International parents

Oldest school in Jordaan neighbourhood

At Theo Thijssenschool children first and foremost feel safe and appreciated. Team, children and parents work together on skills that we need now and in the future. This view on education was expressed by a visionary teacher: Theo Thijssen.

In 1947 Westerstraatschool was named after Theo Thijssen, who was born around the corner from the school (Eerste Leliedwarsstraat 16, now the Theo Thijssenmuseum). Theo Thijssenschool is the oldest school in De Jordaan, Amsterdam’s most beloved neighbourhood.

Our community

The ‘Theo Thijssen International Parents’ Whatsapp group helps new parents find their feet. We regularly organize coffee mornings and other meet-ups.

All parents are invited to chaperone school trips and help with activities in school. Don’t worry about not speaking Dutch yet: no matter your mother tongue you can assist with arts and crafts; walk children to the tram stop; read a book to ‘kleuters’ in your native language; cook a dish from your home country for the annual Christmas dinner or decorate the school for Sinterklaas!

Dutch or International School?

If you plan to stay in the Netherlands for more than 1-2 years, choosing a local Dutch public school like Theo Thijssenschool is a great option. Most of our 450 pupils (age 4-12) live within walking distance from the school, making it easy to arrange playdates, or to simply meet each other in the central playground (Noorderspeeltuin).

Around 15% of children starting at our school are ‘internationals’: their families recently arrived in the country and often don’t speak Dutch yet. Kleuters (age 4-6) learn the language through immersion in groep 1 and groep 2. Older children (age 6-12) go to an external newcomers class first and then join their peers in a regular class at Theo Thijssenschool (meaning: they usually don’t ‘lose’ a year). We have a dedicated NT2 (Dutch as a Second Language) teacher to assist children who are learning Dutch.

Parents are encouraged to keep speaking their native language to their children. It positively impacts the socio-emotional development of children. A well-developed mother tongue also helps with learning another language, such as Dutch.

Academic results

We do not solely focus on test results, we mostly use tests to monitor a group’s or individual child’s progress so we can adjust to their needs. That said, Theo Thijssenschool pupils consistently ‘perform’ above the national average in the final test in groep 8. The majority of our pupils (83% in 2021) are advised to apply for a havo or vwo secondary school.

Admissions

We welcome all children who are looking for a Dutch language education in a warm, but academically challenging environment.

Please send an e-mail to e.van.nifterick@ttsa.nl (Emma) for an individual tour in English (every Tuesday) or Dutch (every Monday and Thursday). Our principals, Francesca Hand and Stefan Roskam, are there to help make sure you have as much information as possible to make the best decision for your family’s educational needs.

Please make sure to include your child’s name, their date of birth, and your postcode in your e-mail.

NB Having space for everyone who would like to join us has sometimes proven difficult. Make sure to hand in the lottery application form in time (around your child’s 3rd birthday).

Is your child already 4 years old (or older)?

Please apply for a place directly if you have an older child (who missed the lottery deadline for 3 year olds). In that case send an e-mail to both Nienke Groenewege and Timo Bakker.

In this email, please state your child’s name, date of birth, your address, the reason for transfer, the desired transfer date and the name of the current school. We will contact you about the possibilities.

Fees and costs

Theo Thijssenschool, like most Dutch schools, is funded and monitored by the government. There is no tuition fee, only a voluntary parental contribution (€ 50 per year). The school uses the parental contribution (ouderbijdrage) budget to fund the annual Christmas party, the bi-annual Kunstweken (Art Weeks), and many other activities.

We ask parents to voluntarily contribute towards the cost of annual school trips and camps.

Children can go home during their lunch break, or stay at school under supervision (fee based).

Brochure: Starting primary school in school year 2023-2024

TSO (lunch supervision)

Almost all pupils bring their lunch to eat at school, supervised by volunteering parents. We ask parents to only send sandwiches, pasta or salad, no candy or cake.

After finishing their meal, children choose a fun activity inside the school building or at the playground outside. All activities are supervised by trained volunteers and professional . We have no waiting list for the TSO.

Preferred days can be indicated on the TSO registration form which you will receive from your teacher on your child’s first day of school. The costs are € 351,00 a school year for 4 days (Mo/Tu/Th/Fr – school year 2022/2023). Payments can be made annually, or every four months (October 1, January 1, April 1). Contact our coordinators to discuss financial aid or alternative payment schedules.

Our lunch break supervision (TSO) is organized by Caro Groenewoud (westerstraat@ttsa.nl) and Kim de Vries (tsoanjeliersstraat@ttsa.nl)

BSO (after school care)

In August 2022 we started a BSO (after school care) under our own management. Our goal is to create a home away from home, where children feel safe and seen.

Our managers, Miranda Lewis and Kim de Vries are both employed by OOadA, Theo Thijssen’s school board. Most of our employees work at Theo Thijssenschool as teaching aides in groep 1-4, and as BSO leaders after school. We think this unique arrangement will benefit both childminders and children.

Our BSO has different contracts and is open at all school holidays and studiedagen, except for the first two weeks of the zomervakantie (summer holidays) in July/August, as well as the week between Christmas and New Year.

We have all the information you may need on our BSO page (in Dutch). You may of course also contact our BSO coordinators, Miranda and Kim, via bso@ttsa.nl

Registration via button below. Please be aware that sending in the form does not mean your child can be placed immediately. Our BSO coordinator will contact you to discuss placement.