Education

Students moving to the Tri-Border area will most likely attend AFNORTH International School. AFNORTH is not a Department of Defense Dependent School (DODDs); AFNORTH is an International School using a combined US, Canadian, British, and German curriculum. AFNORTH is inspected by the American Department of Defense Education Authority and meets and exceeds the American educational requirements up to and including the 12th grade.

AFNORTH is an International School located in Brunssum, The Netherlands. AFNORTH was founded in 1967 by the Military Schools System of Canada, The Federal Republic of Germany, The United Kingdom and the United States of America. It was established to meet the educational needs of the children of personnel assigned to AFNORTH (Allied Forces Central Command) in Brunssum, NL. Students attend our school from other military sites in the Tri-Border area of Belgium (Glons, Kline Brogel,and Zutendaal), Germany (Geilenkirchen and Monchengladbach) and The Netherlands (AFNORTH, Brunssum, Kerkrade and Volkel).

Entrance Requirements

Age requirements are:

• Sure Start and Pre-Kindergarten Programs, a child must be 4 years of age by October 1st.
• Kindergarten Programs, a child must be 5 years of age by October 31st.
• First Grade, a child must be 6 years of age by October 31st. 

Standardized Test Scores

Standardized test scores for the USA portion of the AFNORTH International School are available on the DoDEA Data Center website. See links for the most recent testing results. See MilitaryINSTALLATIONS for test score information.

• AFNORTH Elementary School Test Scores
• AFNORTH Middle/High School Test Scores

Philosophy

The school's philosophy is based on the belief that all students are entitled to an education that stresses the dignity and worth of the child and that teaches children at their own intellectual, physical and emotional levels. All students are encouraged to develop the attitudes of tolerance and cooperation towards others. Our AFNORTH community provides a unique opportunity for intercultural learning and international goodwill. The school is dedicated to enriching the educational environment for each child through opportunities provided by our multi-national community.

Organization

School policy is established by a Board of Governors appointed to represent each of the four sponsoring nations. Each national section has its own principal/head teacher, who is responsible for the students of that section. Responsibility for the administration and coordination of AIS lies with the director who works in close cooperation with the principal/ head teachers. Teachers at AIS are fully qualified in each nation's own system and are required by their governments in order to meet the educational needs of military families serving abroad. These agencies are: Department of Defense Dependent Schools (US), Ministry of Defense (Germany), service Children's Schools (UK), and the Department of National Defense (Canada). The AFNORTH staff are sensitive to both the special needs of our transient student population and the advantages inherent in this unique school setting. The school is an outstanding facility featuring attractive classrooms, laboratories, cafeteria, library and sports complex.