Rijnlands Lyceum Foundation
A Dutch educational foundation operating a network of primary, secondary, bilingual, international, European and Montessori schools.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Rijnlands Lyceum Foundation, known in Dutch as Stichting Het Rijnlands Lyceum, is a nonprofit educational foundation established in 1936 and based in Wassenaar, near The Hague in the Netherlands. The foundation operates and supports a group of nine schools providing primary and secondary education. Its portfolio combines Dutch schools serving local communities with international and European schools serving internationally mobile families, expatriate communities and children connected with European institutions. The foundation’s Dutch secondary schools are Rijnlands Lyceum Oegstgeest, Rijnlands Lyceum Sassenheim and Rijnlands Lyceum Wassenaar. These schools provide the principal Dutch secondary pathways: MAVO, HAVO and VWO. They also offer bilingual education in Dutch and English. Rijnlands Lyceum Oegstgeest additionally provides an international department using International Baccalaureate programmes, including the Middle Years Programme and the Diploma Programme. Its international education activities include the International School of The Hague, which has primary and secondary sections, and International School Wassenaar, a secondary school located on the premises of Rijnlands Lyceum Wassenaar. The International School of The Hague uses the International Primary Curriculum in its primary section and the International Baccalaureate Middle Years and Diploma programmes in secondary education. International School Wassenaar began with the IB Middle Years Programme, later adding the IB Diploma Programme. The school’s expansion included a new building opened for the 2024–25 school year to accommodate rising demand. The foundation also operates the European School The Hague, which opened its primary section in 2012 and added its secondary cycle in 2014. The school is accredited within the European Schools system and offers the European Baccalaureate. Its admissions priorities reflect its location near European institutions, giving preference to children of European Union staff and other eligible employees of European organizations. The ninth institution is the Eerste Nederlandse Montessorischool, a primary school based on Montessori educational principles. Beyond operating schools, the foundation acts as the competent authority for them. Its responsibilities include financial administration, recruitment, maintenance of buildings, information-technology infrastructure and institutional oversight. It is accountable for educational quality to the Dutch Ministry of Education and the Dutch Education Inspectorate. This makes the foundation both an administrative organization and the governance framework through which its schools deliver education. The organization is led by an executive board and supervised by a supervisory board. Arjan Kastelein is identified as the sole member and chair of the executive board, while Johan van der Werff chairs the supervisory board. Earlier supervisory-board chairs included Frans Weisglas, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands, and Hans Dijkstal, a former Deputy Prime Minister. The foundation’s positioning is therefore defined less by consumer products than by the breadth of its educational offering: Dutch public-facing secondary pathways, international curricula, the European Baccalaureate and Montessori primary education within one institutional group.
History
The Rijnlands Lyceum Foundation was established in 1936 in the Netherlands and developed into an umbrella organization for schools in and around the The Hague region. Its institutional model places multiple schools under one competent authority while allowing them to retain distinct educational identities and curricula. The foundation’s central responsibilities include finance, staff recruitment, buildings, information technology and oversight of educational quality. Its Dutch secondary-school network consists of Rijnlands Lyceum Oegstgeest, Rijnlands Lyceum Sassenheim and Rijnlands Lyceum Wassenaar. These schools provide the Dutch MAVO, HAVO and VWO routes and have expanded their international orientation through bilingual Dutch-English teaching. Rijnlands Lyceum Oegstgeest also developed an international department offering the International Baccalaureate Middle Years and Diploma programmes. The foundation’s international-school presence includes the International School of The Hague, with primary and secondary divisions, and International School Wassenaar. The International School of The Hague offers the International Primary Curriculum in primary education and IB programmes in secondary education. International School Wassenaar opened on the Rijnlands Lyceum Wassenaar site in 2019 and initially offered the IB Middle Years Programme. It subsequently introduced the IB Diploma Programme, with the first graduating cohort completing the programme in 2025. Capacity was expanded through a new building begun in August 2023 and opened for the school year starting in September 2024. The European School The Hague broadened the foundation’s international portfolio. It opened in 2012 with primary education and began its secondary cycle in 2014. The school is accredited by the Board of Governors of the European Schools and offers the European Baccalaureate. Its location and admissions priorities are connected to European Union staff and personnel working for other European institutions in the area. The foundation also encompasses the Eerste Nederlandse Montessorischool, a primary institution using Montessori educational principles. Together, the nine schools cover local Dutch education, bilingual provision, International Baccalaureate education, the European Baccalaureate and Montessori education. Governance is divided between an executive board and a supervisory board. Arjan Kastelein is identified as the sole member and chair of the executive board, with accountability to a supervisory board chaired by Johan van der Werff. Previous supervisory-board chairs included Frans Weisglas and Hans Dijkstal, both nationally recognized Dutch political figures. The foundation remains an active education provider rather than a commercial listed company, and the available reference material does not report revenue, ownership transactions or stock-market activity.
- 2025
First International School Wassenaar IB Diploma cohort completes its studies
[1]The first cohort of 24 students completed the IB Diploma, with 96% achieving the diploma.
- 2024
Expanded International School Wassenaar building opens
[1]The new International School Wassenaar building opened in time for the school year beginning in September 2024.
- 2023
International School Wassenaar begins new-building project
[1]Construction began on a new building intended to meet demand from more than 300 international pupils.
- 2019
International School Wassenaar opens
[1]International School Wassenaar opened on the premises of Rijnlands Lyceum Wassenaar and began with the IB Middle Years Programme.
- 2014
European School The Hague adds secondary education
[1]The secondary cycle of European School The Hague began operating, complementing its primary provision.
- 2012
European School The Hague opens its primary section
[1]European School The Hague opened initially with primary education.
- 1936
Foundation established
[1]The Rijnlands Lyceum Foundation was established as a Dutch educational foundation.
Products and positioning
A multi-school Dutch educational foundation combining mainstream Dutch secondary education with international, European and Montessori programmes. It serves local Dutch communities as well as internationally oriented families in the The Hague and Wassenaar region.
Primary education
Dutch primary education
The foundation operates primary provision through the primary sections of International School The Hague and European School The Hague, as well as the Eerste Nederlandse Montessorischool. These settings serve different educational communities, ranging from internationally oriented families to pupils seeking Montessori education.
Secondary education
Dutch secondary education
Rijnlands Lyceum Oegstgeest, Rijnlands Lyceum Sassenheim and Rijnlands Lyceum Wassenaar provide MAVO, HAVO and VWO pathways within the Dutch secondary system. The schools also offer bilingual Dutch-English education, extending the foundation’s domestic secondary-school proposition.
International education
International Baccalaureate programmes
IB provision across the foundation includes the Middle Years Programme and Diploma Programme. Rijnlands Lyceum Oegstgeest, International School The Hague and International School Wassenaar provide different combinations of these programmes, supporting internationally transferable education for students in the region.
European education · 2012
European Baccalaureate education
European School The Hague is accredited within the European Schools system and offers the European Baccalaureate as its secondary leaving qualification. Its admissions priorities reflect the school’s role in serving children of European Union staff and other eligible European-institution employees.
Montessori education
Montessori primary education
The Eerste Nederlandse Montessorischool provides primary education based on Montessori principles. It forms the foundation’s specialist Montessori offering alongside its conventional Dutch, international and European schools.
Brand decisions
2023
Introduce the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at International School WassenaarProduct launchBackground
International School Wassenaar initially offered the IB Middle Years Programme and developed a secondary pathway extending through the IB Diploma.
Action taken
The school introduced the IB Diploma Programme, with the first students completing the programme in 2025.
Aftermath
The first cohort consisted of 24 students; 96% achieved the IB Diploma, with an average score of 31 points and a highest score of 40 points.
2023
Expand International School Wassenaar capacityStrategyBackground
Demand for international education in the Wassenaar and The Hague area led to a need for additional school capacity.
Action taken
Construction of a new building for International School Wassenaar began on 24 August 2023.
Aftermath
The building was completed and opened for the school year beginning in September 2024.
Recent events
- 2025
First International School Wassenaar IB Diploma cohort reports results[1]
Other
The first cohort of 24 students completing the IB Diploma at International School Wassenaar recorded a 96% diploma pass rate, an average score of 31 points and a highest score of 40 points.
- 2024
New International School Wassenaar building opens for the 2024–25 school year[1]
Other · Product generation
A new building was developed at International School Wassenaar in response to demand from more than 300 international pupils and opened for the school year beginning in September 2024.
- 2023
International School Wassenaar adds the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme[1]
Product launch · Other
International School Wassenaar expanded beyond the IB Middle Years Programme by introducing the IB Diploma Programme, with its first students completing the diploma in 2025.
Sources2 sources
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