Senior Years

The Senior Years at RISS (Grades 11 and 12) are a time of incredible value  and progress in our student's social, intellectual and moral development. On the cusp of independent adulthood, our students are encouraged by our holistic yet challenging academic programmes to become truly responsible internationally minded students.  

The Senior Years are situated in our Senior Campus  -  a smaller campus which enables our students to easily build relationships and form a supportive academic and social  community with their peers to help them negotiate the programmes.

One of the things that makes the senior years attractive in this school is the fact that the school has two different buildings separating the senior students for the junior students. This allows for a more serious learning environment,  especially in the study areas. - Student


Our senior students engage in demanding academic programmes offered by the International Baccalaureate.  In May 2020, 174.355 students in 3020 schools in 146 countries received their school leaving diplomas for the IB. It is a well known and well recognized diploma. The IB qualification is recognized and accepted worldwide by all major institutes of higher education.

At RISS, we offer the IB Diploma Programme and starting in September 2022 we will also offer the IB Careers Programme.

The IB philosophy fosters academic rigour, critical thinking and international mindedness, with empathic individuals who are motivated to succeed. The programmes also help students develop their time management and organizational skills, consider ethical dilemmas, develop their critical reasoning, and foster a keen interest in the world around them, both locally and globally.

The small classes and supportive teachers in our tutor and pastoral programme enable students to succeed. - Student

The pastoral support programme with our small tutor classes enables individual students to be supported by their tutors to help them navigate the academic, social and emotional aspect of the course.

The learning during the senior years are informed by the skills of thinking, communication, social interaction, self management and research. The approaches to teaching include enquiry based lessons focusing on conceptual understanding, effective collaboration amongst students and differentiation to support all learners. The learning is further informed by formative and summative assessments based on clearly defined criteria.

We can nurture our presentation skills and also have our own opinions. - Student

Students applying for RISS admission from Dutch Secondary schools in the IBDP and IBCP.

The Dutch authorities have created a wider option for local Dutch students who wish to continue their senior years within an international context by allowing them to apply to Dutch international schools.

The conditions are as follows:

  1. The school (RISS) is allowed to admit a student with Dutch nationality to the IBCP if the student has successfully passed the third year of HAVO and can prove that their level of English is adequate to follow education in the medium of English.
  2. The school (RISS) is allowed to admit a student with Dutch nationality to the IBDP if the student has successfully passed the fourth year of VWO and can prove that their level of English is adequate to follow education in the medium of English.
  3. The school (RISS) can make the final decision on admission. 

For more information read our admissions policy.