Cities / Amsterdam / Optimist International School
Optimist International School
A Dutch subsidised public international primary in Hoofddorp, close to Schiphol, running IPC and the British primary curriculum for ages 4 to 11. Optimist sits across two Hoofddorp campuses with around 250 to 300 children in total, drawing heavily from the Schiphol airport, KLM and Haarlemmermeer corporate community.
In brief
A Dutch-subsidised public international primary in Hoofddorp, close to Schiphol, running IPC and the British primary curriculum for ages 4 to 11.
Optimist sits across two Hoofddorp campuses with around 250 to 300 children in total, drawing heavily from the Schiphol airport, KLM and Haarlemmermeer corporate community. Fees are at the low end of the Amsterdam international market, roughly EUR 5,580, reflecting Dutch state subsidy. The school offers IEYC for early years and IPC through to group 7, with a Dutch Enrichment Programme available in upper primary for families planning to stay in the Netherlands long-term.
The community feel is strong, EAL provision is solid, and the welcome offered to newly-arrived families is a clear strength. Teachers come from a wide international mix and the school is comfortable handling children mid-year. The site is small, so co-curricular range is limited compared to private alternatives. For families settled west of Amsterdam who do not want the commute to Amstelveen, it is one of the few low-fee options.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| All year groups (Groups 1-8, ages 4-11) - all-inclusive | 4 | €5,580 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Registration Fee (non-refundable) | €200 | |
| Deposit (refundable) | €500 |
Reviews
A DSO-funded international primary in Hoofddorp's Floriande district, twenty minutes out from central Amsterdam and a quick run to Schiphol or Haarlem. Around 200 children, forty-plus nationalities, most of them in the Netherlands less than three years. IPC for thematic learning, British curriculum for literacy and numeracy, and a Dutch Enrichment Programme for upper-primary children heading into the Dutch system. Fees sit well below the private international market because of the DSO subsidy. A secondary pathway opens August 2026 under the Optimist International Academy banner, run jointly with Haarlemmermeer Lyceum Tweetalig.
Positives
- Settling in for newly arrived families. Newly arrived families talk about a soft landing. Children find friends quickly, the international intake means nobody feels out of place, and staff are used to handling mid-year arrivals from very different school systems.
- Teaching and curriculum. Thematic IPC units paired with British literacy and numeracy. Teachers come from across the world and are described as warm and engaged. The Language Friendly accreditation means home languages are welcomed alongside English.
- Wraparound and Dutch pathway. After-school programme covers swimming, theatre, art, guitar, coding and Dutch lessons. The Dutch Enrichment Programme in groups six to eight is designed for children who may move into the Dutch state secondary system rather than continuing in English.
- Cost. Annual tuition at the primary sits around EUR 5,580 for 2025/26, with a EUR 200 application fee and a EUR 500 refundable deposit. That is a fraction of the private international fee level in the Randstad.
Considerations
- Location and commute. Floriande is a quiet Hoofddorp neighbourhood close to Schiphol and Haarlem. From central Amsterdam it is a twenty-minute drive in light traffic, longer on public transport, so the school works best for families based west of the city.
- Secondary continuity. Until the new Optimist International Academy secondary opens in August 2026, families finishing primary have had to look elsewhere for an English-medium secondary. The new pathway is run with Haarlemmermeer Lyceum Tweetalig and will need a year or two before its track record is clear.
- Young school, still growing. Founded in 2018 and still building out year groups, facilities and the secondary plan. Parents talk about a school that is improving year on year rather than one with decades of settled routines.
Leadership
Anne-Marie van Holst-Steenmeijer
Anne-Marie van Holst-Steenmeijer is the Director of Optimist International School. She transitioned to a career in education after working in logistics management at KLM. She holds a Master’s in Special Educational Needs (SEN) with a specialization in behavior. Anne-Marie has extensive experience as an internal supervisor, behavior specialist, and teacher coach, focusing on pedagogical and didactic coaching. She was a key member of the team that founded Optimist International School in 2018 and has served as its Director since 2019. She is also a co-founder of Kick Onderwijsadvies, an educational consultancy.