After Wednesdays school lunch episodes, i have recieved several DM's asking for hints and tips about schools - and without asking everyone to go back listeniing to the numerous episodes we already have in our archive - I decided to magpie this episode, and grab a selection of learnings from previous episodes and also add in a few of my own.
In the Netherlands children start basisschool the day after their fourth birthday, so your child may walk into a class that's already formed. This episode covers what to expect in groep 1 and 2, what to send them in, and what to do in those first overwhelming weeks — for parents new to the Dutch system and for anyone heading back after the six-week summer holiday.
WHAT'S IN THIS EPISODE
- The Dutch school words nobody translates: groep 1, 2 and 3, kleuters, juf and meester, wennen, BSO, TSO, luizenzak, het tien-uurtje, gymles
- Why gym day means your kleuter may be asked to strip to their underwear
- Clothes, shoes, rain gear and mittens — Isabel Cruz's four practical rules
- Leerplicht: your four-year-old is not legally required to be at school until they turn five, and what that means for half days and BSO
- The summer slide, and why groep 1 and 2 have nothing to catch up on
- What to say at pickup instead of "how was your day"
- What to do when your child says someone was mean to them
QUICK ANSWERS
What is groep 1? The first year of Dutch primary school, for four-year-olds. Groep 1 and 2 run almost entirely on play; formal reading and writing start in groep 3.
What is wennen? Settling-in practice mornings before your child officially starts. Ask your school how many they offer.