International School of Amsterdam

The school is located at Sportlaan 45, 1185 TB Amstelveen, The Netherlands.

Nursery; Early Years; Primary Years; Middle Years; Diploma Years.

It is an independent, co-educational day school. The school does not offer boarding facilities for any year groups.

The school has close to 1,300 students representing over 60 nationalities.

Lower School and Upper School Learning Diversity (LD) teams provide academic support during the school day depending on need and specialist evaluation. LD teams provide general counselling for emotional, personal, social and transition issues, and an Individualised Learning Plan (ILP) is developed for students with diagnosed learning needs. English Acquisition (EA) provides English as an Additional Language support, and university/career counselling is available in Upper School.

The school operates as an independent international institution and does not have an affiliation with any specific country or national government.

The school has no religious affiliation.

The standard school day runs from 08:30 to 15:25 or 15:30 depending on the grade level, with a delayed start time of approximately 09:20 on Fridays. All students have a scheduled morning recess and an hour-long midday break for lunch.

Bus service is provided through WND Services with door-to-door routes for families. Coverage zones and fees are published.

ISA provides an IB continuum from Early Years through Diploma. The school offers an Early Years Programme, the IB Primary Years Programme, IB Middle Years Programme and the IB Diploma Programme. ISA was the first school in the world to offer a complete IB curriculum from Pre-School to Grade 12. Lower School follows the Primary Years Programme with inquiry-based, transdisciplinary learning and an international perspective. Upper School delivers the Diploma Programme on site, with a range of standard and higher level DP courses, and an option to complete DP courses through Pamoja; English is the language of instruction with EAL support, and ISA offers language options including Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese and Mandarin, with mother-tongue language support available for several languages.

The Class of 2025 IB results were above global averages. The results reflect ISA's long-standing record of academic excellence in the IB programme.

Graduates have offers from top universities and institutions across the globe, including destinations in Amsterdam and worldwide.

The health, mental health and wellbeing of ISA students is of the utmost importance. Every student should feel safe, cared for and advocated for. Lower School Counselling and the Learning Diversity (LD) teams provide support for emotional, personal, social and transition needs, in consultation with parents. The Personal, Social and Emotional Curriculum is delivered through counselling and integrated with Units of Inquiry. Upper School Counselling and LD teams work with students, families and staff to support wellbeing and transitions; student voice helps shape safeguarding and wellbeing initiatives.

Lower School Learning Diversity (LD) teams provide academic support during the school day based on need and specialist evaluation. The LD team offers general counselling for emotional, personal, social and transition issues. An Individualised Learning Plan (ILP) is developed for students with documented learning needs, outlining strengths, challenges, classroom strategies and accommodations. External testing and specialised support are privately funded by families and can include psycho-educational evaluations, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, play and drama therapy, and tutoring. Assistance with external testing accommodations can be provided through the counselling/LD team.

English is the language of instruction. English Acquisition (EAL) support is available for students who join ISA with limited English. In Lower School, EAL is delivered in small groups or within homeroom until proficiency allows independence. In Upper School (grades 6-10), specialised EAL classes support listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing and presenting; intake testing determines level (Elementary, Intermediate, Transition). Home Language development is supported through a Home Language Programme and a Lower School Language Academy; multiple languages are offered as part of the regular program and language policy guides development.

The health, mental health and wellbeing of ISA students is a central priority; every student should feel safe, cared for and advocated for. The Safeguarding Leadership Team oversees policies and practices to create a culture of safety, with annual child-protection training for staff. A designated safeguarding lead and counsellors support student wellbeing, with a Response Team formed around safeguarding concerns as needed. External helplines and mental health resources are available to students and families.

ISA adheres to ITFCP principles and standards set by accreditation agencies, with a safeguarding leadership team and safeguarding committee overseeing policies and procedures. Staff receive annual training in child protection and recruitment follows checks on identity, employment history, education qualifications, references and criminal background; these checks are renewed regularly. Child safeguarding covers protecting children from abuse, preventing harm, ensuring safe environments and supporting best outcomes, and includes education about rights and safety. The school follows the Dutch Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Reporting Code Act and uses a formal reporting code with steps to identify signs, consult with colleagues, talk with the student and parents, assess risk, and decide on actions, including reporting to Veilig Thuis when required (police involvement only in extreme cases).

1. ISA's application process is online. New families should start by completing an online inquiry form to receive information, then use the online application portal to submit an online application. An application is considered started when the application fee is paid and the Student Application and Household Information sections are completed, and this date is used to prioritise space in each grade level.

2. Review and admissions decision. Once an applicant's file is fully complete, it is reviewed by key faculty and staff, including the Admissions Office and the Head of Lower or Upper School. Families receive an email with notification of the admissions decision and information regarding space availability. The school reserves the right to refuse admission for reasons considered relevant by the school. Grade placement is evaluated based on previous school records and other supporting documents, with input from the family but the final decision resting with the appropriate Head of School.

3. Grade placement and criteria. Admissions decisions are based on a committee review of each candidate's previous school experience, social-emotional development and behaviour, and linguistic background. Priority consideration is given to applicants with siblings currently enrolled at ISA, to international families, and to applications received earlier. The Admissions Committee comprises the Director of Admissions, the Admissions Officer, the Head of School, counsellors, learning support specialists, grade level coordinators, the school nurse and/or other faculty as appropriate.

4. English proficiency requirements. ISA seeks to serve an international community and English is the main language of instruction, so the school supports students' English development to access the programmes offered. English proficiency requirements: students may join without any prior English language proficiency until Grade 9; students entering Grade 10 must demonstrate a minimum of intermediate proficiency, and students entering Grade 11 must demonstrate advanced proficiency. English as an Additional Language support is not available for students in Grades 11 and 12.

5. Entrance to Grades 11–12 (IB Diploma Programme). Applicants wishing to enter ISA in Grade 11 undertake placement assessments to determine suitable pathways through to graduation. Students wishing to enter the IB Diploma programme must join Grade 11 by October 1, as two years are required to complete the courses; entrance criteria for the full diploma programme and IB Diploma courses are contained in the IB Diploma Course Descriptions Guide. ISA offers the Diploma Programme with courses across Groups 1–6 and also provides the option of online DP courses through Pamoja.