International School Almere

"International School Almere is a private international school located in Hilversum, in the Netherlands, offering a fully English-language education to students from early childhood through secondary school."

Serving children aged 4 to 19, the school provides a seamless, continuous educational pathway within a single institution, making it a practical and appealing choice for families who value consistency as their children grow and develop. The school delivers the full suite of International Baccalaureate programmes, encompassing the Primary Years Programme for younger students, the Middle Years Programme for early adolescents, the Diploma Programme for students in the final years of secondary school, and the Career-related Programme as an alternative pathway for older students who wish to combine academic study with career-focused learning. This comprehensive IB offering means that families relocating to the Hilversum area can enroll children at virtually any age with confidence that the curriculum will carry them through to internationally recognised qualifications at 18 or 19. The IB framework is widely respected by universities across the world, which is a significant consideration for expat families who may move again before their children complete their schooling. Founded in 2010, the school is a relatively young institution, though it benefits from its membership in the Alberdingk Thijm Scholen foundation, a well-established Catholic educational board that oversees a number of primary and secondary schools across the Gooi region. This institutional grounding provides the school with organisational stability and access to a broader educational community, while the international school itself maintains English as its language of instruction throughout all year groups. Hilversum is a leafy, mid-sized city situated in the Gooi region southeast of Amsterdam, known for its media industry heritage, distinctive modernist architecture, and proximity to nature reserves and lakes. For relocating families, the city offers a high quality of life and relatively straightforward access to Amsterdam, Schiphol Airport, and the wider Randstad metropolitan area. The school's location in this setting makes it particularly well-suited to professionals working in the Amsterdam region who prefer a quieter residential environment for their families. The international character of the school naturally attracts a diverse student body drawn from expatriate families, internationally mobile professionals, and locally based families seeking an English-medium IB education. Instruction entirely in English ensures that students from a wide range of national backgrounds can integrate smoothly, while the IB's emphasis on inquiry, international-mindedness, and intercultural awareness shapes the broader ethos of the school community. For families considering a move to the Netherlands, International School Almere offers a distinctive combination: the full IB continuum from age 4 to 19, an English-language environment, institutional backing from an established regional educational foundation, and a location in one of the most liveable parts of the greater Amsterdam area. Together, these qualities make it a compelling option for expat and internationally minded families seeking academic rigour, continuity, and a genuinely global perspective for their children.