Primary education for newcomers

Find a primary school near you. Here you can see which schools are near you. Note: Only enter your residential address and not your child's date of birth. This will show you all the schools in your area.

Make an appointment at your preferred primary school and provide the following details:

1. Name and date of birth of child(ren).
2. We live in Amsterdam from <date>.
3. Our address is <residential address>.
4. My child(ren) <do/do not> speak Dutch.
5. You can reach me at <phone number> or <email>.
6. The primary school will invite you for an interview.

Are you not getting a response from the school? Then contact us by phone and ask to make an appointment. Are you still not getting a response? If so, please call Leerplicht (Compulsory Education) at 020 252 8010 or send an email to leerplicht@amsterdam.nl.

After the appointment at the primary school, there are two options:

1. The primary school will enrol your child in primary school. If the primary school does not have a spot, the school will help you find another primary school. After that, your child can start at primary school.

Or

2. The primary school registers your child for temporary education with a newcomer group when your child does not yet speak Dutch. At the newcomer group, your child will receive extra support to learn the Dutch language. Children aged 4 and 5 do receive lessons at primary school. 

The primary school that registers your child for education at a newcomer group, we will now call ‘the main school’. The main school will give you more information and help you make an appointment with the newcomer group.

You and your child will be invited to an intake meeting by the newcomer group.

After the intake interview, your child can start at the newcomer group on the agreed date.

After about 40 weeks, your child will return to the main school. This is the school that has registered your child for newcomer education.