Curriculum
Our messages
Dear parent,
On behalf of the Board of Governors, the team of teachers and assistant teachers and all supporting staff, I would like to welcome you on the website of the Netherlands International School Lagos.
Our motto is: Learning for Life. We passionately and relentlessly put our children at the heart of everything we do at the school. The school is owned and governed by the parents so we all have just one priority: our children.
NISL has a Dutch and British curriculum to the highest (certified) standards and the school is set in an informal (Dutch) atmosphere which puts the development of the individual child at the centre of our efforts.
The school is proud of our “Dutch-ness” which means all the children, irrespective of their nationality, will celebrate, for instance, Sinterklaas and King’s Day together. These celebrations will involve all Parents as well. They are truly are inclusive events! This does not stop the school from honouring Nigerian Independence Day or International Day, where all children will celebrate their own culture together and of course our host country.
All Parents of prospective future pupils of NISL are most welcome to visit the school and taste the unique atmosphere of the school. I suggest those visits take place when the school starts (07:45 am) so parents can see the happy hustle and bustle of the school. There will always be Administrative Staff and Teaching Staff available to introduce you to the uniqueness of the NISL!
Looking forward to welcoming you!
Chairman
On behalf off all staff at the NISL
Dear Parents,
I would like to wish you a very warm welcome to The Netherlands International School Lagos. As Principal, I am extremely proud to lead the school forward and continue to develop the values which underpin everything we do. At NISL we have a simple yet ambitious vision of Learning for Life. We try our best to build the self-esteem and aspirations of our pupils, and with the support of our whole school community, we are dedicated to making a positive difference to the life chances of every child within our school.
We have a dedicated, enthusiastic, and committed team of staff who endeavour to provide exciting and enriching experiences for our children. We value every child as an individual and believe our staff make a real difference – to give the best education, academically and socially, to our pupils.
The partnership between home and school is vital, and we encourage all parents to take an active role in the education of their children. Children are at the heart of all we do. Their social and emotional well-being are as important as their academic achievements.
Together, we share responsibility for the children’s education, and we work closely at putting the children at the centre of everything we do. We encourage our parents to become involved in all aspects of school life, so that, as partners, we can promote high standards of learning, behaviour and attitudes to enable every child to reach their full potential.
You are warmly invited to visit, so that you can experience for yourself the quality and breadth of education that we at NISL provide for all children- a bright, happy, and welcoming school, with purposeful learning environments.
We look forward to welcoming you to the NISL community soil!
Hannah Loudoun
Principal
Events
Nigeria Independence Day
Sinterklaas
Christmas
Sport Day
Who we are
The Netherlands International School Lagos (NISL) is a non-profit small-scale primary school in old Ikoyi, a safe and primarily residential area. NISL was traditionally located on Dutch Consulate grounds and maintains an excellent relationship with them.
At NISL, children aged 18 months to 11 years of age are taught either the Dutch, British or EYFS curriculum. We embrace topic-based learning with the use of the International Primary Curriculum which helps our children to connect dots in their learning.
Children of all nationalities, religions and cultural backgrounds are welcome. We celebrate and enjoy our diversity at NISL!
Our teachers are driven, qualified and attentive to the needs of every child. In small groups we use the latest teaching techniques. Differentiation is on the forefront of our minds and and with all ages and stages, we take pride in looking at individual potential, learning styles and preferences.
We would be delighted to meet you and share the family atmosphere and positive ethos that make our school so special.
NISL is unique, exclusive and community-minded… home away from home where education is holistic and individualised.
Important Dates
What our parents are saying
Mrs. Claske, this is Benício’s last day at school and we will be leaving Lagos soon. Our assignment is almost over and we are happy to go back home. Still we are also sad. As always, human relations surpass all the aspects of living abroad leaving unwashed marks on us, not the beauties of difficulties of a place. NISL is definitely a part of this moment in our lives that will be engraved in our heats with happy and good memories. We do not have words to thank you and Ms. Teni for the way Benício was embraced and cared. Not to mention how much he learned! And how many friends he made, from the first day! Not only from grade one. From the school door, in the football pitch, from the school staff he was embraced from everyone. Thanks a lot. I would like to ask you to forward this message to Year One group, if possible, so that other parents know how we feel. Please let the kids know how thankful we are. Please let Ms. Dipa, Ms. Noami and Carla receive our thanks. We do not control or know what is coming to us. But we definitely have part of us here in Lagos and NISL is much responsible for this!
To my 2nd comfort zone, where both my daughters grew up at. It wasn’t only me watching my children grow up, it was this exact school as well. When my first daughter graduated, she felt all her memories have gone into NISL. We are thankful we put our children into this school where memories sink at last.
Our road on Nisl has been very long. All our children started their schooling career at NISL. Daniel was the first one in 2005, thereafter Deborah followed and last but not least Daphne. All our kids have enjoyed their stay at NISL which has proven a good base for them. We as parents have also enjoyed the school and are still enjoying. The NISL community is a small but nice and tight one. We and our children have made friends for life at the school. NISL keep it up what you have achieved and what you are doing.
As a parent, I hope that when I leave Emily and Ella at school they are safe, happy and, ultimately that they are learning. I see intellectual and emotional growth is fostered by the school.NISL has strong home-school communication. A fun and supportive school environment. We just love NISL like a family.
We see academic excellence and whole-child education. We are a small community with a big heart.
For my children and our family, NISL is our second home. I consider myself as a veteran parent in the school as this is the 11th year since we join NISL with my older daughter. She already graduated from NISL after completing 9 years all the way from Minimax until her last 6th Grade and we are now following my younger daughter who is in her 4th Grade and spending her 7th year in the school! Any parent will understand how challenging is here in Lagos to have the children placed in different schools but for us it was so obvious and without a second thought to keep our younger daughter here at NISL despite all challenges because of the great experience we’ve had and having with the school: It’s a close community feel-like, from the so-warm welcoming daily reception at the gate all the way to a very close and special Parents-Teachers and Management relationship. The teachers here in NISL are different from what you’ve expected in a normal school environment, so much responding, ready to assist and very much involved in any little part that the parent or the child is require intervention or special attention. This is one of the key unique things that the school is offering. If you add a great atmosphere in the school and in classes and the fact that we are community-size, you now understand why many of us are considering it as our second home.
Hi, my name is Barbara, I am Benjamin and Hannah‘s mum. Benji and Hannah joined NISL in September 2018. They are now in Year 5 and Year 3. I have always loved the open doors policy, I used to love being able to freely walk my kids to their classrooms in the morning when they were smaller, chat to their teachers and chat to other parents on the school grounds every day. Being able to get to know the staff and teachers and other parents and caregivers helps encourage a friendly and inclusive community, and this in itself has helped my children feel secure and I have seen them grow in confidence through the years. The parent/teacher partnership is valued which I really love as this I believe is key to being able to closely monitor each child’s development and wellbeing.
The yearly events are all well organized and fun, from Crazy Hair Day to Sinterklass, Classic is Fantastic, the school shows and sports competitions, there are so many opportunities for them to try something new and boost their self-confidence whilst injecting lots of fun and excitement throughout the year! The curriculum itself is perfect to learn in novel and creative ways, and through the IPC units to learn all kinds of things about the world from History to Geography and Science. They also learn through specialist classes of Music, Art, French and PE and PA. I believe the primary years should be all about developing in a fun, safe and encouraging environment, and being challenged to just right amount in order to lay a strong, resilient foundation. I think NISL has done that for my children.
Having visited numerous schools, my husband and I felt NISL was the right fit for our children’s education and development. We wanted a social environment that our girls would be able to interact with children from diverse backgrounds and cultures. With my background in the Montessori philosophy and methods, it was very important to me that my children were given freedom to explore and to learn through play and this is the magic of NISL.
We have never looked back or regretted it. I love the tight knit community the school offers; you feel very at home right from the gate. The heartwarming welcome from the security all the way to the teachers and teaching assistants was something that stood out to me and still does to this day. My girls absolutely love it here, could not be happier with the school.
It’s been 5 years since placing our first child at NISL, 5 years that really feel like yesterday as it has felt nothing less than a home away from home! The school atmosphere strongly resembles a family and a great feeling of togetherness which is underpinned by easy, multiple, and transparent communication channels between families and the school staff, right from the head of school, teachers, and through to general staff. There is a remarkable effort to make each family feel at home and each family is attended to on a personal level.
I’ll do no justice if I fail to mention two observations that reinforced the positive impact the school has had on my two children who are currently enrolled. In one case, both my children are reluctant to leave school when the school activities are done, they never have enough of the school! In the other case, whilst on holiday, I was surprised to have my older child ask when he was starting school again as he missed it and his friends, what a school!
NISL also recognises diversity and simultaneously encourages and demonstrates inclusivity which has taught our children to appreciate different cultures. We ❤️ NISL.
Our core values
Rule of Law
We set rules with the children and not just for the children. Students are encouraged to understand the purpose behind a rule and the consequences of not following one. We refer to a ‘positive behavior’ policy rather than a ‘behavior’ policy placing at all times the importance of positivity and reflection. Children understand that if they follow rules well when younger; they are more likely to be law-abiding citizens when older.
Morality
We promote moral understanding using our school Golden Rules, praising positive behaviour through open discussions such as circle time sessions and assemblies. In child speak, we display the section of our behaviour policy which clearly explains levels of consequences. We ask even our youngest children to reflect on incidents and consider the difference between right and wrong. We always treat each day as a new one and learn from our behaviours.
Individual Liberty
We empower the students with a voice and a choice. We permit them to share their views in everyday interactions and also in terms of their learning; we encourage child-led lessons. Despite hosting many traditional cultures within our diverse school; we aim to give our children opportunities to express themselves and be themselves.
Tolerance and Mutual Respect
We instill the ethos that no matter how sure we are of our own opinions; we must listen to others, learn from them and be mindful of their possibly different views. Though we talk about respect as a ‘personal goal’ and in terms of respecting the property and the environment as well as individuals; here we focus more on our differing backgrounds, traditions, faiths, and levels of spirituality. This tolerance and mutual respect we believe is fundamental in leading to the below term; ACCEPTANCE, which we feel umbrellas our twelve school values.
Communication
We believe in a learning community that is committed to communicating in a variety of ways with children, parents, staff, and all stakeholders. We endeavor to give challenging and effective feedback to children to enhance and encourage responsibility for their own learning. We are transparent with parents about their children’s progress and behavior and are privileged enough to have open-minded parents who are similarly transparent with us. We teach the children to communicate clearly, respectfully, and with confidence.
Cooperation
We view education as a partnership; between parents, teachers, and children. As a learning community, we acknowledge and promote cooperation and collaboration of all stakeholders, actively including parents in their child’s education. Similarly, we plan cooperative lessons in the classroom and team events on the field. As we encourage ‘Learning for Life’, we remind children at every learning curve that they must be able to work with others.