Maastricht relo

Old Jul 18th 2018, 6:48 pm
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Default Maastricht relo

My family are researching a possible move to Maastricht. (Temp 2 year secondment). My biggest concern is schooling for 8 and 10 year old.
Does anyone have experience or knowledge of the international school UWC Maastricht?
Thanks in advance.
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Old Jul 20th 2018, 6:48 pm
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Default Re: Maastricht relo

No experience of the school in question unfortunately.
Maastricht and Limburg are a nice place in general.
Can't see where you are at the moment so I presume UK..
Your kids are going to have to be willing to move also..leaving friends/family behind etc...

I think the first question must be 'Am I willing to disrupt my children's schooling for a temporary assignment'..if you were moving here and planning to stay it might be a different matter, then I would suggest putting them in the local school and they would benefit from learning a new language too.
The International school would also be quite different of course.

What situation would they be in after the 2 years are up? and how would they fit in to the UK Curriculum again, especially if you have kids who are currently doing well at school..?
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Old Jul 20th 2018, 7:29 pm
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Default Re: Maastricht relo

[QUOTE=calman014;12536232]No experience of the school in question unfortunately.
Maastricht and Limburg are a nice place in general.{/quote]

agreed. Beautiful city, international because of its University, and it's place in Europe.

Originally Posted by calman014
Your kids are going to have to be willing to move also..leaving friends/family behind etc... I think the first question must be 'Am I willing to disrupt my children's schooling for a temporary assignment'..if you were moving here and planning to stay it might be a different matter, then I would suggest putting them in the local school and they would benefit from learning a new language too. The International school would also be quite different of course.

What situation would they be in after the 2 years are up? and how would they fit in to the UK Curriculum again, especially if you have kids who are currently doing well at school..?
Also agreed. A two year assignment isn't going to do the kids any favours. So the question is, can the OP afford around 12,000 per year to put their kids into (gov't subsidised) private school? The reality is this: at 10, your older child will be 'kept down' a year or possibly more in a regular (free) Dutch school, until he or she masters the language enough to take the equivalent of SATS (only available in Dutch). Techniques of teaching are different here (hence The Netherlands is in the Top 10 worldwide for Mathematics and the British are not). My child was painfully aware that his 'old mates' progressed every single year, whereas here it is attainment based - that's quite an adjustment you are asking of them. Easy to cope at 5 or 6, not so much as you approach high school. Then you contend with the fact that child being streamed into a level that he or she would not be in the UK - at 12 they are streamed into Masters/Bachelors/Vocational education. If you don't cope, you're downgraded. Your child will have to be darn exceptional (according to the Dutch: not you, not their current teachers) to maintain their current academic level, if they only start to learn the language at 10. The 8 year old has a chance - but will they accept their sibling being sent to a private school while they are not? What if they both adapt, then feel out of place returning to the UK education system?
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Old Jul 31st 2018, 5:37 pm
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Default Re: Maastricht relo

[QUOTE=Red_Wine_Fairy;12536244]
Originally Posted by calman014
No experience of the school in question unfortunately.
Maastricht and Limburg are a nice place in general.{/quote]

agreed. Beautiful city, international because of its University, and it's place in Europe.



Also agreed. A two year assignment isn't going to do the kids any favours. So the question is, can the OP afford around 12,000 per year to put their kids into (gov't subsidised) private school? The reality is this: at 10, your older child will be 'kept down' a year or possibly more in a regular (free) Dutch school, until he or she masters the language enough to take the equivalent of SATS (only available in Dutch). Techniques of teaching are different here (hence The Netherlands is in the Top 10 worldwide for Mathematics and the British are not). My child was painfully aware that his 'old mates' progressed every single year, whereas here it is attainment based - that's quite an adjustment you are asking of them. Easy to cope at 5 or 6, not so much as you approach high school. Then you contend with the fact that child being streamed into a level that he or she would not be in the UK - at 12 they are streamed into Masters/Bachelors/Vocational education. If you don't cope, you're downgraded. Your child will have to be darn exceptional (according to the Dutch: not you, not their current teachers) to maintain their current academic level, if they only start to learn the language at 10. The 8 year old has a chance - but will they accept their sibling being sent to a private school while they are not? What if they both adapt, then feel out of place returning to the UK education system?

Ok, thanks both for your views. To clarify we are Brits living in USA so my kids are in the USA system. We would not consider a local Dutch school as the assignment is temporary and we want their schooling to be instructed in English. The schooling would be financed by our employers, thankfully, as we couldnt consider the move otherwise.
The system seems very different in Holland to the States/ UK - does the attainment system also apply to private schools? And also does the streaming apply to private schools too?
Any further insights from either of you would be appreciated.
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Old Aug 1st 2018, 5:32 pm
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Default Re: Maastricht relo

With the exceptions of the 'National' Schools (English, American, French, Japanese, possibly more) which teach their own nation's curriculum, then as far as I know, all of the International Schools follow the International Baccalaureate programme, from early years to the final exam (PYP/MYP/DP).

There is no attainment as such: you just follow the curriculum - and its expected that it's a temporary stay so they will accommodate your children regardless. If you were here for the duration/end exams and your kids weren't passing (or had special learning needs), because this is a super-tough curriculum - far more challenging than UK GCSEs - then it would be a different matter, but that doesn't apply in your case. As for fully private schools (boarding?), I know 'of' them but have no experience. Can I suggest that you download this publication from the SIO website, as it might answer your questions better.

http://www.sio.nl/wp-content/uploads..._Def_CORR1.pdf
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Old Aug 1st 2018, 8:06 pm
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Default Re: Maastricht relo

Thank you so much, that link is super helpful
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