Parent's Review of International School of The Hague in The Hague, Netherlands

What is the name of your child's school? (Please report on one school per survey.)

International School of The Hague

In what town or city is this school located?

The Hague

How would you describe this school? (i.e. American, British, International, Local, etc.)

Local that tries to be international

What grade levels are represented at this school?

all

How do most children get to school everyday? (bus, train, walk, etc.)

Public Transport, Bicycle, Car

How would you describe the facilities at this school? What extra-curricular activities are available?

They have sports after school, but only team members do train, while beginners are not even basic technique taught.

What has this school done to help your child transition from the curriculum in your home country into the curriculum in your new country? Are there programs to prepare your child for repatriation?

Holland was the new country and if someone has long term plans for their children in holland and is not sure about the child's academic capabilities , then ISH has nothing to offer as the MYP program is not recognised in Holland and therefor, your child would have nothing.

How would you describe the social activities available for parents through this school? Are there parent-teacher organizations?

There is a parent organisation , but no PTO. The school has a lot of issues to deal with and communication is not exactly their strongest suit, nor is their ability in addressing these issues.

What advice would you give to someone considering enrolling their child in this school?

For primary school no issues but secondary school I would think twice and try to obtain more feedback about the current situation.

The atmosphere between teaching staff and students is defintely one of no trust with no respect for each other. There are a lot of organisational issues within the school with respect to attracting staff, communication, proper planning of class schedules and interaction with students.

The teaching staff is made up of probably more than 70% part timers, which put pressure on scheduling and communication within the school.

Quite a few students have left ISH and opted for RISS in Rotterdam, which appearantly has a much better atmosphere and program. The MYP program offered at ISH is also a farce as, in Holland , MYP is not a recognised program, therefor if a student fails IB in ISH , all he will get is a diploma equivalent to the lowest form of secondary eduction (VMBO).

There has been very little openess from the school with regard to options available to children in Holland should they fail the IB program or do not get admitted to the IB program. If you do have long term plans in Holland and you do question your childs academic abilities (there is no stimulance provided by ISH to perform), then IGCSE's is probabably a better option for your child as at least your get certificates with which you still can go to college.

We have been in Holland for 3 years and sincerely regret having choosen ISH as school for our children during that time.

Homelike
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Homelike

We've partnered with Homelike, to connect expats and newcomers with temporary accommodations in Netherlands. If you're moving to Netherlands, rent a short-term, furnished apartment or home for the first few months from Homelike and take your time figuring out the best place to live in Netherlands.
Learn More