By Giulia Ceccon · Chief Marketing Officer
Dutch international schools follow the Netherlands' national curriculum or its English-medium variants for international families. Senior secondary leads to the VWO (Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs) diploma, which gives direct access to Dutch and many European universities. Many Dutch international schools offer a bilingual track that pairs Dutch-language teaching with English-medium subjects.
The learning pathway
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Ages 4–12
Basisschool
Dutch primary. Bilingual (tweetalig) tracks available at many schools, blending Dutch and English delivery.
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Ages 12–18
VWO (Voortgezet Onderwijs)
Six-year pre-university stream. Students pick one of four profiles: Culture & Society, Economics & Society, Nature & Health, or Nature & Technology.
Streaming and profiles
Three streams from age 12: VWO (6 years, pre-university), HAVO (5 years, applied-sciences pathway) and VMBO (4 years, vocational). VWO is the international-school standard.
Is Dutch right for your child?
It tends to suit families who…
- •Have Dutch connections or are moving to the Netherlands
- •Are aiming at Dutch or European universities
- •Value bilingual education (Dutch + English)
It may be less ideal if…
- •Your child joins at 11+ without Dutch
- •You'd prefer a globally uniform curriculum
Common questions
FAQs about the Dutch curriculum
Is VWO accepted at UK universities?
Yes — the VWO diploma is widely accepted by UK universities, including the Russell Group. Typical offers cite specific subject grades and an overall threshold (often 7.5+ average).
Do I need to speak Dutch to attend a Dutch international school?
Many Dutch international schools offer English-medium tracks, but at some point most students take Dutch as a subject. For young children, immersion handles the language gap; from age 11+ it gets harder without some Dutch.
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