IPS Hilversum
"IPS Hilversum is an international public school located in Hilversum, a city in the heart of the Netherlands known for its media industry heritage and leafy, suburban character."
Situated within easy reach of Amsterdam and Utrecht, Hilversum offers families a quieter alternative to the larger Dutch cities while remaining well connected to the broader region — making IPS Hilversum a practical and appealing choice for expatriate families and relocating professionals settling in the area. Founded in 2000, IPS Hilversum was established to serve the international community in and around Hilversum, providing a quality English-language education to children whose families have made the Netherlands their temporary or permanent home. As a public international school, it brings together students from a wide range of national and cultural backgrounds, fostering a genuinely diverse and globally minded community. The school offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, one of the most respected and widely recognized academic qualifications in the world. The IB Diploma Programme, delivered to students in the final two years of secondary education, is designed to develop intellectually curious, knowledgeable, and caring young people who are well prepared for university study and life beyond school. Its rigorous curriculum spans six subject groups alongside core components — the Theory of Knowledge course, an extended essay, and the Creativity, Activity, Service requirement — ensuring that students graduate with both academic depth and a broader sense of personal and social responsibility. For families moving internationally, the IB Diploma's global recognition by universities across Europe, North America, and beyond offers significant practical value, easing transitions as students move from one country to another or prepare for higher education anywhere in the world. Instruction at IPS Hilversum is conducted in English, making it accessible to international families who may not yet speak Dutch and providing a stable, familiar academic environment for students arriving from English-medium schools elsewhere. This English-language setting, combined with the internationally oriented IB framework, means students can integrate smoothly into the school community regardless of where their education previously took them. What makes IPS Hilversum particularly distinctive is its status as a public international school — a relatively uncommon model that aims to make international education accessible within the Dutch public system. This reflects a commitment to serving the international community not just as a private venture but as part of the broader educational landscape of the Netherlands. For families who value that ethos, as well as the school's location in a pleasant, manageable city with good transport links, IPS Hilversum represents a thoughtful and grounded choice. Parents evaluating schools in the greater Amsterdam region would do well to consider what this community-focused school, with its established IB Diploma offering and nearly quarter-century of history, has to offer their children.