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Netherlands, Bergen
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On 16 October 1963 the European School Bergen opened to support the Joint Research Centre in Petten. It began in a wooden temporary building with five rooms, five nursery pupils, five primary pupils, three teachers, a secretary, a concierge and a Belgian director. The school grew to 18 classrooms as it expanded; the foundation stone for a permanent building was laid in 1976. In September 1977 the administration and secondary moved to the present site, followed by nursery and primary in December 1977. In April 1978 the school was officially opened by HM Princess Beatrix, who also opened Europahal, the sports hall built in collaboration with the local community. Numbers peaked at around 900 and, since 2000, have reduced to about 560 with the closure of the Italian and German sections. The school now has Dutch, French and English language sections.
Pupils are educated in a secure, happy, relaxed yet stimulating multilingual environment. Languages are taught by native speakers and are central to preparing pupils to be aware and responsible European citizens. Pupils participate in a wide range of educational, cultural and social activities in the school, the local community and in events across Europe before they go on to study at universities across Europe and North America. The school preserves and promotes the cultural identity of pupils from more than forty countries, and emphasises creative arts, music, art and drama, as well as sport and ICT.
European School Bergen is a day school within the European Schools network serving pupils from age 2 to 18. The curriculum follows European Schools framework, with three language sections: English, Dutch and French. All sections share the same syllabuses, ensuring coherence across language groups, while Nursery and Primary classes are taught in the mother tongue. In Secondary, a third language is compulsory from year 1, with German, Dutch and Spanish offered and a fourth option in Year 4. The language focus is complemented by cross-language learning through European Hours in Primary. The school emphasizes science, mathematics, information technology and creative arts, and integrates ICT across lessons. Native-speaking teachers support multilingual education, and distance-learning with European colleagues broadens horizons. Students have access to a well-stocked library, the Europahal sports hall, and a broad programme of cultural, educational and residential activities. The European Baccalaureate anchors the final stages of study for graduates.
