Amity International School Amsterdam vs The British School of Amsterdam
🇳🇱 Amsterdam · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
The British School of Amsterdam holds a public inspection verdict (Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), under the British Schools Overseas (BSO) scheme "Meets all the BSO Standards (2026)"), while Amity International School Amsterdam operates in a market with no public inspectorate — the former has a verifiable official quality anchor, the latter is judged on accreditation depth. Curriculum is the core differentiator: Amity International School Amsterdam offers IB while The British School of Amsterdam offers British — the choice should follow the family's target qualification system. On cost, The British School of Amsterdam has the noticeably lower entry fee — a material difference for budget-conscious families. See the table below for the figures, and verify against each school's own published fees.
Key Facts
| Amity International School Amsterdam | The British School of Amsterdam | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | IB | British |
| Ages | 3-18 | 3-18 |
| Languages of instruction | English | English |
| Annual fees | EUR 20,950-26,905/year (2026-2027) | EUR 9,497-22,976/year (2026-27): Early Years Nursery from EUR 9,497 (5 sessions), Reception/Year 1 EUR 20,461, Junior (Years 2-6) EUR 21,077, Senior (Years 7-9) EUR 22,583, Years 10-13 incl. Sixth Form EUR 22,976 |
| Enrollment | 430 | 981 |
| Boarding | Day only | Day only |
| Inspection rating | — | Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), under the British Schools Overseas (BSO) scheme: Meets all the BSO Standards (2026) |
| Accreditations | IB World School (IBO), CIS Member School, NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) - full accreditation, Jan 2026, Amity Education Group | British Schools Overseas (BSO), Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), Association of British Schools Overseas (AoBSO), Council of British International Schools (COBIS), The Heads' Conference (HMC) |
Strengths
- ✓Full IB continuum (PYP, MYP and DP) under one roof for ages 3-18, giving a single inquiry-based pathway from early years to university entry
- ✓Triple recognition - IB World School, CIS member and full NEASC accreditation (Jan 2026) - unusually strong for a school opened in 2018
- ✓Dedicated EAL team with assessment-based, small-group and in-class support, well suited to children arriving with little English
- ✓English language of instruction delivered by native English-speaking teachers, with Dutch and French offered as additional languages
- ✓Genuinely international community (~430 students, 30-plus nationalities) just south of Amsterdam, with bus service and after-school care for working families
- ✓ISI British Schools Overseas inspection (February 2026) confirms the school meets all BSO Standards, including safeguarding
- ✓Long track record — founded 1978, the Netherlands' longest-established British-curriculum school
- ✓Strong, consistent exam outcomes for a non-selective school: 100% A Level pass rate three years running and 76% A*-B in 2025
- ✓Broad, adaptable curriculum with strengthened SEND and EAL provision noted by inspectors
- ✓Single modern, purpose-adapted central-Amsterdam campus for all ages, plus an extensive co-curricular programme
Trade-offs
- !Young school (opened February 2018) without the long track record or established reputation of older Amsterdam international schools
- !No published DP score averages or examination-results history available on the official site
- !Curriculum messaging mixes IB continuum branding with alternative upper-school pathways (IGCSE-style and a NEASC Amity High School Diploma), which can be confusing to parents
- !Premium fees (over EUR 26,000 for Diploma years) for a school still building its outcomes record
- !Inspectors found senior-school teaching is not always sufficiently matched to pupils' prior attainment, making progress less consistent across classes
- !Use of assessment data to tailor provision in the senior school is not consistently effective
- !Careers guidance for younger senior pupils is less effective than for older year groups
- !Single British pathway only — no International Baccalaureate or alternative curriculum option
Best Fit For
- • Internationally mobile families wanting an uninterrupted IB pathway from age 3 to 18
- • Children arriving with limited English who need structured EAL support
- • Families based in or near Amstelveen / south Amsterdam seeking an English-medium day school
- • Parents who prioritise recognised accreditations (IB, CIS, NEASC) over a long-established reputation
- • Internationally mobile families wanting continuity with the English National Curriculum and a UK university pathway
- • Families seeking an all-through (ages 3-18) school on one site in central Amsterdam
- • Pupils who speak English as an additional language and need structured EAL support
- • Families prioritising a UK-regulated, BSO-inspected and HMC-affiliated school
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
School-reported, unverified: Amity Amsterdam positions its Diploma Programme as a university-preparation pathway, but no public university-destination data or DP score averages were located at the time of review.
School-reported, unverified: BSA publishes strong A Level and GCSE outcomes (100% A Level pass rate three years running); specific university-destination data was not independently verified.
More Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose Amity International School Amsterdam or The British School of Amsterdam?
Amity International School Amsterdam is best for: Internationally mobile families wanting an uninterrupted IB pathway from age 3 to 18. The British School of Amsterdam is best for: Internationally mobile families wanting continuity with the English National Curriculum and a UK university pathway. The right choice depends on target curriculum, budget, and family priorities — the two are not linearly comparable.
How do fees compare between Amity International School Amsterdam and The British School of Amsterdam?
Amity International School Amsterdam: EUR 20,950-26,905/year (2026-2027). The British School of Amsterdam: EUR 9,497-22,976/year (2026-27): Early Years Nursery from EUR 9,497 (5 sessions), Reception/Year 1 EUR 20,461, Junior (Years 2-6) EUR 21,077, Senior (Years 7-9) EUR 22,583, Years 10-13 incl. Sixth Form EUR 22,976. Verify against each school's own published fees; some figures are sourced from third-party aggregators.
What curricula do Amity International School Amsterdam and The British School of Amsterdam offer?
Amity International School Amsterdam: IB. The British School of Amsterdam: British. The British School of Amsterdam inspection: Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), under the British Schools Overseas (BSO) scheme "Meets all the BSO Standards (2026)".
Do Amity International School Amsterdam or The British School of Amsterdam offer boarding?
Amity International School Amsterdam: day school only. The British School of Amsterdam: day school only.
Questions parents ask
This comparison is BrightKey's independent assessment using verifiable public data only. University-placement figures are school-reported and not independently verified. BrightKey takes no payments from schools. Our method →