What is the International Crossover Class?

The International Crossover Class (ICC) offers high-quality education for international students wanting to start or continue international curriculum schooling. Children aged 10, 11 or 12 who are new to the Netherlands and have not decided whether they will continue in Dutch or international education can opt for the ICC, as it provides a crossover year for students in this unique situation.

In the Dutch educational system, secondary schooling starts a year later than in the international system. Students that have finished international primary schooling and wish to enroll in Dutch secondary education therefore need a bridging year. During the ICC year, students complete Middle Years 1 (MY1) of the International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC). Pearson Maths and Cambridge International Lower Secondary English are used alongside the IMYC program of study. All lessons are taught in English. Students wishing to go on to Dutch education must be reasonably proficient in Dutch to do so. During the ICC year, we provide supplementary Dutch lessons. It is however the family's responsibility to ensure that the child reaches the level of Dutch required for continuation at a Dutch secondary school.

Although continuation in bilingual education seems a logical choice for students from international backgrounds, we have found that when the level of Dutch of a student is still too low, bilingual education is in fact not advisable, as the limited exposure to Dutch means that progress in this language is too slow, whereas the students will eventually have to take their final exams in Dutch.
In February, the teachers give the ICC students a binding advice with regard to the level of secondary education that is most suitable for them. The advice will be based on the student’s results and our observations in class (motivation, interest, level of independence, the way of thinking, the type of questions a student asks). As the teachers who work with the ICC, all have long years of experience, we are confident that we can offer a fitting advice, even after a relatively short period of time. The student’s level of Dutch will determine whether we will advise students to continue in the bilingual or the Dutch-speaking department. Of course, it is always an option to opt for continuation at an international school instead of a Dutch secondary school.
The ICC has a maximum class size of 20 to 22 students. The annual school fee is € 2,500 per student.

The International Crossover Class is part of the Hermann Wesselink College, in Amstelveen, which offers secondary education in both Dutch and bilingual streams. For further information please contact Inke Oostveen, coordinator ICC class, oos@hethwc.nl.

If you would like to register your son or daughter for next school year please fill in this registration form and mail it to Inke Oostveen, oos@hethwc.nl or hand it over to our front desk at the HWC.

Our motto:

Our vision:

• Through the International Middle Years Curriculum, we aim to deliver an internationally researched, learner-focused curriculum with engaging units of learning that serve to develop both internationally-minded and globally competent citizens.
• Central to the philosophy of the IMYC is how learning occurs in the adolescent brain and the importance of making connections in learning. This is done using ‘The Big Idea’, which provides a central theme that overarches all the Subject, Personal and International Learning Goals in each unit (e.g., ‘Balance’ or ‘Adaptability’).

Our mission:

• We promote curiosity, connectedness, and compassion.
• We encourage students to constantly seek to broaden their minds and horizons.
• Through their learning, students will be able to rise to the challenges of the modern world.
• We encourage our students to be responsible and engaged.
• We have respect for ourselves and each other.
• We inspire each other to achieve excellence.
• We believe that learning and growth shape confident individuals.
• We are compassionate, welcoming and caring.

ICC Valued Attributes:

• adaptable
• a communicator
• a collaborator
• empathetic
• ethical
• resilient
• respectful
• a thinker
• open-minded