How international schools support expat families

Moving country means there is a lot on your plate. Ensuring your child is happy, getting a good education and making new friends is often top priority for parents, but not always easy to manage. Amity International School Amsterdam explains how international schools are set up precisely to help make the transition as easy as possible for your child.

For a family who has just moved country, an international school can be an invaluable support system. It’s normal for parents to be emotionally drained, as well as feeling stressed and overwhelmed with the admin of setting up a new life in a new place. At the same time, their children are likely struggling with the disruption, the new language and having left all their friends behind. One of the most pressing concerns for parents at this time is finding a good school that can help minimise the upset for their children.

Fortunately, international schools are set up to help provide exactly the support that expat families require. Here’s just a few ways they can help improve the quality of life for a child, while taking the pressure off a frazzled parent.

Welcoming new leaners

The transition phase is incredibly important to get right. Children need to feel welcome and comfortable from very early on, or they will put up barriers that can be hard to overcome. Internationals schools often organise orientation sessions, to show students around their new school, and offer buddy programmes which not only help a child get to know the ropes quickly, but also help them make friends from the start.

With these initiatives, and a huge amount of experience of working with relocated children, an international school can help ensure a student feels supported and part of the community from day one.

Language support programmes

A new language is always one of the biggest challenges for new arrivals, children and adults alike. International schools generally offer excellent language support programmes, such as English as an Additional Language (EAL) classes, to help students get up to speed and to be able to participate in their new community as quickly as possible. While English is often used as the primary language in international schools, many also offer bilingual education opportunities, alongside language immersion programmes, allowing children to make the most of all their languages.

As well as set language support programmes, there are also often many after-school and extracurricular activities, which give students more opportunity to practice chatting in different languages and making friends across cultures.

Counselling

All students require support to help them deal with the trials of growing up, whatever their circumstances. However, dealing with all the usual up-and-downs of growing and adolescence while being in a new country without your old friends can bring an extra level of mental weight.

School counsellors at international schools are well-versed in the additional worries these moves can bring, and play a vital role in ensuring students' emotional needs are being met. With both individual and group sessions, students are guided and supported through the challenges of moving country, adapting to a new school and making new friends.

Academic support

When students transition into a school from all around the world, it isn’t a given that they are at the same place in their education in all subjects as other children their age. International schools specialise in providing personalised learning plans which accommodate students from all kinds of educational backgrounds. These plans are tailored to the individual and can offer support for students who may need extra help in some areas. This might take the form of tutoring sessions or advanced courses for students that are ahead.

This inherent flexibility means that international schools also tend to have excellent support systems for children with special educational needs, and the resources that they may need to flourish at school.

This flexibility extends to the curriculum as well, which is generally designed to meet several different international standards, meaning that children from many different backgrounds can integrate seamlessly into their new school.

Pastoral care

In addition to school counsellors, each child will have their own tutor group, which works on ensuring all children make friends and feel included. Tutor groups are designed to foster a sense of belonging and create a community of students from diverse backgrounds.

Placing wellbeing at the centre of the student’s experiences not only aids their academic success, but also creates a nurturing environment for them to feel at home in.

Parental engagement

International schools also provide support for parents, who may also be struggling to integrate. Often workshops are organised, with topics such as “Adapting to a new culture” or “How to support your child during the move”. A parent who has found their feet is much better equipped to help their child find theirs.

Family Associations are also a key feature of international schools and are highly valued by parents. They organise various events and activities, giving parent and families the chance to meet and connect, as well as learn from each other. Events such as coffee mornings, picnics or Global Village Week celebrations create a fun and inclusive environment for everyone to take part in.

Designed to make the transition easy

International school are set up with expat families in mind. They have a wealth of experience in dealing with students arriving from all across the world, and have built up an incredible set of resources and processes that make what could be a difficult time a fun and welcoming one.  By focusing not only on the academic achievements of their pupils but also their wellbeing and integration, international schools set up their students for success.

If you are looking for an international school in Amsterdam, Amity International School Amsterdam offers a high-quality international education and equips them with skills that will not only help them today, but that also prepare them for the future! Learn more about their school by contacting their admissions department.