Amersfoort to have international school for primary education

Press release - Amersfoort International School starts in August

14 March 2023 – From school year 2023/2024, Amersfoort will have an international school for primary education, Amersfoort International School (AIS). The school, which will open in August of this year, will offer English-language international primary education to children from the international community in the ages 4 to 12 years. The school is founded by KPOA and will be linked to primary school De Kubus for administrative purposes. The school will be accommodated in the building of De Kubus on Noordewierweg.

With this initiative, KPOA follows the wishes and efforts of the province and the local authority to strengthen the international settling climate in Amersfoort and surrounding area. The school focuses on children from the international community in Amersfoort and surrounding area which has been growing steadily in the last few years. The prognoses indicate that this growth will continue in the coming years. With the start of the primary school, KPOA provides for a need in the city which there has been for some time. Children of internationals currently have to travel to international schools in Utrecht or Hilversum.

License ministry OC&W

The ministry of Education, Culture and Science has already granted a license which ensures that the school receives a subsidy and will fall under the supervision of the Dutch educational Inspectorate. AIS will be a so-called IGBO school (Internationally Oriented Primary Education) and will use the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP). IB programmes are focused on 'education for a better world'. IB schools are characterised by their commitment to high-quality and challenging international education. AIS has already started the authorisation process to obtain the official status of IB World School.

Experienced and qualified team

KPOA has appointed an experienced and involved team for the preparations and start of AIS. Jaap Mos is project leader and experienced as founder of several international schools, nationally and internationally. He will be the founding Head of School. Eryn Wiseman also has much experience with various national and international schools and will be PYP coordinator and class teacher at AIS. In the coming time, Jaap and Eryn will work on strengthening the school team further.

Accommodation on Noordewierweg

AIS will be accommodated in part of the school building of primary school De Kubus on Noordewierweg in Amersfoort Soesterkwartier. Until De Kubus will move to a new building, AIS will share the building with the upper school groups of De Kubus. In the summer of 2023, part of the building will be renovated to encompass the vision and educational programme for both schools. This attractive building is expected to offer sufficient space for growth in the coming years.

Amersfoorts Model: internationalisation and equal opportunities

At the same time as the development of AIS, KPOA has drawn up a vision on the contribution which the school can make to promoting equal opportunities and inclusion in the city. From this, the Amersfoorts Model has evolved, whereby the international school will form a knowledge centre for schools with educational opportunities in Amersfoort with regard to world citizenship, inclusion and equality.