Admissions process

Frequently asked questions about admissions

What group/class will my child be in?

Our policy is to place children with their peers according to their date of birth, thus taking into account their social and emotional development. The learning goals are set according to the child's ability within the classroom. When joining our school, the child will be assessed by our teachers and placed in the appropriate level for literacy, mathematics and IPC (within the classroom).  

Please find the detailed information on group placement below:  

GROUP PLACEMENT  - school year 2024/2025 

Group                             Date of birth of the child (from - to)  

0*                                    1st Oct 2020 - 30th May  2021  

1                                       1st Oct 2019 - 30th Sept. 2020  

2                                       1st Oct 2018 - 30th Sept. 2019  

3                                       1st Oct 2017 - 30th Sept. 2018  

4                                       1st Oct 2016 - 30th Sept. 2017  

5                                       1st Oct 2015 - 30th Sept. 2016  

6                                       1st Oct 2014 - 30th Sept. 2015  

7                                        1st Oct 2013 - 30th Sept. 2014  

8**                                   1st Oct 2012 - 30th Sept. 2013  

* Children in group 0 can only start at our school when they turn 4 years old, not before.  

**Only children who were in our school in group 7 can move to group 8. New applicants in this age group can directly apply to the RISS (Rotterdam International Secondary School). https://riss.wolfert.nl/         

Do you have open days? Can my family come and visit your school?

We do not organise any open days or group visits and prefer an individual approach. You are most welcome to come and visit our school. Do not hesitate to contact our admissions officer and make an appointment with her:

Véronique Zancarini 

veroniquez@harbouribsr.nl - tel 010 448 2266

My situation is a bit different and I am not sure whether my child fits your admission criteria. What can I do to verify this? 

We understand that some family situations are a bit unusual. If you are unsure whether you fit the admission criteria, you are most welcome to call the admissions officer or to send her an email to discuss this.   

How early should I apply for a start in August? 

For a start at the beginning of the school year, you may contact us in January (for example, for a start in August for the school year 2024-2025, we start the application in January 2024). 

You may make an appointment to visit our school any time. 

We accept new students and applications throughout the year (provided we have space in the particular group your child should be in). Children can start any time during the school year except in June and July (These children arriving late will be able to start with us at the end of August/beginning of September). 

When will I be informed that my child has a place at your school? 

This depends on when you apply and for which class. Our admissions officer will keep you informed and will let you know if we have space for your child or if your child needs to be placed on a waiting list. You will receive regular updates and if your child was placed on a waiting list, our school will contact you as soon as there is space for your child. 

Once the application process is complete, our admissions officer will send you an email confirming your child’s  enrollment and a possilbe start date. 

What is the enrolment procedure and when is my application complete?

Once our school has established that the child(ren) fits the admission criteria, you can start the admission process by completing all the following steps: 

• Documents: The process starts with you sending us copies of the required documents (see list below). 

• Application form: Once all the documents are received, you will be contacted by our admissions officer who will send you a link to our application form. 

• School visit: It is part of our admission process that our admission officer meets your family and your child(ren). If you haven’t visited our school previously, we will invite you for an intake visit (very informal meeting when we can meet your family, explain to you what we do and don’t, show you the classroom, get to know your child a little bit...). This visit also helps the child familiarise him/herself with his/her new school and plays an important role in supporting your child’s  adjustment to a new school environment. 

We understand that this is not always possible (if for example you arrive in the Netherlands during the summer holidays). In this case, the school reserves the right to request additional information (such as the authorisation to contact your child’s previous school and/or receive from the previous school a letter of recommendation, etc...). 

• Application fee: In order to reserve a place for the child(ren), an application fee per child will need to be paid. This application fee is non refundable but it guarantees that we will have a space for you. The admission officer will contact you when this is due.  

• The school fees are not due until the child starts school. 

What documents do you require to start the application process? 

• Copy of passport showing full name and date of birth of the child (ren). .

• Copy of employment contract or letter from employer showing the family is here on a temporary contract or that the family has been relocated for work or study purposes (for ex, relocation package on contract). If your contract is not showing an end date, an alternative is for you to provide us with proof you are an expatriate such as a  letter from your  employer/University stating you will be here for a few years only. 

• Full copy of recent school reports (from the last two years). Please also provide us with the copies of any other assessments, reports or evaluations you might have (if applicable, for example, if your child received learning support, EAL... ). 

• We understand that parents of preschool children cannot always provide us with school reports. We will send you a few extra forms (intake) instead.