European School of The Hague, Secondary school

The Secondary school opened in September 2014 with Years S1-S3. We now offer secondary education up to and including S6. New year groups are opened annually, culminating in our first European Baccalaureate in summer 2019. Secondary education in the European Schools lasts for a total of seven years, divided into three cycles: The Observation Cycle S1-S3, The Pre Orientation Cycle S4-S5, The Orientation Cycle S6-S7.
At ESH, we aim to provide a modern, stimulating, and relaxed learning environment. Our ethos and educational philosophy are to create and nurture multicultural, multilingual, responsible, tolerant, and aware European citizens. The European Schools have the two objectives of providing formal education and encouraging pupils’ personal development in a broader social and cultural context. Formal education involves the acquisition of competencies – knowledge, skills, and attitudes across various domains. Personal development takes place in a variety of spiritual, moral, social, and cultural contexts. It involves an awareness of appropriate behavior, an understanding of the environment in which pupils live, and their identity development.
These two objectives are nurtured in the context of an enhanced awareness of the richness of European culture. Awareness and experience of a shared European life should lead pupils towards greater respect for the traditions of each country and region in Europe while developing and preserving their own national identities.
The syllabuses in all the language sections of the European Schools, including the European School The Hague, are – except for mother tongue – identical, and the same standards are insisted on. All programs of study in the different sections lead to the same examination: the European Baccalaureate.
To ensure that the European Baccalaureate is recognized, syllabuses are designed to meet the minimum requirements of all the member states. Since these vary, the contents have been established by negotiation between national experts – more particularly by the members of the Boards of Inspectors – based on scrutiny and comparison of national curricula.
The Joint Teaching Committee then approves the syllabuses of the European Schools, the pedagogical supervisory authority. The following text is taken from the document “New structure for all syllabuses in the European Schools" system” 2011-09-D-47-en-3. The European Schools have the two objectives of providing formal education and of encouraging pupils’ personal development in a broader social and cultural context. Formal education involves the acquisition of competences – knowledge, skills, and attitudes across a range of domains. Personal development takes place in a variety of spiritual, moral, social, and cultural contexts. It involves an awareness of appropriate behavior, an understanding of the environment in which pupils live, and the development of their identity.
These two objectives are nurtured in the context of an enhanced awareness of the richness of European culture. Awareness and experience of a shared European life should lead pupils towards greater respect for the traditions of each country and region in Europe while developing and preserving their own national identities.