60 Years of ISA

From 13 students in two classrooms of an existing Dutch school in 1964 to over 1200 in an iconic, purpose-built campus in 2024, in 60 years ISA has grown to become the most established international school in the Netherlands. Our longstanding relationships with the IB, Harvard Graduate School of Education and other partners are testament to the strength of our community and legacy.

ISA 60 Years: Honouring Our Legacy, Celebrating Our Community

Join us in commemorating 60 years of the International School of Amsterdam! As we celebrate this milestone, we reflect on our legacy of educating for international understanding, on the strength of our vibrant diverse community, and on the impactful partnerships we built locally and globally. We honour our journey and continue our commitment to the wellbeing and success of our students, families, alumni, faculty and staff.

  • 1964

     

    ISA Opens Its Doors at Winterdijkstraat

    When the Mayor and key municipal officials of the City of Amsterdam agreed to the establishment of an International School, two rooms of an existing Dutch school at Winterdijkstraat 8 were made available.

    The International School of Amsterdam opened its doors in January 1964 to admit one pupil, a five-year-old English girl, Eleanor Maclean. English teacher, Ms. J. Rigby, was appointed to start the school, and by the end of the first term there were two additional part-time teachers, Mrs. Rombach and Miss Cox, and 13 students.

    Later, with Mrs. Dorothy Vincent as principal, ISA was given six additional classrooms at 77 Vechtstraat. By this time there were 117 pupils from 16 countries and nine grades. Employees of over 60 different international firms had sent their children to the school since it opened.

  • 1972

     

    Temporary Campus in Osdorp

    As ISA grew, it became clear that more space was needed. At the beginning of the 1972-1973 school year, the Mayor and Aldermen of the city allowed ISA to move from its classrooms in the Winterdijkstraat and Vechtstraat to five, clearly temporary, wooden, four-classroom buildings, inelegant but cosy, in a park-like environment on the Meer en Vaart in Amsterdam-Osdorp. 

  • 1977

     

    ISA’s First Purpose-Built Campus

    In March 1977, ISA moved to more purpose-built facilities, across the street from the Free University, at 875 A. J. Ernststraat in Amsterdam-Buitenveldert. Mayor Samkalden, long an honorary member of the Board, attended the dedication ceremonies held in the Great Hall on Monday, 4 April 1977, together with many ambassadors and businessmen. Teachers and students served as hosts and escorts for the distinguished guests.

  • 1980

     

    ISA Becomes an IB World School

    ISA has been certified as an IB World School for over forty years, offering all three IB programmes from the Primary Years Programme (PYP), through to the Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP). ISA was one of the first schools in the world to offer the PYP and even partnered with the IB to pilot the programme. With the IB learner profile as a guiding principle, ISA offers a continuum of international education, from early childhood through to school graduation.

  • 1996

     

    Grand Opening of ‘The Pink Castle’

    When ISA moved to its Sportlaan campus in 1996, student enrollment was just over 600 – ranging from Kindergarten to grade 12. The newly-designed building seemed well suited for accommodating several generations of ISA students. However, time would prove that further expansion would be needed to keep up with the pace of international families moving into the area. 

  • 2004

     

    Launch of Partnership with Harvard’s Project Zero

    In 2004, ISA embarked on a 20-year-long collaboration with the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s research department Project Zero, which has included our involvement with the Teaching for Understanding and Cultures of Thinking projects. Through this partnership,we have established a ‘culture of thinking’ at ISA which has supported student learning, both inside the traditional classroom and outside, through extracurricular activities, career exploration and beyond.

  • 2012

     

    Beginning of Collaboration with Room to Read

    Room to Read is a global organisation with the motto ‘World Change Starts with Educated Children.’ Since 2012, the ISA community has helped to support their goal of promoting literacy and gender equality by holding an annual Book Sale, which in 2024 raised over €8,700, with over 3000 books being donated and repurchased.

  • 2014

     

    A Remarkable School Year: 50th Anniversary & Campus Extension

    The celebration of the ISA’s golden anniversary set the tone for a remarkable and memorable school year. Marking the 50th anniversary were several events, starting with an alumni reunion weekend, when over 700 alumni-students, faculty and parents returned to ISA from as far away as New Zealand, Brazil and Japan, to reconnect with old friends and teachers and reminisce about their days at ISA. The school then welcomed new and returning families with a special anniversary barbeque, boasting a record attendance of 1400.

    Lastly, a special private showing of the newest collection at the Van Gogh Museum was arranged by the Director and the Board of Governors to show gratitude to the ISA faculty and staff, many of whom had been at the school for well over a decade.

    The anniversary coincided with the official opening of the new wing of the school. In August 2014, in response to an increasing need for international education in the region, ISA opened the doors to a 7800 m2 extension, allowing for an even richer student-centred curriculum. The school was now able to offer a Professional Development Centre, three libraries, a theatre, eight science laboratories, three gymnasiums and specialist rooms for music, art and drama. The new building allowed the school to welcome an additional 250 students, bringing enrollment to over 1200 students from over 50 countries around the world. 

    The extension was officially opened in October 2014 by the Mayors of Amsterdam and Amstelveen. In his speech, Mayor van der Laan of Amsterdam noted the importance of ISA in bringing diversity and stability to the economic and social climate of the region.

  • 2014

    Launch of Thought-Full Schools Initiative

    Thought-full Schools is a progressive professional development initiative that was introduced at ISA in 2014. At its heart, it is a collaborative peer development programme that provides an open and mindful platform through which teachers have the opportunity to support and learn from each other in creative ways.

    The pilot programme, launched at ISA in August 2014, involved over 35 faculty and proved to be such a success that, with the ISA Board of Governors approval, has become a formal alternative to the standardised appraisal process for experienced teachers still in place today.

    Through classroom observations, discussions, collaborative planning sessions and conversations, teachers engage authentically with their colleagues in ways that not only inform, but also enhance, their teaching practice. For many experienced teachers, this opportunity empowers them to delve into their practice in ways that extend beyond what might be possible within the confines of a conventional professional appraisal.

  • 2015

     

    Launch of ISA’s Centre for Development, Learning & Technology (CDLT)

    In 2015, ISA launched the Centre for Development, Learning and Technology (CDLT), to support the professional development of ISA faculty and staff and other international educators from around the world. The creation of the CDLT has allowed ISA to ensure that its teachers and staff have access to the most current methodologies, tools and techniques for providing students with future skills for lifelong learning. Since its launch, the CDLT has hosted many events including conferences on behalf of the IB, Veracross and Google and workshops from world-renowned educators such as Jay McTighe, Ron Ritchhart and David Perkins.

  • 2018

     

    ISA is Named Top Education Employer in the Netherlands

    Members of ISA’s Human Resources Team attended the ‘Beste Werkgever 2018 awards ceremony and proudly received the 2018 award for Top Employer In Education on behalf of the entire ISA educator community. This award was a recognition of all the hard work that ISA teachers and staff members put into our school each day and that our diversity of cultures and beliefs truly allows us to integrate the mission we teach towards each day – to educate for international understanding – into our professional lives.

  • 2023

     

    The Nunya Academy Opens a Campus with Support from ISA

    ISA’s relationship with the Nunya Academy, a music school in Ghana, began back in 2014. The experiences between students and teachers there were so meaningful that the ISA community decided to support the Academy and its mission. We have organised a fundraising concert each year. The concerts are now a community-favourite ISA tradition which has enabled us to raise a total of €36,863 for the Nunya Academy. Last summer, we were specially invited to the grand opening of the new full-time school campus in Ghana, built with the help of the ISA community.

  • 2024

     

    60th anniversary

    In 2024, we’re commemorating 60 years of the International School of Amsterdam! As we celebrate this milestone, we’re reflecting on our legacy of educating for international understanding, on the strength of our vibrant diverse community, and on the impactful partnerships we built locally and globally. This year we are also continuing the process of a join CIS/NEASC Accreditation, with a focus on wellbeing for lifelong learning.

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