Curriculum

Nursery/EYFS
(18mths - 5yrs)
Nursery/EYFS
Primary Classes
(6 - 11yrs)
Primary Classes
Nederlandse Taal enCultuur
(All ages)
Nederlandse Taal enCultuur
IEYC/IPC
All ages
IEYC/IPC
Second Languages
All ages
Second Languages

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

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  • 29 Sep
Nigeria Independence Day
We take great pride in celebrating our host country despite the diversity of the school
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  • 13 Nov
Sinterklaas
The NISL is originally a Dutch school. Therefore, one of the biggest events at NISL is the arrival of Sinterklaas.
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  • 14 Dec
Christmas
The main message behind our celebrations for Christmas at NISL is that it is a time for giving and sharing. The Student Council, therefore, organizes a charity drive.
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  • 27 Jan
  • 8:00 am to 9:00 pm
Sport Day
To reinforce our belief that physical education is a part of the curriculum and important for life skills we host an annual inter-team sports 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.

Tijl Wessels Boer
"NISL is de beste school om vrienden te maken. Iedereen is aardig en helpt elkaar. Het is heel gezellig en je leert veel. Als je iets moeilijk vindt, wil altijd iemand je helpen."
Kyra Olowu
"I like NISL because of the PE lesson"
Elissa Gearouge
"NISL is a safe, inclusive, fun and diverse space! Everyone is one big family"
Maya Suvarna
"NISL is my happy place, where my day begins and ends on weekdays. We are more than just a team; we are a big, happy family, a loving community. The positive atmosphere makes every moment rewarding. I truly love my job and feel grateful to be a part of such a wonderful school."

Important Dates

What our parents are saying

Our core values

Democracy

We role model the concept of democracy at school and within our decision-making processes; for example, within the staff team and Student Council. Students understand the importance of listening, voting, transparency, and accepting the views of others.

Thoughtfulness

We want learners to think beyond their immediate environment and to become informed, independent, responsible global citizens. We encourage children to read each other’s faces and be sensitive to each other’s emotions. Hand in hand with thoughtfulness, we encourage empathy.

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.

Enquiry

We believe in developing enquiring minds through questioning, investigation, and discussion. It is important to know we are free to ask questions and explore; free to think outside of the box.

Respect

We encourage respect for each other, and others’ views, cultures, and traditions and promote responsibility for the community, living things, and our environment. We promote whole school and community respect, ensuring that children understand respect does not only relate to age.

Resilience

We encourage learners to try their best and to persevere and overcome difficulties. They must know their own strengths, develop their targets and be aware of their learning styles. We aim to stimulate children’s growth and desire to do well in all areas of learning.

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.

Adapatability

We promote children’s self-confidence to explore new ideas, strategies, and roles as we expose them to a range of new situations and promote an understanding that change is constant.

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.