Head of Junior School

The British School of Amsterdam is an independent co-educational non-profit day school providing world-class learning for children from 3 to 18 years.

BSA is currently the only BSO (British School Overseas) accredited school in The Netherlands. It broadly follows the National Curriculum for England, leading to IGCSEs and A Levels, and offers a stimulating and caring environment enabling each child to realise their full potential academically and develop the skills and confidence for a fulfilling and responsible life in a changing society.

The school was created in 1978 when three families, posted for two years to the Netherlands, decided to teach their children from one of their homes. The founding idea was that the pupils should not fall behind the British School system whilst overseas. Over time the School slowly grew to a Kindergarten, then a Primary School and by the turn of the millennium, a full Senior School was established. From this point, the School has catered for children from 3 to 18 years old. The BSA, which currently has over 1,000 students, has three school sections, each with their own distinctive character. The Early Years School is for children aged 3 to 6 years old, the Junior School for 6 to 11 year olds and the Senior School for 11 to 18 year olds.

The school is directed by a Management Board comprising the Principal and the Bursar. The Senior Leadership Team consists of the Principal, the Bursar, the Heads of Early Years, Junior and Senior Schools. The Administrative Support Staff consists of admissions, finance, IT, communications, facilities and HR. The School is a Stichting (Foundation) and has a Supervisory Board who has responsibility for the strategic direction of the School. The Supervisory Board approves school policies, all major investments, budget and financial statements, appoints the Management Board and ensures that the school meets all its obligations under both Dutch law and also the BSO standards. The School is non-profit and receives no funding from either the UK or Dutch governments.

BSA is an accredited school providing an outstanding British education to the international community of Amsterdam. Academic achievement is at the heart of the school. Each child will find an atmosphere of purposeful curiosity, essential for developing the love of learning that will propel them forward in the world they will enter. The school provides a proven preparation for entry to the finest universities in the UK, Europe and the USA.

In tandem with an academic focus, the school makes every effort to encourage every child to develop in other important ways – life skills such as confidence, good manners, public speaking and conversational ability. They also introduce the children, whatever their talents, to the joys and opportunities outside the classroom in the arts, sports, hobbies, teamwork and leadership activities.

The BSA is enthusiastic about its role as a hub and meeting point for families from all over the world. The nurturing of a robust and mutually rewarding school community is central to the school.

In February 2017, The BSA were extremely excited to have purchased a magnificent site from the Rijks Vastgoed Bedrijf as its new school location, in one of the nicest parts of the city, an area which attracts many expats. The new site is a 19th century monument within a residential neighbourhood. In April 2021, the school was delighted to move to its new site.  The school community are honoured to have had the opportunity to turn this former prison monument with its wealth of history, into a place to educate future generations of over 40 nationalities.

The building has been specifically redesigned for The BSA, to a high level of specification. All its three schools are now together under one roof with the finest facilities of any school in the city. Their appreciation of the historic importance is reflected in their close relationship with the Monuments Department of the Municipality of Amsterdam. The school will preserve the historic façade of the building as viewed from the Amstelveenseweg roundabout, restoring the classic view from the main road.

The new building has the capacity to house up to 1,200 pupils, although the architectural design allows them to keep their all-important ‘small school’ feel while also reflecting their focus on innovation, sustainability and pupil centred learning.

The school is currently seeking to appoint an outstanding, experienced leader to commence as Head of Junior School in August 2023. The new Head of Junior School will embody the vision of the school and be able to articulate that vision in all aspects of school life, acting as an inspirational role model to the community in the Junior School.  They will lead the Junior School effectively, ensuring the highest standards of academic excellence in a well-rounded and holistic educational programme, as well as inspiring the community to become life-long learners.