
Learning years
First year
The school year begins for our first-year students with induction days, during which they get to know each other, their learning coaches and the school. In the second week of term, the first-year students go on a camp. These activities help ensure a good start and enable students to feel at home at our school quickly. For parents and carers, we organise an information and welcome evening during the first week of term. During this evening, they will receive practical information about the school year and meet their child’s learning coach.
After a few weeks, you will receive an invitation to a three-way meeting between parent(s)/carer(s), the student and the learning coach. During these meetings, we discuss initial experiences, the students progress and any areas requiring attention for the rest of the school year.
The learning coach plays an important role in the first year. Every student at our school has their own learning coach. This coach regularly has individual meetings with the student. In addition, the class has a group coaching lesson once a week. This focuses on learning to study, working together, doing homework and acquiring social skills. In the first year, we work with a structured homework policy, which is supervised by the learning coach. In addition, there are support groups in which your child can receive extra support or further explore the subject matter. These so-called “plus hours” are offered from the second semester onwards.
In January and April, you will receive advice from the teachers’ meeting about the type of education that is best for your child to follow after the first year. At the end of the school year, the study programme for year 2 is determined. In the first year, a student cannot repeat the year.
Second year
At the beginning of the school year, you will have the opportunity to meet the learning coaches for the second year of mavo, (t)havo and (t)vwo. During this school year, the mavo’s joint coaching lessons will focus on career orientation and guidance (LOB). The choice of the most suitable follow-up programme after the second year will also be discussed.
Third year
In the first weeks of the school year, parents have the opportunity to meet the counsellors and learning coaches for the third year of mavo, (t)havo and (t)vwo. In this year, the joint coaching lessons for (t)havo and (t)vwo will focus on preparing for the choice of profile and subject package.
Mavo students will start taking exams this year. The school exam regulations will be communicated to you and your child before 1 October of the relevant school year. You will also receive information about the exam regulations, the Assessment and Completion Programme and the internship week in February.
Fourth year mavo (exam year)
At the beginning of the new school year, you will receive information about the exam regulations and the Assessment and Completion Programme. The school exams are held during the exam weeks. In addition to the exam weeks, there are oral exams, practical exams and CITO listening tests.
After the second exam week, every exam candidate is entitled to two resits. After the third exam week, there are no resits. Students who have not completed their school exam for a particular subject are not allowed to take the central exam for that subject. Students who have missed a test for a valid reason can make up for it during the catch-up days at the end of each period. Under certain conditions, students can retake a test. These conditions are set out in the exam regulations.
Before the central final exam begins, the final grades for the school exam are announced. Your child will also receive an explanation of the central exam procedure and the school exam grades will be checked.
During the exam year, your child’s further education will receive a lot of attention. The learning coach and school counsellor will help your child choose the right course.
Fourth year (t)havo and fifth year (t)vwo
In the second semester of 4-(t)havo and 5-(t)vwo, students begin their profile assignment (PWS). This assignment must be completed before 1 December of the final exam year. Students present their profile assignment during the profile assignment meeting.
Fifth year (t)havo and sixth year (t)vwo (exam year)
The school exam schedule will be communicated to you and your child before 1 October of the relevant school year. The school exam tests will be administered during the periods specified in the Assessment and Completion Programme. In the exam year, students are allowed to retake a limited number of tests from the exam year.
At the end of the school year, your child will receive a report. Interim progress can be found on Somtoday. For students in 4th and 5th (t)vwo and 4th (t)havo, only a number of specific tests are included in the school exam grade, according to a specific weighting factor per subject.
Students can find an overview of their accumulated exam file in Somtoday.
Before the final exams begin, final exam candidates receive an explanation of the central exam procedure and their school exam grades are checked.
Career orientation and guidance (LOB) is part of the progress from year 4 onwards (both HAVO and VWO). The learning coach and school counsellor help students choose the right further education.
