The Tunesian Gastronomic days

We provide a caring, safe environment for the international community and an individualised approach. We guarantee small class sizes but it is not only a question of numbers. Our school also defines itself according to its core values, which we continuously encourage, model and develop, all with the purpose to prepare our students for the future. We know that children who grow up in a safe environment that helps them define themselves, whilst respecting others, will be better able to thrive in any work environment.

Our school values focus on a strong community spirit, integrity, respect, kindness, optimism and innovation. Everything that happens in our school reflects these values of the individual and of the school as a whole. Role-modelling these values and evidencing them in all that we do is therefore very important. After all, it is our responsibility to provide our pupils with the tools to develop their own values, explore with empathy the values of others, discuss disagreements and make good choices whilst celebrating their own self.

IPC stands for International Primary Curriculum. Through thematic units, our teachers create fun and engaging learning opportunities that enable learners to make connections between subjects and the world around them. Our aim is to develop international mindedness and encourage personal learning through the development of personal goals (inquiry, resilience, morality, communication, thoughtfulness, cooperation, respect and adaptability). These goals are built into the learning tasks within each unit.

We live in an ever changing world and we are constantly evolving in our educational offering. Like our children, we need to adapt. We therefore review our educational provision regularly using research based evidence. We were one of the first in the Netherlands to implement Maths No Problem, where all children are supported to master an understanding and love of mathematics as well as finding solutions to problems in a variety of ways. This year we chose to trial the Junior Duke Awards to teach children life skills and responsibility from an early age, through a variety of engaging activities. We are pioneers in trialling new ideas and adapting them to the needs of our students.

Every challenge brings an opportunity. Innovation is also finding solutions to new challenges. We were pushed out of our comfort zone and forced to adapt to a new situation with very little transition time. We found new and interesting ways to deliver lessons online and learned to use new tools to support this. However, the switch to online learning made us ever more aware of the need to ensure the children are safe when using the internet. We invited two speakers from the Breck Foundation Charity to talk to our students about online behaviour. The children were really engaged in the discussions and it confirmed that we were on the right track when we decided to address this issue.

Our aim is to continually evaluate, adapt and improve our practice over time, to ensure we are always providing the best education possible. Our values guide the process every step of the way and are at the heart of our school. After all, to quote Aristotle, educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.

Established in 1993, Elckerlyc International School welcomes students from all over the world into our village community. We provide opportunities for children to discover and explore their strengths and abilities, through an engaging curriculum.