Amity International School Amsterdam vs DENISE
🇳🇱 Amsterdam · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
Neither Amity International School Amsterdam nor DENISE sits in a market with a public inspectorate, so both are assessed on verifiable accreditation, curriculum authorisation, and published data rather than an official quality rating. On cost, DENISE 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 | DENISE | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | IB | IB / National / Blended |
| Ages | 3-18 | 4-18 |
| Languages of instruction | English | English, Dutch |
| Annual fees | EUR 20,950-26,905/year (2026-2027) | EUR 0 (publicly funded; no tuition, 2026/2027) |
| Enrollment | 430 | 700 |
| Boarding | Day only | Day only |
| Accreditations | IB World School (IBO), CIS Member School, NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) - full accreditation, Jan 2026, Amity Education Group | IB World School, Esprit Scholen (Dutch public school group), Language Friendly School |
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
- ✓Publicly funded with no standard tuition, giving rare low-cost access to international/IB education in Amsterdam
- ✓Genuine bilingual Dutch-English instruction with native teachers in both languages
- ✓Strong newcomer and EAL provision (EOA / ISK / Taalklassen) plus Language Friendly School recognition
- ✓Full 4-18 continuity across early years, primary, secondary and a sixth-form-equivalent IB Diploma
- ✓Highly international community drawing students from more than 70 nationalities
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
- !No open, verified IB score averages or published exam-results data located publicly
- !As a Dutch state school it carries no single graded inspection band, limiting easy comparison
- !Fee and admissions detail beyond 'publicly funded, no tuition' is not transparently published
- !Capacity-constrained and oversubscribed-style demand as it grows toward a stated ~950-student target
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 an IB Diploma without private-school fees
- • Newcomer and expat children who need structured Dutch-language and EAL support
- • Families wanting their child anchored in both Dutch life and an international curriculum
- • Parents prioritising a diverse, multilingual peer community over prestige branding
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: IB Diploma holders are stated to gain admission to Dutch and international universities; no specific destination or score data was publicly verifiable.
More Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose Amity International School Amsterdam or DENISE?
Amity International School Amsterdam is best for: Internationally mobile families wanting an uninterrupted IB pathway from age 3 to 18. DENISE is best for: Internationally mobile families wanting an IB Diploma without private-school fees. 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 DENISE?
Amity International School Amsterdam: EUR 20,950-26,905/year (2026-2027). DENISE: EUR 0 (publicly funded; no tuition, 2026/2027). Verify against each school's own published fees; some figures are sourced from third-party aggregators.
What curricula do Amity International School Amsterdam and DENISE offer?
Amity International School Amsterdam: IB. DENISE: IB, National, Blended.
Do Amity International School Amsterdam or DENISE offer boarding?
Amity International School Amsterdam: day school only. DENISE: 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 →