For international families building a life in the Netherlands, choosing a school is about more than finding the right classroom. It is about helping children feel at home, build lasting friendships and find their place in a changing world. And as children grow, another question follows: when primary school ends, where can they continue to learn, belong and thrive?
In Hoofddorp, Optimist International Academy (OIA) recognised the importance of that next step. The opening of OIA Secondary grew from a simple but powerful ambition to give students the opportunity to continue their education within a familiar, supportive international community while preparing them for the opportunities ahead.
What began as Optimist International School (OIS) has grown into a vibrant learning community, bringing together families from different cultures and backgrounds. Built around curiosity, inclusion and international-mindedness, OIA has always aimed to help young people become confident learners and compassionate global citizens. Extending that experience into secondary education marks an exciting new chapter.
In August 2026, OIA Secondary opened its doors on a new campus just across the street from OIA Primary. For students, it offers the opportunity to progress into the next stage of education while maintaining a sense of continuity, connection and belonging.
But this milestone did not happen overnight. Anne-Marie van Holst, who has led the school since its beginnings as OIS, has long believed in the importance of a continuous learning pathway. Alongside the primary team, she spent years planning and exploring how OIA could extend its educational offering beyond primary school. The goal was to build on existing foundations and give students a connected pathway for the years ahead.
Bringing that vision to life also meant finding the right person to lead its next chapter. Jon Symmons, with more than two decades of experience in international education, recognised the potential of OIA’s vision and joined the team as Head of Secondary. Together, the leadership and teams across both campuses have worked to create a secondary school that builds on OIA’s values while giving students room to grow into independent thinkers and confident global citizens.
For everyone involved from the beginning, seeing the school open its doors was more than a project milestone. Years of research, planning, collaboration and belief have become a real place where students could learn and thrive. That achievement was celebrated on 28 October, when both campuses came together for OIA’s grand opening, welcoming the stakeholders who helped establish the secondary school. Following separate celebrations with students, parents and teachers, the event recognised the people and partnerships that turned the vision into reality.
Looking ahead, OIA is developing a learning pathway from primary through secondary education, with a focus on inquiry, reflection and critical thinking, alongside its transition towards the International Baccalaureate (IB) framework.
For international families, a school can become an anchor in a changing world. With two campuses, one connected community and a shared vision for the future, OIA is creating new possibilities for students to learn, belong and thrive. The opening of OIA Secondary is not the end of the journey, but the beginning of a new chapter.