students usually join the grade that matches their age. This helps make sure students can keep up with their classmates. At the point of entry, we check whether they can follow the lessons, feel comfortable in the group and make friends in their class. If this is not the case, admission may not be possible.
About Language Requirements
At ISH, we teach in English. Students need to understand English and be able to express themself in English to take part in class. That is why we check in advance whether your child’s English level is sufficient. If this is not the case, admission may not be possible.
About Inclusion and Support
At ISH, we want everyone to feel welcome, safe and supported at school. At the same time, the support we can offer has its limits.That is why we ask parents to provide any information about wellbeing or development that may affect school life. We want to avoid having to pause an admission because important information was not provided from the start. If needs go beyond the support we can give, we will let you know as soon as possible.
About Enrollment Procedure
Enrollment at ISH is a careful, step-by-step process. You start by submitting an Interest Form with basic information. Based on this, we will let you know how to proceed.
During the process, this may include an intake conversation and the submission of further documents. If everything is in order and there is a good fit, enrollment will be made official.
For a clear overview of each step, please visit the Admissions page.
Good to know
Submitting an Interest Form does not automatically lead to enrolment for your child. Admission decisions are based on the full picture, not on one single step. Sharing complete and accurate information helps the process move forward smoothly.
Our decisions are always made with the student’s wellbeing and development in mind.
About Availability and Final Decisions
As places at ISH are limited, we take great care when making admission decisions. Meeting the admission criteria does not automatically guarantee a place. After submitting your Interest Form, you will hear from us within three working days about a possible fit and availability for your child. Final admission decisions are made by the school leadership team, based on the full picture. We aim to communicate our decisions quickly, openly, and accurately.
Let’s get in touch!
We’d love to show you around or tell you more.
View our FAQ & Contact page. Or read about Admissions.