Framing our annual school magazine, is a visual representation and celebration of every student who forms our diverse and inclusive community.
Looking back on a year at The British School in the Netherlands (BSN) with its four campuses, we are reminded of significant events, remarkable achievements, and proud highlights. Schools are wonderfully busy places, and ours is no exception! There is no shortage of moments to celebrate—performances, concerts, fixtures, trips, and social events, each impressive and meaningful.
Ultimately, the essence of a school lies in the vibrant community of people who bring it to life. Reflecting on the 2023-2024 school year, this is what stands out most, and we hope you recognise it in the snapshot of the BSN experience captured in Insight, our annual school publication.
Flipping through the stories and content, it is a celebration of our community: our brilliant students,
dedicated staff, and supportive families. The BSN experience is much like the cover artwork: many are involved, working collaboratively, each bringing a unique piece to the picture, and when it comes together, something extraordinary is created.
This year, we have successfully achieved accreditation through the Council of British International Schools (COBIS) and have been awarded Beacon School Status for excellence in student welfare. We are one year into our High Performance Learning journey and look forward to embedding this further to enhance our offer. We came together as a community throughout the year, and most recently at the glorious Family Association Summer Fair, which remains a firm favourite. Most importantly, we have seen the incredible progress our students have made over the year through their dedication, curiosity, and perseverance. None of this would
be possible without your support and collaboration. Thank you for being part of the BSN community!
We feel incredibly privileged to serve the BSN community and recognise our role as stewards, ensuring its continued strength for our current and future students and families.
The Board of Management
From left: Patrick Heuff (SSV Headteacher), Nitzan Kaduri (Chief Finance and Operations Officer), El de Libero (Interim Head of Communications and Admissions), Claire Waller (JSV Headteacher), Jonathan Clarke (Acting Head of JSL), James Oxlade (SSL Headteacher), Helen van Buuren (Interim Head of Human Resources), and not shown, Karren van Zoest (JSL Headteacher).
COBIS Accreditation
In March of this year, The British School in the Netherlands (BSN) undertook a comprehensive and rigorous accreditation with the Council of British International Schools (COBIS). Their review included the BSN’s provision and various aspects of the operations, including safeguarding and recruitment, student welfare, facilities, governance, ethos, learning and teaching, leadership, communication, and extracurricular activities.
We are delighted to have successfully achieved COBIS Accreditation and be awarded Beacon Status for excellence in student welfare. This is a high honour and reflects the dedication and commitment I have witnessed over my many years of association with the BSN, first as a parent, then as a Governor and for the last years, as the Chair of the Board of Governors. As a school, nothing exceeds the wellbeing of our students.
Ultimately, an accreditation is a quality assurance process rooted in school improvement. Like all organisations with high standards and ambitious goals, the BSN is driven by honest appraisal and regular reviews; standing still is not an option. Just as students are supported to reflect on their strengths, build on their knowledge and skills, and continue to make progress at every level, the staff at the BSN aim to support the sustained improvement of our school for the benefit of the children and young people in our care.
I am confident that the insights and ongoing partnership with the COBIS Accreditation Team will further strengthen BSN’s ongoing development and continued success. Most importantly, this will ensure that our students will continue to be wellsupported, make progress, and achieve their goals.
“The clear lines of communication and student-centred approach to physical and mental wellbeing is evident from the warm welcome that students and staff receive as soon as they enter the building, to the individualised support that is available in many forms across the school and within the curriculum.”
- COBIS Accreditation and Compliance Report on The British School in the Netherlands
Peter Bayliff OBE, Chair of the Board of Governors
geography spotlight Building Beautiful Biomes
In January 2024, Year 7 produced some outstanding work, exploring Africa’s biomes. Students first spent time understanding physical factors, such as rainfall and altitude. These result in a wide variety of ecosystems across the African continent.
With their detailed knowledge and understanding, groups of students then built beautiful models of desert, savannah, rainforest, and Mediterranean biomes. Students put in a huge amount of effort, including during breaks and lunchtimes, to finish their work. Models were then displayed in the SSL library.
All of the models included characteristic plants and animals, as well as features such as beaches and waterfalls. Students were inventive in the materials and techniques they used to produce realistic-looking representations. Their ideas included using hot-melt glue to produce the rippled surface of water and couscous to serve as convincing Saharan sand.
The project was part of a wider study of Africa’s physical and human Geography, including the continent’s mountains, rivers, deserts, lakes, and major cities. In Year 8, students will build on what they learned in Year 7 to study weather and climate in deeper detail. They will be able to apply their understanding of Africa’s climates and learn more about the factors which drive short-term weather and long-term climate.
Developments in Dutch Provision at SSV
The development of Dutch provision at Key Stage 4 (14-16-year-olds) in Senior School Voorschoten (SSV) represents a remarkable journey of educational evolution, adapting to our students’ needs and the external academic landscapes.
The starting point
For many years, SSV’s Dutch programme at Key Stage 3 (11–14-year-olds) allowed the most proficient students to take an early GCSE exam in Year 9. This early examination offered a significant advantage, enabling these students to focus on other subjects during Years 10 and 11. For students with less exposure to Dutch, Dutch remained an optional subject in Years 10 and 11, culminating in the same GCSE exam their peers had already taken in Year 9.
The pathway
However, the educational landscape has been shifting and has been influenced by changes in both the Netherlands and the UK. The demand for continued Dutch studies among students who completed their early exam in Year 9 grew substantially. Besides that, there is a growing demand for Dutch provision for those students who speak Dutch at
home, to ensure they continue to develop their Dutch and can access academic Dutch in Higher Education (Dutch Universities). This prompted the formation of a parent discussion group, which explored ways to expand the curriculum in collaboration with the school’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT). The goal was to create a pathway allowing students who excelled in their early Dutch exam to continue their studies into Years 10 and 11.
The turning point
A significant turning point came when the GCSE board ceased providing Dutch exams, necessitating a new partnership with the CNaVT exam board. This Flemish organisation, known for its comprehensive suite of Dutch language exams, provided an invaluable solution. The CNaVT A2 exam replaced the former GCSE exam. Furthermore, a new course was introduced for students who had completed the A2 exam in Year 9, guiding them towards the B2 exam by Year 11.
The implementation
The inaugural cohort for this new course comprised ten students of various nationalities, all of whom had a background in Dutch studies and had passed the A2 exam in Year 9. These students are now on track to take the
B2 exam in Year 11. Achieving a B2 level signifies a high proficiency in Dutch and positions these students excellently for further study at Key Stage 5 (16-18-year-olds), including options like the IB B HL and even the IB A course (Dutch as a native language).
The continuation
This development of the Dutch curriculum at SSV has been met with enthusiasm and satisfaction from all involved parties—parents, students, and the SLT. It exemplifies how a collaborative approach can yield solutions tailored to diverse needs. Looking ahead, the future appears even more promising. With twenty students enrolled for the upcoming academic year, the programme is set to double in size.
This remarkable growth underscores the initiative’s success and the increasing interest in Dutch language studies. The programme’s expansion caters to students’ immediate academic needs and equips them with valuable language skills that can open doors to further educational and professional opportunities. The future indeed looks bright for Dutch provision at SSV, showcasing a vibrant and adaptive educational environment that meets the evolving needs of its students.
JSV strategies to help students learn and love Dutch
Developing a shared vision for our Dutch teaching team at JSV has been an important step in enhancing our students’ Dutch language learning. Living in the Netherlands, we want our students to learn and love Dutch!
“In our team of five experienced Dutch teachers, there is a lot of expertise. Since we all teach students with different levels of exposure to Dutch, we weren’t always aware of what was happening in each other’s classes. We felt it was important to familiarise ourselves with the progression of skills throughout the different groups. We wanted to explore what teaching practices we had in common, learn from each other and ask ourselves critically: does our classroom practice reflect the latest research?
Our discussions focussed on: ensuring students effectively acquire language in the time we have with them;
making the process of learning Dutch fun; research like SelfDetermination Theory and BrainFriendly Learning has shown that this approach keeps students engaged and motivated;
observing each other’s classes to see best practice linked to the research that is already being used in our classes.
We all feel empowered and reassured after coming out of this process. We have identified so much good practice already happening, and now we know WHY it works and how we can make small adjustments to make our teaching even more effective. Learning from each other’s expertise, we’ve grown into a stronger team and are motivated to continue to build on this work. In the coming academic year, we will finalise our vision document and use it to revise our curriculum.”
Marianne de Best, Dutch Lead Teacher
Based on the latest research on language acquisition and how it influences pedagogy, the team devised a mission statement, and identified five key principles at the heart of their lessons.
Mission
To create a safe learning environment to support and motivate and motivate all students to learn Dutch in a fun and dynamic way, enabling each student to embrace and enjoy both the language and cultural aspects of the Netherlands.
Key Principles
1. Relationships: build strong, positive relationships with and among students; create a safe and collaborative environment.
2. Fostering intrinsic motivation: centre the students’ interests and provide opportunities for them to practise autonomy, feel competent and feel they belong.
3. Comprehensible input: communicate authentically and meaningfully to facilitate implicit language acquisition.
Learning Dutch = Enjoying Dutch
4. Interactive learning: make the content live using tools such as games, activities and visual elements that require participation.
5. Dynamic and brain-friendly learning.
Here is an example of putting the theory into practice, combining elements that the Dutch team have all used in their lessons:
The teacher introduces the main character of a new story; it’s a pirate!
The teacher dresses up and acts out being fed up with their par rot because it keeps copying them. Can the children help the pirate find a new pet? After singing a song with some vocabulary to describe pets, the children draw the pets they have at home (autonomy). Childr en who have the proficiency level to describe their pet write abou t it, while others use sentence starters to provide more information (compe tence).
In the next lesson, these descriptions are shared with the cla ss, and the children match pets to the owners in class (relationships). The pirate comes in again and chooses one of the pets; it’s one of the student’s puppies! It turns out the dog is very cheeky, and the children laugh very hard as the dog tries to eat the pirate’s hat. The pirate chooses another pet, and the scenario repeats itself, using the same language structures to allow for many repetitions so that children can acquire the language naturally.
umans have been categorising and identifying things since the very beginning of our existence. Whether it be which berries are safe to forage or which animals are appropriate to be tamed and trained, our species relies on the ability to perceive the world in a way that will allow us to thrive and survive. To give ourselves a sense of control and understanding, we put our little universe into carefully, and sometimes arbitrarily, produced boxes. As an unfortunate byproduct of our insistence to tuck everything into its respective label, we have limited ourselves and our ability to fully connect with our sense of self and explore what identity truly means to the individual.
One of the first identifications society makes upon greeting a stranger is gender. Gender is, in and of itself, a very complex and abstract concept that we have attempted to push into a little box of binary code. To many people, there is simply man, and there is woman: a zero and a one. But how do we define these numbers when they can look so drastically different among people?
One way in which society tries to justify this limited system is through the lens of ‘scientific categorisation’. One might argue that you either have two ‘X’ chromosomes and are thus female, or you have ‘XY’ chromosomes, which must be male. However, this argument is flawed, as there are a vast number of chromosome codes that fall under the umbrella category of ‘intersex people’. Likely, this huge chunk of the population goes unaccounted for due to their perceived insignificance; only an estimated 1.7% of people in the world are intersex, ‘that’s barely anything, right?’. Yet in a population of nearly eight billion people, the amount of people who break the ‘scientific gender binary’ comes to over one hundred and thirty million.
Even with science to determine your ‘biological gender’, how society views you is highly subjective and incredibly fluid. Gender is such an arbitrary identifier, as every person can perceive it vastly differently. All we have to build upon are the stereotypes and expectations created by society, so any individual could act as any gender.
If a biological man is observed as a woman by whomever they interact with, why should that mean they cannot truly be such?
This idea of gender performativity was first introduced by Judith Butler in their book “Gender Trouble” in 1990. Butler argues that gender is not determined at birth but by how you act and behave to fit into society.
One of the most significant flaws in gender as an identifier is the fact that the few stereotypes we have to base our perception upon are wildly, and often misogynistically, outdated. A simple Google search for synonyms of ‘manliness’ will yield results such as ‘heroic’, ‘brave’, and ‘courageous’. On the other hand, synonyms for ‘womanliness’ yield results such as ‘dainty’, ‘mature’, and ‘gentle’.
Of course, identity spans far beyond merely gender, yet this concept is so difficult to draw a concrete box around, that it must be acknowledged how futile it is to try. When society is limited to overgeneralisation, we are robbed of the ability to realise our true selves. Why waste time on such fruitless causes when we can spend the time building happiness in our own, unique sense of the word? Identity is such an abstract thing that it is impossible to tell any one person they are wrong for who they see themselves as.
August Bent
Celebrating Heritage, Identity, and Progress:
In the spring of 2024, The British School in the Netherlands (BSN) proudly unveiled a refreshed visual identity featuring a new logo, typeface and uniform. This initiative was developed in close collaboration with our vibrant community, including current and past students, their families, staff, and the support of external consultants.
Our new look embraces and celebrates our rich heritage, proud identity and continuous progress. These qualities align with our mission to prepare young people with the knowledge, skills and characteristics needed to become successful global citizens who can make a positive impact on the world.
Why the Change?
Several key developments drove the decision to refresh our visual identity: the introduction of the BSN Character Profile in 2018, the launch of our new school mission in 2022, and the establishment of the BSN Staff Values in 2023. These milestones collectively define what makes The British School a unique and thriving community.
With these insights and a clear understanding of the evolving international and local contexts, it was time for our visual identity to reflect who we are today.
A Logo that Speaks to Our Values
“A new logo is an important step towards communicating our values and defining who we are as a school; it is not only a design change. Our logo is how we introduce ourselves to the world and it unites us as a community.”
Elizabeth de Libero, Interim Head of Communications and Admissions
The Elements of Our New Logo
Our new logo blends the school’s values, community feedback, and the heraldic traditions of both the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The result is a modern design honouring our heritage and identity while embracing contemporary elements.
Heritage: Established in 1931, BSN has a rich history, providing a solid foundation of over 90 years of experience. This heritage is highlighted by the inclusion of “est. 1931” in the logo.
Identity: BSN supports an international community of nearly 90 nationalities in the Netherlands. The new logo highlights that being “in the Netherlands” defines The British School experience. Our Dutch context is embedded in our provision and who we are as a school.
Progress: Our history is marked by continuous adaptation to meet our students’ needs. The new lion’s stance, proud and in motion, symbolises dynamism, adaptability, and progress.
Sustainability Steers the Phased Rollout
Our core values, such as environmental integrity, collaboration and compassion, have guided the phased rollout of our rebrand. On Tuesday 21 May 2024, students experienced the unveiling of the new logo through a logo launch video, interactive puzzle cubes, lion masks, an oversized cutout of our new lion, and an optical illusion craft.
Student and Staff Reactions:
“I like it! This will be a lot simpler to draw.”
JSV Student
“It’s interesting to understand the symbolism behind the various elements. The values and heritage really speak to me!”
In June, our website, social media, and internal communication channels featured the new visual identity. New branded uniform items have started to be supplied by our uniform provider, Trutex. Larger physical signs and logos on and around campus will be updated over the coming years, following sustainable best practices and minimising cost implications.
Looking Forward
With our new visual identity, The British School in the Netherlands is proud to showcase its values and what sets us apart. As an institution in British and international education, we have seen a lot of change over our long history. The constant, which remains at the heart of our school, is our dedication to providing a high-quality holistic education in a supportive environment for our students.
“This is 100% better!”
We look forward to continuing this journey with our refreshed identity, reflecting who we are today and guiding us into the future.
BSN Staff Member
SSV Student
The Influence of CAS (Creativity Activity
and Service)
CAS is a core component of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) and International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP) offered in Sixth Form. Its purpose is to involve students in experiences that will make a significant difference to their lives and the lives of others, while challenging them to extend existing skills or learn new skills.
All students in Years 12 and 13, as well as the rest of the Senior School students, are encouraged to take up the CAS ethos. They do this by volunteering and contributing in many ways to give back to the community.
Did you know?
The BSN FA Summer Fair 2024 saw many students executing their CAS ideas, including ‘We got you girl’ a fundraising initiative to buy menstrual cups for homeless women in The Hague, and Mexican face painting and arm wrestling to raise money for a Mexican charity to support women against domestic abuse.
CAS students must plan and initiate at least one project that responds to an authentic community need; this requires substantial work and can be profound and life-changing for some students. Year 13 IB students demonstrate their learning to peers, parents and the local community during the IB Promenade event.
IB Promenade
Year 13 SSV IB students opened their promenade to all Year 12 students to encourage their involvement in community endeavours and similar projects. During break time, the Year 13 IB students invited Year 9 to walk through the promenade to promote participation at the GCSE level and beyond. Year 12 IBCP and BTEC Business students used the IB promenade as a learning experience for upcoming ‘event-like’ projects. They worked hard, persevered and demonstrated excellent teamwork. SSL will hold their first IB promenade in 2025 to celebrate their first Year 13 cohort.
An International Community
In September, IB students from Kolding Gymnasium in Denmark participated in an Erasmus-funded educational visit to SSL and SSV as part of their CAS programme. BSN IB students and the visitors engaged in two full days of lessons and activities designed to promote collaboration and develop their intercultural awareness, by learning about different cultures and perspectives.
Did you know?
Heart Pillow Club is the longest running CAS initiative (we are also starting a Heart Pillow Club at SSL). Similarly, two established Co-Curricular Activities, Published and Quill & Scroll, are also branches of the CAS Programme and initially started as CAS Projects by students.
Throughout their visit, the students from Denmark explored ideas for future CAS activities at their school related to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). They visited an exhibition on this topic at Museon Omniversum. The students also toured and worked in the Eco Garden at SSV and the ‘natuurspeeltuin’, an area of a local park that SSV students maintain and develop on behalf of the local community.
BSN Rocks Battle of the Bands
Eight BSN bands gathered at Musicon in early May for the first competitive BSN Battle of the Bands event. SSV and SSL each put forward four bands, who all prepared and played two songs for their sets. They performed in front of family, friends and judges.
‘This event brought the two BSN Senior Schools together to showcase the incredible musical talent of our students. Also, it was an opportunity for the students to perform at a music venue outside of school and to gain the authentic gig experience a professional musician would have.’
Luke Kemmett, Head of Music, SSL
Listen to ARIA and Mute here:
After tough competition and excellent performances from everyone, Mute was awarded the winner of the Lower Years category (Years 7 – 9) and ARIA won the Upper Years category (Years 10+). We are already looking forward to the 2025 BSN Battle of the Bands.
The 2024 BSN Battle of the Bands Participants:
The Royals Cappucine|Eliana|Anais|Josephine
Jet Black Tigers Michael|Iona|Suzy|Amelie Mute Lex|Aris|Rory Tomas|Emile
The BSN staff who made this event possible include: Dr Jarrett, Mr Keech, Mr Kemmett, Mr Wilson, Mr Mastrogregori, Mr Kelsall, Mr McPheat, Mr Mormandi and Ms Ammeux.
BSN Highlights: A Year in Focus
A. CAS shoebox donation collection
B. BSN Alumni UK reunion
C. The 2024 SSL Production: The Addams Family
D. EPO Award presentation with ZM Koning Willem Alexander
High Performance Learning (HPL) Pedagogy Enhancing Teaching and Learning at the BSN
Duncan King,
Starting in September 2023, the BSN officially became part of the High Performance Learning (HPL) global community of schools. HPL is a research-based educational philosophy that believes everyone is capable of being a high performer when they are explicitly taught the necessary skills, behaviours and mindset required for top learning potential.
Essentially, HPL teaches students ‘how to be’ and ‘how to think’. The BSN has always prided itself on the high quality of its academic provision. With HPL, we aim to teach our students to be consciously competent by introducing them to and naming the ingredients required to make them successful and high-performing life-long learners.
As we come to the end of our first year on our HPL journey, we asked a few of our Senior Leaders to tell us what HPL looks like so far in our Junior and Senior Schools.
CHARACTER PROFILE
INTEGRITY
• I stand up for what I believe in.
• I want to improve the world in which I live.
• I am conscious of my impact on the environment.
COLLABORATION
• I listen to and respect the views of others.
• I work with others to get feedback and enhance my own ideas.
• I contribute positively to teams in a variety of roles.
COMPASSION
• I am empathetic.
• I recognise and value people from other cultures and traditions.
• I want to help those less fortunate than myself.
COURAGE
• I take risks.
• I am confident in putting forward my views.
• I can adapt to new and uncertain situations.
What does HPL look like at the Junior schools?
In Junior School, we have very quickly linked the Values, Attitudes and Attributes (VAAs) that HPL promotes to our existing BSN Character profile. The BSN Character Profile tells us ‘how to be’ as a learner.
HOW TO BE
The development of Values, Attitudes and Attributes (VAAs) that contribute to exceptional performance. We updated our BSN Character Profile to align with HPL’s intentions and language.
PERSEVERANCE
• I want to do my best.
• I work hard to achieve my goals and never give up.
• I remain focused and optimistic in the face of difficulty.
CREATIVITY
• I look for innovative solutions.
• I am an original and open-minded thinker.
• I am imaginative and resourceful.
CURIOSITY
• I challenge my own ideas and assumptions.
• I am proactive in discovering new things.
• I ask questions and seek new evidence to develop my views.
RESPONSIBILITY
• I practise new skills until I have mastered them.
• I reflect on my actions and their impact on others.
• I use technology with care and attention.
SSL Deputy Headteacher, facilitating a cross-school staff HPL workshop.
The VAAs and BSN Character Profile help us develop skills such as perseverance so that we can keep on trying even when we face difficulties, or collaboration so that we know how to share our ideas in a team and listen to others when working together. The language of the BSN Character Profile is familiar to us all, and we have been working hard to identify examples of it in our learning.
Exploring the Advanced Cognitive Performance characteristics (ACPs) has been new learning for all our students and staff this year. The ACPs tell us ‘how to think’ as a learner. We will continue to develop our understanding and integration of these skills in the coming year(s). So far, staff have been trialling and incorporating different thinking skills, such as meta-thinking and analysing, into their lessons. Some smaller groups of staff have also been carrying out action research to trial different implementation strategies.
We have focused on aligning the language we use with children to make their ‘thinking’ skills explicit and to ensure that staff across different year groups and departments use the same vocabulary.
We look forward to continuing our HPL journey next year. Stay tuned for parent-engagement opportunities like an HPL book club.
What does High Performance Learning look like at the Senior Schools?
It has been an exciting year as we introduce HPL in the senior schools. Our focus has been on: 1/ establishing the mindset shift in students that all learners are capable of high performance, and 2/ building the practical steps in our teaching that are needed to support students in achieving high performance. We have been using the ACPs and VAAs of HPL to build the tools and language that students need for success.
ADVANCED COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS
META-THINKING
Meta-cognition The ability to knowingly use a wide range of thinking approaches and to transfer knowledge from one circumstance to another
Self-regulation The ability to monitor, evaluate and self-correct
Strategy-planning
Intellectual confidence
LINKING
Generalisation
The ability to approach new learning experiences by actively attempting to connect them to existing knowledge or concepts and hence determine appropriate ways to think about the work
The ability to articulate personal views based on evidence
The ability to see how what is happening in this instance could be extrapolated to other similar situations
Connection finding The ability to use connections from past experiences to seek possible generalisations
Big picture thinking
The ability to work with big ideas and holistic concepts
Abstraction The ability to move from concrete to abstract very quickly
Imagination The ability to represent the problem and its categorisation in relation to more extensive and interconnected prior knowledge
Seeing alternative perspectives
ANALYSING
Critical or logical thinking
The ability to take on the views of others and deal with complexity and ambiguity
The ability to deduce, hypothesise, reason, seek supporting evidence
Precision The ability to work effectively within the rules of a domain
Complex and multi-step problem solving
The ability to break down a task, decide on a suitable approach, and then act
CREATING
Intellectual playfulness
Flexible Thinking
Fluent thinking
Originality
Evolutionary and revolutionary thinking
REALISING
Automaticity
Speed and accuracy
The ability to recognise rules and bend them to create valid but new forms
The ability to abandon one idea for a superior one or generate multiple solutions
The ability to generate ideas
The ability to conceive something entirely new
The ability to create new ideas through building on existing ideas or diverting from them
The ability to use some skills with such ease as they no longer require active thinking
The ability to work at speed and with accuracy
At SSL, subject departments have been focussing on developing a small number of the ACPs and VAAs that are particularly pertinent to them. For example, in Mathematics, we have highlighted strategy planning (an ACP skill) and courage (a VAA characteristic) as valuable components of success. This has helped students gain familiarity with the vocabulary of HPL in the context of a lesson and allowed them to relate their own learning experiences to how High Performance Learners think and behave.
Meanwhile, staff at SSV have been participating in a collaborative enquiry. In small cross-department groups, we have been investigating the different ACPs with a focus on how they translate to classroom practice and the impact they have on the learning and thinking of our
HOW TO THINK
A set of
Advanced Cognitive (ACPs)CharacteristicsPerformance that explicitly teach strategies for how to learn.
students. Staff presented their findings in short workshops, providing a great opportunity to learn from one another and see best practice around the school.
As at the Junior Schools, we are keen for the next steps in our HPL journey at the Senior School level. There are many interesting and effective learning tools for us to continue to develop in our students.
The Growing Benefits of Forest School
The BSN’s journey with Forest School began nearly 10 years ago, in the autumn of 2015. The first Forest School training was offered to the teaching staff at all Junior Schools, who could choose their qualifications: Level 2 (Forest School Assistant) and Level 3 (Forest School Leader). After a year of training, submitting a portfolio and passing the practical external examination, the first programmes were rolled out and continue to enrich the Junior Schools’ curriculum to this day.
The well-established sessions aim to nurture all learners’ holistic development and are founded on play pedagogy and biophilic interaction. Forest School programmes are rooted in experiential learning, autonomy, and environmental stewardship, drawing on a rich heritage of educational theory and practices. No two sessions are the same as there are too many variables: learners’ needs and interests, the weather, seasonal abundance or scarcity, the knowledge and experience of the leaders, the site, and its diversity of habitats. Yet, they are equally valuable, and all have that magical power and potential to sustain lifelong learning. Forest School lessons plant the seeds of curiosity, creativity, resilience, integrity, wonder, empathy and belonging.
The children take the learning into their own hands when outside, rain or shine. The freedom to choose the activity fuels the motivation and effort that leads to positive experiences and a sense of achievement. The classroom without ceiling caters to everybody’s interests, whether it is whittling a mushroom, making potions, starting and managing a fire, relaxing in a hammock, making music, running a ‘restaurant/ café’ or observing wildlife, to name
Resilience
Resilience gives individuals, people, communities, and systems the capacity to adapt to change, thrive in the face of adversity and uncertainty, and withstand or recover quickly from stressful situations and challenges in life in a healthy and constructive manner.
A vital ingredient in the recipe for building learners’ resilience is to allow for exposure to the elements, getting wet and drying off, getting cold and warming up by the fire or with a cup of warm infusion, falling and getting back up on their feet, dismantling shelters and building them up again. As Forest School Leaders, we help the learners recognise the hazards, discuss the potential risks, and agree on how to manage them safely.
of a scratch that needs a plaster or a sting that might be painful. But they get through it and rarely give up! They ask themselves: what can go wrong? How do I keep myself and others safe? What if that does not work? And they learn how to maximise their fun and limit the cost.
Learning how to harness and rely on inner strength is a crucial skill actively developed through Forest
School practices. Exposing children and young adults to challenges through encouraging them to explore and make decisions within their learning through play helps to shape self-awareness, self-esteem, and motivation. A Forest School leader does not ‘problem solve’; however, they will provide helpful input, encourage reflection, and ask what could alter the outcome.
Through repeating experiences, independently, in a group, or with support from an adult, children quickly learn adaptive skills and other initiatives that allow them to overcome a problem or setback without too much difficulty, altering their course and trying again.
A Forest School Leader can judge the right amount of support for each child through their observations, interactions and listening to the child.
Read about the other Forest School ‘seeds’:
The Family Association:
What an amazing 2023-24 year! The BSN Family Association (FA), an all-volunteer organisation, has supported the school family in so many ways.
The year kicked off with a fantastic Welcome BBQ, keeping the smell of Summer alive. On all four campuses, weekly coffee mornings also began in earnest, a great way to meet new people and learn more about the school. The holiday season was also filled with joy as the FA helped with decorations, spreading cheer at each campus before the break. The popular FA Quiz Night in January brought good-natured competition before a much-anticipated FA Teacher Appreciation Breakfast.
Whether it’s Chinese New Year, King’s Day, or the spectacular International Day celebration, the FA is there behind the scenes, supporting the school and serving the community. It strives to support sustainability with its volunteer-staffed secondhand uniform shop; it leads the FA Summer Fair and all the exciting events that take place that day, representing the talents from all four schools; it provides the ice-cream treats for Sports Days; adds to the festivities of the different leaving celebrations; and so much more.
The year ended with a beautiful Thank You event to celebrate achievements and everyone who volunteered during the year.
Volunteering for the FA is not just about helping out. It’s about being an active part of our community, contributing to its vibrancy and strength. Please join in and volunteer next year to continue the tradition that makes our community unique and so special. Many volunteers are always needed and all are most welcome.
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Junior School Performing Arts Stars
“It’s fun playing your instruments with friends, and it’s a great feeling to perform together in a big concert.”
From sing-a-longs to seasonal celebrations, throughout the year and across the Year Groups, as part of the curriculum or through CCAs, there are ample opportunities for Junior School students to perform and shine.
These performances, featuring a wide range of musical styles and instruments, allow students to showcase their talents, dedication and progress. Their musical growth is evidence of the supportive and enthusiastic community that nurtures their creativity.
Some highlights from this year
Termly:
December:
JSV sing-a-longs with families
March:
May:
June:
July:
Max and Valentin, Year 6 band members
JSL Key Stage 1 Performance of Wiz Wham Alakazam (the musical story of a group of wizards who need to perform a special ‘shine’ spell after the sun goes out and the earth is threatened by the sinister ice creatures!)
(Performing Arts Week): Junior Schools Music Gala - a chance for Key Stage 2 students to share choral and orchestral talent across the schools
JSL Year 2 Violin Showcase / JSV Year 6 Production
JSV Summer Music Festival showcasing the musicmaking CCAs / JSL Year 4 musical performance: The Earth is Speaking (a plea for environmental change through drama and music) / BSN Summer Fair: JSV Choir (Years 4 to 6) and bands from the Year 6 School of Rock performed
JSL Year 6 Musical: An Inspector Calls
“I like being on stage and performing for a lot of people.”
Liyu, Year 1
“I have been in choir since Year 2. I love singing because it makes me feel free.”
David, Year 5
“I have started learning how to play the recorder and it’s really fun!”
Silvana, Year 2
“During Performing Arts Week, Year 1 enjoyed dressing up and twirling across the dance floor, using Ballroom dancing to fundraise for our charity, SOFT Tulip. Having Fun and Making a difference.”
Ms
Huijser, JSV Music Teacher
“Singing all together and hearing the harmonies was great and a
lot of fun.”
Alicia and Areen, Year 6 Choir
“It was very tiring to blow my flute for so long! But I liked it and I thought I played well.”
Yeonji, Year 4 Cross-School Orchestra
“In School of Rock, I can really express myself. I love that we can perform the music we enjoy most.”
Franziska, Year 6
Supporting Students to Realise their potential as Leaders and Changemakers
In our complex and changing world, helping children and young people develop leadership skills is not just about preparing them to thrive in the future; it’s giving them the tools to shape it.
Today, the concept of leadership encompasses a range of essential skills with broad applications. For example, the ability to think independently, creatively and critically; to express and communicate ideas confidently; to listen actively; and to build relationships with diverse groups of people. The BSN aims to equip students with these essential skills and empower them to make positive changes, engage with different perspectives and innovate.
Little Leaders
Student Leadership is embedded in our School’s culture. Starting in the Foundation Stage, students look forward to their turn as “Special Helper” for the day. This role allows each child to take on some extra responsibility and support their peers. They gain confidence through seeing their positive contribution to their classroom.
In Junior Schools, children can apply to be Student Leaders, International, Sports and Wellbeing Ambassadors, Play Pals, Library Helpers, Digital Leaders and Eco Warriors. These are important and supported roles—students share their opinions on school matters, make decisions and have a tangible impact.
“I’ve always really enjoyed computing lessons in school, so at first, I wanted to be a Digital Leader because I thought it would be fun and help me learn more about coding. It is fun, but I also really like using my skills to help my school. This year, we’ve been focusing on learning more about the Hour of Code, which is an introduction to computer science, so that we can introduce it to the rest of the school and help the younger years learn to code.”
Year 6 Junior School Student
Personal Growth
Essential to developing leadership capacity is learning the ability to face challenges. Students taking part in a Co-Curricular Activity, trip or Service Learning project step outside their comfort zone, challenge themselves to become more independent and develop civic awareness. In October, students from SSV, went on a marine conservation and diving expedition to Malta. In addition to becoming qualified divers, students contributed to the research and conservation projects of a local NGO.
“The journey was truly a personal one for our students. For some, it was about collaboration and learning to manage their own budget and cook for a group. For others, the trip was about overcoming challenges and showing resilience to achieve their diving qualification. For others, the highlight was the opportunity to be part of a marine conservation project and demonstrate environmental integrity.”
Student Representation Matters
In Senior School, Student Leaders, Council members, and Ambassadors receive training and guidance from the Senior Leadership team.
“The roles are an important part of school experience and have been designed to have the students’ voices at the heart of decisions made and experiences implemented.”
Student Ambassadors from SSL helped develop presentations and activities to raise awareness and inform students about the impact of bullying during Anti-Bullying Week.
“Our school is against bullying all of the time; however, our anti-bullying week has been designed for all students to ‘make a noise’ whilst highlighting our intolerance towards bullying and refusing to be quiet when we see someone being bullied, no matter who they are.”
Mental Health and Cultural and Diversity Ambassadors in the Sixth Form at SSL
These roles provide the opportunity for hands-on learning and personal growth, furthering students’ holistic development. For the school community, the impact is equally profound; issues that matter to the students gain attention, encouraging discussion and reflection about effecting change, and the benefits are felt on and beyond the BSN campuses.
Sarah Rothenburg, Assistant Headteacher at SSV
Lea Adkins, Head of Sixth Form at SSL
Watch the video for a digital flip-through.
Developing our Alumni Community
Since the launch of the new BSN Alumni Community Network online platform, over a year ago, the BSN is steadily raising the profile of its alumni, developing relations and engagement activities.
There are currently over 470 active profiles on the network; we hope this number continues to grow. One aim of this platform is to facilitate valuable connections and harness the alumni community’s knowledge and experience for its members’ benefit. To that end, we are delighted to share that over 160 alumni from diverse industries and backgrounds have volunteered to help Sixth Form students and fellow alumni with their careers through the platform in various ways.
Recognising our Future Community Builders
The “Spirit of Alumni” is a special award given to a Year 13 student from both the A Level and IB pathways who has served the school community with energy, enthusiasm and selfless dedication. We believe this student will continue to be an excellent ambassador for the BSN and actively support its values in the future—thereby representing the spirit and ideals of the BSN Alumni community. The 2024 award recipients are:
Kyra (A Level):
Anoeska (IB):
Join the network and access the Career Support functionality.
Bringing Alumni Together Again
Many of our alumni developed such strong friendships during their school days that have stood the test of time. This was especially evident at the BSN UK alumni reunion on March 24, in the joyful, inclusive atmosphere and the fond reminiscing that happened. The unique background that BSN alumni share is also the basis for many new connections and creates an instant rapport.
“The Spirit of Alumni award was both a great honour and surprise to receive. I have been at the BSN for the past four years, and it quickly became my home, making it easy for me to willingly and happily give my time and effort to many different aspects of the school. I am very grateful and proud that my efforts were recognised and acknowledged through this award. Having gone through the school with so many other hardworking, passionate, and deserving students, I find it a great privilege to have been chosen. I plan to continue my studies at Erasmus University, and I will take it with me and forever cherish the memories and years I spent at the BSN. I hope to continue making the BSN proud in my future endeavours as an active alum.”
“Although surprised, I am deeply honoured and thankful to be awarded the Spirit of Alumni Award. My two years at the BSN have felt short but surely filled with unforgettable experiences and lessons. I have truly enjoyed every opportunity I have been given here - from the events with the Student Ambassador Team and weekly experiments in the STEM Club to the Yearbook Committee, in which so many memories were collected. Thank you to all the teachers, staff, friends, and classmates I have met and shared countless laughs with along the way. Next year, I hope to pursue Medicine at the University of Groningen, where I’ll definitely be catching a few familiar faces and hopefully many more in the future. Thank you once again for this honour, and best of luck to the Class of 2024.”
The BSN Impact
We were recently in touch with Deirdre Rieutort-Louis, the first-ever award recipient in 2012. Since then, she has built a very successful
All alumni (students, staff and parents), as well as current staff, parents and Sixth Form students are invited to join the BSN Alumni Community Network: www.bsnalumni.com
career in the US as a chef and currently works in a Michelin-star restaurant. Looking back at her BSN experience, Deirdre is grateful for her teachers and the support she was given to pursue her passion:
“The BSN is a special place where there is something for everyone, and it really fosters a student’s individual strengths. When I
stepped out of the BSN bubble and, especially, moving to the US, I met a lot of people who felt very lost during their schooling. I never once felt lost at the BSN; instead, I always felt supported. I am so proud to be an alumna. I am so grateful to my parents for giving me and my siblings a BSN education. It made us into adaptable, well-rounded, and caring citizens of the world.”
Did you know?
The BSN hosted an international CAS Conference in May 2024 for external CAS Coordinators from the Benelux region. Delegates discussed their challenges and successes related to the theme of Agency and Meaningful CAS Involvement.
Classlist
Your place for:
• Connecting securely with parents
• Family Association social event info
• BSN-wide Interest Groups
• Residential trip updates
• Buy-sell-trade listings
Read the full Q&A with Deirdre here
Deirdre Rieutort-Louis
Kyra (A Level) Anoeska (IB)
Embedding HPL in the Junior School
Year 6 students reflect on some of the Advanced Cognitive Performance Characteristics of High Performance Learning.
Creating Intellectual playfulness
“Intellectual playfulness is when you change the rules of something that already exists, to make something new.”
Daksha - JSL Year 6
“I used intellectual playfulness when I created a game similar to football but on the trampoline.”
Jules - JSL Year 6
Creating Originality
“Originality is something that does not involve copying and is an idea that represents you not, somebody else.”
Laura - JSL Year 6
“I used originality when I made a clay model based on the book: ‘The Arrival’.”
Amalia - JSL Year 6
Linking Connection finding
“Connection finding is the ability to use connections from past experiences to now. I have been learning Dutch for 2 years so I used those skills to learn German because I made connections between similar words.”
Asahi - JSL Year 6
Realising
Automaticity
“Automaticity means to be able to do something without thinking, it gets so easy that you don’t have to use active thinking skills. We use automaticity when we play instruments, say our times tables and in sports.”
Elisa and Florine - JSL Year 6
“When we were practising for the Fietsexam, we weren’t focussing on the cycling as this was an existing skill. Instead we were focussing on signalling, etc.”
Giuliano - JSV Year 6
Year 6
Realising Speed and Accuracy
“Having speed and accuracy allows you to do things quickly but also correctly. I use this when I use my times tables knowledge to calculate fractions easily.”
Iosu - JSL Year 6
“When we practice our fluent in five in Maths, some people finish really quickly but make simple mistakes. The key is to do it both fast and accurately.”
Maya - JSV Year 6
Meta-Thinking Intellectual Confidence
“Intellectual confidence is something used in arguments and debates. It means that you use evidence from what you have learnt, read and your own experiences to support your opinions and thoughts.”
Sam - JSL Year 6
“Supporting your answers in reading lessons is really important. You refer back to the text and you have to give evidence.”
Natalia - JSV Year 6
Analysing Complex and multi-step problem solving
“To be able to split a task into steps. I used this when we completed an entrepreneur maths challenge which involved using lots of different maths skills and strategies separately, before bringing it all together to complete the task.”
Tytus - JSL Year 6
“During Barvember, it’s easiest when you break down the complex problems. Too much information can be overwhelming.”
Thomas JSV Year 6
BSN Highlights: A Year in Focus
A. Guildford Shakespeare Company visit
B. Author visit: Timothy Knapman
C. City Pier City (CPC) Run
D. JSL Fabulous Fairgrounds
E. Cycling proficiency test practice JSV
F. JS Learner-led conference
The BSN Technician Team:
Bringing Technical Expertise to Senior School Subjects
Hidden Gems
Our Senior Schools have a highly skilled team of Technicians. These Technicians provide vital and varied support in the specialist subject areas of Art, Sciences, Music and Media, Design Technology and Food Technology.
Does your Senior School student have a favourite specialist subject, or is your Junior School student already looking forward to a specific topic in Senior School? If yes, these staff members help bring the specialist lesson ‘practicals’ to life, sharing their expertise and enthusiasm with students.
Who are the BSN Technicians?
SSV Techs:
Sciences:
Ms Ghailan | Chemistry
Ms Selimova | Chemistry
Ms Brodric | Chemistry
Ms Sneddon | Biology and Integrated Sciences
Ms Chan | Biology and Integrated Sciences
Mr Grover | Physics
Food Tech:
Ms Kerkvliet
Design Tech:
Mr Wood
Mr Ehlers
Art & Photography:
Ms Charitonidou
Ms Caldwell
Music & Media
Mr Lucas
SSL Techs: Sciences:
Ms Yee
Ms Reed
Ms Crossing
Art/Creative:
Ms Kim
Mr Grist
“ When I see a student working confidently and independently, it means we did a good job teaching them the necessary skills. “
Laura, DT at SSL
Ms Marcos Carbonell
Food Tech:
Ms Parker-Roodenburg
Design Tech:
Mr Grist
Ms Marcos Carbonell
Stay tuned for more stories from our outstanding Technician team next year, including photos of the SSV Science Technicians in their updated laboratories.
Former Roles
• Scientists
• Artists
• Writers
• Business owners
• Educators
• Musicians
• Trades people
• Technical specialists
Former Experience Sectors
• Education
• Research
• Media
• Academia
• Publications
• Hospitality
• Information Technology
• Quality Assurance
• Corporate Business
When asked what they enjoy most about their jobs, the Technician teams consistently identified the diversity of the job, working with students, and developing students’ skills in specialist subjects as the highlights of their roles.
Education
Qualifications
• Graduate degrees
• Masters, PhD levels
• Undergraduate degrees
• Technical diplomas
• Specialist courses
How do technicians maximise learning in specialist subjects?
Here are some of the things they do to support subject practicals:
ORGANISING
SUPPLY MANAGEMENT AND PROCUREMENT
BUDGETING RISK ASSESSMENT
SAMPLE PREPARATION
LEARNING RESOURCE SUPPORT
WORKSTATION SET-UP
EQUIPMENT PREPARATION AND MAINTENANCE
HEALTH, SAFETY AND HYGIENE
TESTING
STUDENT SUPPORT
TECHNICAL EXPERTISE ADVICE
CLEAN-UP
REVIEW OF BEST PRACTICES
I’ve Got Your Back
“I’ve got your back” is a new campaign developed by members of the SSV Physical Education (PE) staff aimed at improving relations among students and between students and staff.
The focus behind the idea is that if everyone is 100% committed to what they are doing and trying their best, their teammates and coaches will look after them, protect them and help with any difficulties – on and off the playing arena. This often happens, but the campaign aims to create awareness of how important these links are, not only to performance but also to mental health and the wellbeing of all those involved.
The initiative started as a way of increasing team spirit and cohesion amongst players within the sports teams at the BSN and creating a closer relationship between coaches and players when travelling and playing together. As members of staff, we have noticed that there are a lot of conversations between students that can be quickly taken out of context by each other and
then put down to ‘banter’ when, in fact, it can be damaging to the confidence and wellbeing of a student – the campaign tries to combat this culture and get students and staff to be more aware of the importance of working together and looking after each other; skills that will also be vital as they progress through the school and beyond.
We want students to connect with the campaign, so they associate Sport with establishing positive relationships. This includes the support they give each other and how they treat their opponents. It’s all about developing an ethos amongst the players and the greater school community to care about each other and support others when they need it. Although this is often already the case, the students must be consciously aware of this.
The slogan will appear on the new shirts of our High Performance Pathway students, and the new playing kit that will be worn by competitive teams next year. Information will also be posted around the school.
We hope that students embrace this initiative and that it spreads throughout the SSV school community. Sport is a way of bringing students from a wide range of backgrounds and interests together and forces them to work together to achieve a goal – this is the essence of what we are looking at developing within the sports programme at SSV. We hope that the ideas and themes from this campaign spread to the wider school community.
”I’ve got your back” is really important because it allows your teammates to rely on you and hold you accountable. This makes for a better, more inclusive environment for your teammates and other people who might consider joining your sport. This also helps when you make mistakes, whether that is in the game or training, as no one blames you and everyone wants you to be better. This mentality will also improve your chemistry with your teammates and connect you with them (making you a family). This positive mentality helps a team, as you can all grow together as you are all striving for the same goal which is to get better, even if you lose or win. The outcome doesn’t matter, it is the effort you put in and how you all played as a team”
Kai, Year 10 student
HPL Icon Search & Find
Can you find the HPL icons throughout the magazine? Most of our Insight stories link to multiple aspects of HPL. For this Search & Find activity, we assigned one of the most closely linked HPL components to each story.
Here’s a hint to get you started: there’s one more icon on this page, outside this box.
Good luck with the hunt!
Acknowledgements
Our sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed to this issue of Insight; those named below, and all members of our community who, together, create such an incredible BSN experience!
With a diverse and vibrant community like ours, over the course of a year, there are countless stories to tell. By sharing only a selection of voices, perspectives, creative expressions, and photographs, our aim was to capture an authentic impression of what sets the BSN apart.
We hope you enjoyed it.
The Editorial Team: El, Jerry, Julianne & Rebecca
Editorial and Creative
Kimberley Bosman, Photographer
Rebecca Hazlett, Editor
Jerry van Leeuwen, Graphic Designer
Elizabeth de Libero, Editor
Julianne Sullivan, Editor
Caitlin Watson, Photographer
Introduction from the Board of Management
Elizabeth de Libero
COBIS Accreditation
Peter Bayliff OBE, Chair of the Board of Governors
Building Beautiful
Biomes
Benjamin Diss
Developments in Dutch Provision at SSV
Rolf Dekker
JSV strategies to help students learn and love Dutch
Marianne de Best
The Abstract of Identity
August Bent, SSV student
Showcasing the Values of The British School in The Netherlands
Elizabeth de Libero
(JSL) Student Art Showcase p11
Plate left: Sigrid, Year 6
Plate right: Izoë, Year 6
As part of their history topic about Europe in the 1940s, children studied the work of Clarice Cliff. They designed and decorated ceramic plates using porcelain and glass paints in her style and colours.
Bird: Year 2 student
As part of a mixed media unit for Art in Year 2, children explored using oil pastels and aquatint on paper and tore these into strips to create the face for their chosen animal. The eyes and beak were created
The Influence of CAS (Creativity Activity Service)
Jolundi Wilson
BSN Rocks Battle of the Bands
Luke Kemmet
Lorenzo Mastrogregori
Julianne Sullivan
BSN Highlights:
A Year in Focus
Kimberley Bosman
Caitlin Watson
Lia Lo
High Performance Learning (HPL)
Pedagogy
Vicki Broderick
Kimberley Harris
Megan Huckfield
Duncan King
Julianne Sullivan
Lia Lo
Your Voice matters
The theme for Children’s Mental Health Week 2024 was Your Voice Matters. Working together to make connections and express themselves creatively, each JSV Year Group focussed on a theme important to the students. A special thanks to the Otters Foundation Stage 2 class for creating the brilliant and detailed lion which graces the cover of this year’s Insight!
The Growing Benefits of Forest School
Monica Dammerman
Marta Nowak
Bringing Our Community Together
Mary Lynne Bercik
Junior School
Performing Arts Stars
Diana Huijser
Ruth Openshaw
Suyog Sotang
Gillian Weinberg
Ying Zhou-Rameseder
Supporting Students to Realise their potential as Leaders and Changemakers
Rebecca Hazlett
with Indian ink and oil pastels. White oil pastels and poster paint added texture and definition.
(JSV) Student Art Showcase p22
Student weaver: Sean, Year 3
Year 3 JSV students linked their Geography learning to their Art lessons through a multi-step weaving project. They looked closely at the colours of a volcano cross-section to inspire and plan their weaving, carefully choosing fabric, yarn and ribbons to reflect the volcano layers and open sky above.
Developing Our Alumni Community
Rebecca Hazlett
Ollie Rudkin
Embedding HPL in the Junior School
Thomas Ewence
Emma Williams
Ying Zhou-Rameseder
BSN Highlights:
A Year in Focus
Kimberley Bosman
Caitlin Watson
BSN Technicians:
Hidden Gems
Julianne Sullivan
Gareth Wood
Nicole Yee
Jerry van Leeuwen
I’ve Got Your Back
Thomas Archer
(SSL) Student Art Showcase p22
Alba, Year 9
‘The Stars and me’: Original story and illustrations
