Schools & activities

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General information, not admissions advice. Use the Schoolwijzer and OSVO pages for the year you apply.

1. 1. Watch for the letter around the third birthday

   In Amsterdam a preference form is posted to your child's address around their third birthday. Visit schools, list at least five, and hand the form in at your first choice.

   Schoolwijzer Amsterdam · Primary school procedure (English) ↗ · Schoolwijzer Amsterdam · Primary school procedure ↗
2. 2. Know when school starts

   Children may start primary school at 4 (with up to 5 settling-in days from 3 years 10 months). School is compulsory from the first day of the month after they turn 5.

   Rijksoverheid · When can my child start primary school? ↗ · Rijksoverheid · Compulsory education ↗
3. 3. Plan the school run and after-school time

   There's no general school bus: leerlingenvervoer is only for children who qualify. For after school, see BSO (Childcare), sport clubs and swimming lessons.

   Gemeente Amsterdam · Hoe werkt leerlingenvervoer ↗ · Gemeente Amsterdam · Sport and play map ↗ · Gemeente Amsterdam · ABC diplomazwemmen ↗

Key facts

Priority schools

Your child has priority at the 8 primary schools closest to your registered address Schoolwijzer Amsterdam · Primary school procedure ↗

How it usually goes

More than 90% get their first choice and 98% a top-3 school Schoolwijzer Amsterdam · Primary school procedure ↗

Leerplicht

From the 1st of the month after the 5th birthday; qualification duty to 18 without a startkwalificatie Rijksoverheid · Compulsory education ↗ · Rijksoverheid · When can my child start primary school? ↗

Secondary school

The move from group 8 follows the Kernprocedure agreed by school boards and the City, with central lottery and matching Schoolwijzer Amsterdam · Secondary school procedure ↗ · Vereniging OSVO · Kernprocedure 2026-2027 ↗

Leerlingenvervoer

For disability, special education or a longer trip to a denominational school, with distance rules Gemeente Amsterdam · Hoe werkt leerlingenvervoer ↗

Swimming diplomas

A, B and C; Amsterdam's requirements are stricter; most swim schools teach from age 4 Gemeente Amsterdam · ABC diplomazwemmen ↗

Bookmark these

• Schoolwijzer Amsterdam · Primary school procedure (English) ↗

  Schoolwijzer: Amsterdam's primary school procedure, in English (enter the date of birth for your deadlines).

• Rijksoverheid · When can my child start primary school? ↗

  Rijksoverheid: when your child may start school.

• Rijksoverheid · Compulsory education ↗

  Leerplicht and the qualification duty.

• Schoolwijzer Amsterdam · Secondary school procedure ↗

  Schoolwijzer: moving to secondary school.

• Vereniging OSVO · Kernprocedure 2026-2027 ↗

  OSVO Kernprocedure 2026–2027: matching and lottery rules.

• Gemeente Amsterdam · Hoe werkt leerlingenvervoer ↗

  How Amsterdam's school transport (leerlingenvervoer) works.

• Gemeente Amsterdam · ABC diplomazwemmen ↗

  Amsterdam's ABC swimming diplomas.

• Gemeente Amsterdam · Sport and play map ↗

  Amsterdam's sport and play map.

• I amsterdam · Understanding the Dutch school system ↗

  I amsterdam's overview of the Dutch school system.

• I amsterdam · Primary school ↗

  I amsterdam on primary school (basisschool) in Amsterdam.

• I amsterdam · Secondary school ↗

  I amsterdam on VMBO, HAVO and VWO.

• I amsterdam · Newcomers' classes ↗

  I amsterdam on newcomers' classes for 4- to 12-year-olds who don't speak Dutch yet.

• I amsterdam · International schools in the Amsterdam Area ↗

  International schools in the Amsterdam Area.

• I amsterdam · Find the right school ↗

  How to find the right school for your child.

Common questions

When does the school letter arrive?

Around your child's third birthday, by post to their registered address. Enter the date of birth on the Schoolwijzer procedure page for the exact deadlines. Schoolwijzer Amsterdam · Primary school procedure (English) ↗

Do I have to choose one of the 8 nearest schools?

No. Those are where your child has priority; you can list others too. List at least five preferences. Schoolwijzer Amsterdam · Primary school procedure ↗

Is there a school bus?

Not as a standard service. Leerlingenvervoer is a municipal scheme with strict conditions (disability, special education, or a longer trip to a denominational school, plus distance rules). Some BSOs collect children from school themselves; Kindergarden, for example, says it picks up by BSO bus, cargo bike or on foot depending on distance. Gemeente Amsterdam · Hoe werkt leerlingenvervoer ↗ · Kindergarden · BSO Fizeaustraat, Amsterdam ↗

Can my child start at 4?

Yes. They must attend from the first day of the month after they turn 5. Rijksoverheid · When can my child start primary school? ↗

How does the secondary-school lottery work?

The school boards and the City agree a Kernprocedure each year for the move from group 8, including central lottery and matching (Centrale Loting en Matching). Read the version for your year on OSVO. Vereniging OSVO · Kernprocedure 2026-2027 ↗ · Schoolwijzer Amsterdam · Secondary school procedure ↗

How do I find a football club for my child in Amsterdam?

Children in the Netherlands can play at a club from age 5; the youngest teams (Pupillen) play 4-a-side on a small pitch. To see clubs and pitches near you, use Amsterdam's Sport and play map. One example near the Jordaan (not a recommendation): AVV SDZ at Transformatorweg 10, opposite the Westerpark, runs a football school where boys and girls aged 4 to 18 can train weekly as aspirant members, joining at any time in the season; places in regular teams are often limited. If money is tight, Jeugdfonds Sport & Cultuur can pay club fees. KNVB · Amateur football in the Netherlands ↗ · Gemeente Amsterdam · Sport and play map ↗ · AVV SDZ · Football school (example club) ↗ · Jeugdfonds Sport & Cultuur ↗

When should swimming lessons start?

Most swim schools take children from 4, and from 5 they usually learn faster. Starting at 5½, diploma A takes about 1½ years; B and C usually take another 3–6 months. Amsterdam's requirements are stricter. Gemeente Amsterdam · ABC diplomazwemmen ↗