Attention Amstelveen parents of young children: it no longer makes sense to register your little one at a primary school as early as possible. 4-year-olds who start their school career in Amstelveen from the 2024/2025 school year, all get a place at the same time.
For example, the largest Amstelveen education umbrella organizations – OG Amstelland and Amstelwijs – guarantee that ‘all children under equal circumstances have equal opportunities at a preferred school’.
Parents who enroll their child soon after the third birthday have an advantage under the current system. Although school boards apply the principle that children from their own neighborhood are given priority, parents are free to register their child at a school outside their neighbourhood. And because children are enrolled immediately upon registration, popular schools may no longer have room for children who live in the neighborhood where the school is located.
Priority to four schools
To prevent this as much as possible in the future, under the new policy, children are given priority at the four schools that are closest to their home address (within walking distance). Parents are still allowed to register their child at a school outside the neighbourhood, but because that school must also give priority to children from the neighbourhood, there is less chance that there will be room for children from outside the neighbourhood.
“The biggest difference between the old and the new admission policy is that children are no longer enrolled individually at different times, but all at the same time,” says director Ineke van der Linden of Education Group Amstelland.
“The vast majority of parents choose a school close to home”
She explains that when registering their child at their favorite school, parents must also inform three other schools. These may also be schools outside their own neighbourhood, although it is expected that it will be rare for parents to choose four schools outside their own neighbourhood. “The vast majority of parents choose a school close to home,” says Van der Linden.
Always a place nearby
Parents who only choose schools outside their own neighborhood must bear in mind that there are no places available at any of those schools, and that their child will still be placed at a school in their neighbourhood. The chance that there is no room at one of the four nearest schools is negligible, says Van der Linden. “We looked at it mathematically, and that doesn’t seem to be possible.”
There are, however, some exceptions here and there. For example, children who already have a brother or sister at another school are given priority at that school, even if that school is not one of the nearest schools. Children from Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, where three primary schools are located, are guaranteed a place at one of those schools.