Principal's Welcome

Mr neville kirton

Principal
Amity International School Amsterdam

Dear Families,

Amity International School Amsterdam is unique.

Located in a historic monumental building on a beautiful campus close to the museums of Amsterdam and Schiphol airport, we pride ourselves on knowing the individual learning needs of each of our students. Our culture of care, and high standards of safety and security, ensure that our students’ well-being is our main priority. Our learners represent over 30 different nationalities, speaking more than 20 different languages, promoting a diverse and inclusive community of globally minded citizens.

As Principal of Amity, and a member of our wider team since 2020, it is a genuine privilege to welcome you to our school. Our vision is to empower each individual to thrive and make a positive difference. In a world of uncertainty and complexity, this means enabling our learners to develop their intrapersonal awareness and interpersonal skills, and to foster a spirit of service and action for a hope-filled future.

At Amity International School Amsterdam, we work hard to set our students up for success so they can fulfill their unique potential. Our dedicated team of educators are committed to providing a supportive and inspiring environment for growth and development - be that in relation to sports, the Arts, or traditional academic achievement. As a relatively young school, we are proud of our school’s growth, driven as it is by all members of our community. Our goals are outlined in more detail below.

Our goals

Academic Learning

1. Delivers an academic education of balance and excellence to all its students, in line with its guiding statements (Mission, Vision)

Our students come from all over the world and join us at very different stages in their learning journey. Our aim is for all students to be appropriately challenged and enabled to accelerate their learning, regardless of their level of prior knowledge and experience. Students at Amity learn through a concept-based and inquiry-driven approach to learning, with the development of key social, thinking, communication, research and self-management skills. Our curriculum is designed to be relevant to our students’ learning needs and future, with authentic assessment tasks that propel students’ learning. Our Post-secondary Education advisors work to support our students in their search and applications for university courses.

Holistic Development

2. Delivers an education of excellence beyond the classroom to all its students, in line with its guiding statements (Mission, Vision)

Beyond the classroom, our students are actively engaged in Co-Curricular Activities – from sports, music and arts clubs to gardening and Model United Nations Conferences. Throughout the school, students participate in educational visits, residential trips, school music concerts and theatre productions, as well as plan and implement service-as-learning initiatives. Our vertical tutoring system enables students to develop relationships for learning within smaller tutor groups, while our House system and Student Council promote opportunities for student leadership and friendly competition. While our Early Years and Primary Years students explore the natural environment of our Forest School, situated within our beautiful campus, or develop their swimming skills, our Middle Years students can work towards a range of external qualifications such as the DELF French exams, LAMDA Dramatic Arts exam, CREST Science Awards or the International Award for Young People. We aim to set our students up for success so that they are not only qualified, but educated, with all that that implies.

Culture of Care

3. Safeguards its community

The health, safety and security of our students is our priority. Our health and well-being team, including our school nurse, Well-being Counsellor, Safeguarding Leads, and Security team, are always available to respond to students’ physical or social-emotional well-being needs. Our wider faculty, including House Advisors, Learning Support Assistants and Teacher Assistants, ensure that the individual needs of all our students are met. We promote a culture of care amongst our students, underpinned by the core values of respect and responsibility and driven by empathy and compassion towards others.

Social and Environmental Responsibility

4. Develops a sense of social and environmental responsibility within the community

Our DEI statement reflects our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and we continue to build relationships with the local community to enable our students to support values-based initiatives. Sustainability and a commitment to the needs of the global community are at the heart of our curriculum and wider school ethos. In a time of great transformation, it is vital that our students understand the importance of sustainability and its relationship to the wider social, economic, and environmental systems.

Standards and Practices

5. Develops standards and practices in line with best practices within each field

Amity was authorised by the International Baccalaureate to offer the PYP in November 2020, the MYP in November 2021 and the DP in April 2022. We are a CIS Member school and following a successful NEASC Foundation Standards visit in September 2023, Amity is eligible for NEASC accreditation. Academically and organizationally, we hold ourselves accountable to the very highest standards and practices.

Quality Provision

6. Maintain the growth of the student population through the provision of quality services and support

We're proud of the quality of our wider school services – from catering to transportation – that complements our impressive historical school building and green campus. Students genuinely love our healthy and delicious lunch menu, and we’re grateful for the dedication and culinary creativity of our Chef and catering team. Students can enjoy door-to-door transport service in one of our comfortable school taxis. Our younger students are welcome to join our After School Care Programme where they can play traditional games and our Summer Camps keep our students active and engaged during the months of June and July.

Shared Community Identity

7. Develops a shared understanding of our community identity as a learning organisation

We recognise the importance of building supportive relationships for all members of our wider community. Amity’s Communities and Families Association organize a range of activities and events that provide opportunities for parents, teachers and students to connect with each other and to come together as a whole school community. At Amity we not only cultivate autonomous learners, but we recognise that staff are lifelong learners. Our professional learning communities provide an opportunity for staff to investigate and share the latest in educational theory and practice. Many of our parents kindly share their professional skills, local insights, or creative talents through workshops. Collectively, we recognise the value of our community members to support and share with each other.

We can't emphasize enough the importance of our home-school partnership in the learning journeys of your children. When parents are actively involved in their child's education, it creates a powerful support system. We encourage parents to stay engaged, ask questions, and collaborate with our teachers to ensure the best possible learning experience for your children. All parents join our Community and Families Association enabling you to connect with our wider community. Together, we can make a significant impact on the growth and development of our young people.

Warm regards,

Mr Neville