Quick summary of key school information
All the details about this school in their own words
Nationalities
| Number of students |
At present the International Department has over 640 students across four locations in The Hague. |
| Number of nationalities represented in the school |
50+ |
| Most common nationality |
No dominant nationality |
| Ratio of local students to international students |
Entry to the HSV is only open to temporary expatriate families. |
Languages
| Native English speaking teachers |
Yes |
| Language support for students not fluent in English |
English as an Additional Language |
| Additional language classes offered by the school |
Dutch as the host country language (HCL) 3 times a week |
Classroom
| Max. number of students per class |
20 |
| Average number of students per class |
20 |
| Does the school employ teaching assistants? |
Yes in the reception (4-5 year old) and year 1 (5-6 year old) classes. |
| Use of technology in the classroom |
ICT skills are taught that support learning throughout the curriculum for all classes. All classrooms have an interactive screen with Internet access to support learning. Every class has access to the use of iPads or chrome books. |
| Is the school ready to use virtual classrooms when needed? (e.g. teaching lessons online if the school is closed, e.g. during COVID-19 closures) |
Virtual classroom technologies are in place in the event of home learning - teachers have a daily live check in with the class as well as small group meetings and online lessons. The children in the younger classes have access to SeeSaw and in the older classes, Google Classroom. All staff contribute to the online learning- specialist teachers as well as non-class based teachers to support those children who might need additional support. |
| Do students practice religion at the school? What religion? |
We are a non-religious school. |
Academics
| External examinations or assessments available |
The pupils sit a UK based Maths and English standardised test each year. |
| Results in these examinations |
Our pupils regularly score at or above the UK average in these assessments. |
| Do teachers assign homework to their students? |
Homework is set according to the age of the children and needs of the curriculum. |
| Approximate hours of homework given |
Homework is age dependent- it can be a story/reading practice in the younger classes leading to an IPC related project in the older classes, maths activities, reading etc as the children get older. We believe that homework should be meaningful. |
| Percentage of students who pursue further education post-graduation |
We are a primary school only. |
Student support
| Dedicated staff/programs for students with special learning needs |
Educational/learning Support is available for children with additional learning needs. |
| Learning support offered |
Teachers systematically observe and record the progress of pupils in order to highlight the needs of each child and adjust the curriculum as necessary. Therefore, pupil support is not only aimed at children with learning difficulties but also at children who can handle more than the regular curriculum. |
| The school supports gifted, able and talented students |
The HSV does not offer a gifted and talented programme. |
| Student access to education psychologist |
If children need an educational assessment, we can access this service locally with English-speaking psychologist. |
Admissions
| Entry evaluation for students |
There is no examination required to enter the international department. A school report (in English) is required to be uploaded for applicants to the year 1 to 6 classes at the point of application. For children joining the reception classes, we ask parents to complete a survey about their child's development as well as asking for information from the pre-school. We like to have a complete overview of a child before offering a place. |
| Waiting list |
All new applicants are wait listed but there is often availability in the older classes. Currently, there is a waiting list for the reception and year 1 classes for the 2020-2021 school year. |
| Deadline for registration (new academic year) |
We accept applications throughout the year and can generally confirm places for the year 1-6 classes from April onwards. Places in the reception classes are confirmed from January onwards each year. |
| Students can join after academic year begins |
Subject to availability, we are happy to accept new students throughout the school year. |
School day
| School start time |
8:30 |
| School finish time |
15:00 (Wednesdays 12:30) |
| Supervised care before/after school |
The HSV works with a number of After School Care providers, known as ‘BSO’ in Dutch. Most facilities offer childcare from the end of the day until 18:30. In the school holidays and study days, care at these centres is normally offered from around 08:15 until 18:30. |
| School bus service available |
No |
| School provided lunches |
Children need to bring lunch to school, we do not have canteen facilities. |
| Uniform required |
There is no uniform at the HSV. |
Extracurricular activities
| Sports activities included |
Children receive two gym/P.E. lessons with a specialist P.E. teacher each week. |
Facilities
| Sports facilities at the school |
Each school has an equipped gym. |
About the school
| Qualities and characteristics best defining the school |
The HSV International Primary School has provided primary-aged children with exceptional educational experiences since 1986. Our mission is to develop global citizens, lifelong learners. We offer the International Primary Curriculum (IPC), specialist subject teaching for gym, music and handicrafts as well as Dutch as the host country language lessons. Our English and Mathematics programmes are developed from the UK National Curriculum and we pride ourselves on the achievements the children make during their time with us. |
| Teaching approach of the school |
With the use of a hands on, stimulating curriculum, we develop children who are resilient, risk-taking learners. Teachers give the children the opportunity to work collaboratively as well as independently. We aim to promote creativity as well as develop a rigorous approach to core skills. We are a community of learners. |