De Nieuwe Internationale School van Esprit

Enrollment at DENISE is open for all students aged 4 to 18. Children younger than 4 follow the Amsterdam Municipal Admission policy. Good to know: there is high demand for places, so inquiries are handled by email only; school visits and phone calls are by appointment; read our admission policy; the annual parental contribution is €225, and for an IB program there is an additional charge of €400 twice if applicable; many groups are full (maximum 24 students per group) and you can place your child on the waiting list.

Information sessions:
- Primary (Basisonderwijs): on-site information session at the school. Dates: Thursday 30 October 2025 at 9:00; Wednesday 4 March 2026 at 9:00; Wednesday 20 May 2026 at 9:00; registration via forms.gle.
- From Group 8 to Group 9 (bridge class): information session plus a sample lesson on Wednesday 11 February from 14:30 to 16:30; registration via forms.gle; information booklet available.
- Secondary education (for newcomers): online information session for parents and students from abroad interested in the newcomers program and DENISE progression. The session is from 14:00 to 15:00 on the following dates: Tuesday 28 October 2025; Tuesday 13 January 2026; Tuesday 21 April 2026; Google Meet links provided.

Leerlingen jonger dan 4 jaar (Under 4):
Enrollment for under-4 follows the Municipal Admissions Policy. For births between 1 May 2022 and 31 August 2022: deadline 6 November 2025; births between 1 September 2022 and 31 December 2022: deadline 12 March 2026; births between 1 January 2023 and 30 April 2023: deadline 28 May 2026; births between 1 May 2023 and 31 August 2023: deadline 5 November 2026; born after 31 August 2023: dates to be announced. Following submission, automated placements occur in March, June and November to place children at the highest possible preferred school. Priority rules: 1. if the child turning 4 has an older sibling at the first-preference school; 2) children with DENISE as first preference outside the postcode area have priority over those with DENISE as first preference but within the postcode area and with a lower ranking. To accommodate the school's popularity, please fill in at least five schools on the form so your child can be placed elsewhere if needed.

Leerlingen tussen 4 en 12 jaar (4-12 years):
In primary education, classes are bilingual, three days in Dutch and two days in English. It helps if your child speaks one of the languages. We will assess whether there is space in the appropriate class and may offer a place on the waiting list. Most classes are full and the waiting list is long.

Leerlingen tussen 12 en 18 jaar (12-18 years):
DENISE has a three-year bridge class (grades 9, 10 and 11). We offer VMBO-TL, HAVO and IB (International Baccalaureate) diploma programs. Dutch language is mandatory; if your child does not yet master Dutch, entry may occur via one of our language classes. Our IB diploma program is fully in English, but Dutch is a mandatory subject. Special attention is given to newcomers and to students with language gaps.

AANMELDEN NIEUWKOMERS (Newcomers):
Newcomers start in our newcomer program; their age on arrival in the Netherlands is between 12 and 17 years 10 months. Based on these assessments, they are placed at Mundus College (VMBO-B/K/TL and practical education) or at DENISE (from VMBO-TL to IB). The newcomer group is located at Van Hallstraat 621 in Amsterdam. If a student may join DENISE (the level permitting), they start in a language class to learn Dutch as a second language to reach approximately B1 level; once Dutch is at the required level, they transfer to the regular bilingual classes or to English-language IB education (with Dutch as a mandatory subject).

AANMELDEN GROEP 8 (Grade 8 admissions):
For the transition from primary to secondary, DENISE participates in the Amsterdam municipal placement policy. Grade 8 students can apply to participate in the Central Lottery & Matching. For more information, see schoolkeuze020.nl. The central admission period runs from 20 to 31 March. Enrollment via ELK parent portal is possible after you have the final primary school advice, by 22 March. Detailed information about central admission is available at schoolkeuze020.nl.

AANMELDEN ZIJ-INSTROOM (Lateral entry) en andere situaties:
Students already in the Netherlands at a secondary school or those who speak Dutch but do not yet have sufficient Dutch to attend a regular Dutch secondary school fall under zij-instroom. Places in regular groups are limited because groups are generally full. For additional information on entry requirements, please consult our admission policy. We will assess possibilities and inform you of the next steps.

Bezoek van de school en telefonisch contact kan alleen op afspraak. School visits and phone contacts are by appointment only.

Waitlist overview: When spaces are filled, DENISE maintains a waiting list. If more applications exist than available places, a lottery is used to allocate places in order of the applicant's preferred schools. Priority is given to 4-year-olds with an older sibling at the first-preference school and to applicants who have DENISE as their first preference outside the postcode area over those with DENISE as first preference but within the postcode area. Because DENISE is highly sought-after, applicants are asked to list at least five schools in the application. Registration for the waiting list is by emailing admin@denise.espritscholen.nl. Automated placements occur in March, June and November when places become available.