We are a private (B3) Dutch school offering bilingual education in Dutch and English for children aged 4 to 12 in Amsterdam, Haarlem and The Hague. Think of us as two classrooms for the price of one! Unlike international schools, as a Dutch school, we follow the Dutch national curriculum while also incorporating the UK national curriculum and the International Primary Curriculum within a bilingual environment.
Dutch and English are taught equally at Winford Bilingual – that means a 50/50 split. We are the only primary school in the Netherlands to offer truly immersive bilingual teaching, as well as the diversity of three curricula. Every child is taught to his/her ability and level. All our locations offer a high teacher-to-student ratio in a boutique school environment.
All the core subjects (maths, language, literacy, comprehension, writing) are taught equally in Dutch and English. We teach the International Primary Curriculum in both languages, which incorporates other subjects such as geography, STEM lessons, history and ICT. This is an enquiry-based curriculum where students spend six weeks exploring a themed subject. We supplement these three curricula with enrichment lessons in PE, music and art.
We also have a unique way of teaching. In our classrooms, we assign language by location, person and colour. When children are on the side of the classroom decorated in red, they know this is the Dutch side and to speak Dutch with the Dutch teacher. When they are in the classroom space decorated in blue, they know this is the English side and they must speak English.
The class splits into two sections, and the lessons take place simultaneously with the respective teacher. After the lesson, the children switch sides to have their next lesson in the other language. This consistent switching throughout the day helps children become fluent in both languages, ensuring they are truly bilingual.
All students participate in the Dutch national standardized CITO tests. As we are a Dutch school, all our students are automatically included in the Dutch lottery system which enables families to apply for Dutch secondary schools. This, along with the CITO results, ensures a smooth transition if you wish your children to continue in the Dutch school system.
On the English side we carry out UK assessments. Being a bilingual school with multiple curricula also means that there are more secondary school options available within the international school communities.
Our location in The Hague offers two options – our bilingual stream (for groups 1 to 8 following the three curricula as above), and a Dutch-only stream (for groups 6-8 following the Dutch national curriculum and the International Primary Curriculum in English). We plan to roll out this same model in Rotterdam by the end of 2025.
Winford Bilingual is also unique in being able to offer families 40 days of flexible holidays. We remain open all year except for two weeks’ winter holiday, four weeks’ summer holiday in August, and the national holidays. This allows families to have more flexibility in when they wish to take a holiday.
There is a mixture of Dutch and international families within our schools. Our student base is more stable than international schools, as we do not offer short-term enrolment.
Winford Bilingual is part of the Winford School Group (Winford College). Winford has been running for many years and offers private Dutch primary and secondary education in a small class environment, in many cities throughout the Netherlands. In 2023 Winford joined AcadeMedia, Northern Europe’s largest education company.
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