Primary Jenaplan school Warmond
Welcome to De Alleman, located in Warmond, the Netherlands.
De Alleman is a Dutch primary school situated between Leiden and Schiphol (Amsterdam Airport).
De Alleman ('Everyman') is a small, state-funded infant and primary school with a Dutch curriculum. We are very proud of our school and are committed to delivering high quality education for all our children. The school provides a stimulating, happy and safe environment where each child has the opportunity to fully develop academically, socially, emotionally and physically.
Curriculum
The curriculum consists of six major subject matter areas: Dutch language, English language (year 7 and 8), arithmetic/mathematics , orientation on man and the world, physical education, and art orientation. This curriculum applies to all state funded schools in the Netherlands. De Alleman promotes the social and international awareness of the children by focusing on the world around them, nearby and far away. An annual charity event for disadvantaged children abroad and projects with international or cross cultural aspects help the children to become world-citizens.
De Alleman, a Jenaplan infant and primary school
The concept of a Jena Plan school was first developed by Professor Peter Peterson (1884 - 1952) at the department of teacher training of the University of Jena in Germany. The first Jena Plan school in the Netherlands opened in 1960. The Dutch interpretation of the Jena plan concept has also been influenced by American non-graded schools (Goodlad/Anderson), the British Infant School system and Freinet education.
Due to their localised situation and specific history, no two Jenaplan schools are alike, and all have their differences. Nevertheless, they share a common educational philosophy and a common framework, which gives form to this philosophy.
Mixed-age classgroup
The basis for grouping the children is a positive evaluation of the differences that exist among people. In forming groups, the school strives to achieve optimal variety in maturity, intellectual achievement, interests, social background, and more.
At De Alleman, the most important group is therefore the mixed-age class group. In addition, children are also members of other groups formed for activities outside those of the class group. The main objectives of this mixed-age group structure are to help the development of the child's social skills, teaching them to work in and live in groups, and to encourage the development of their emotional, intellectual and social skills.
The aims and principles of De Alleman follow the educational policy of Jena Plan:
attention will be paid to the social, emotional, creative, cognitive and psycho-motoric development of each individual pupil;
each child, irrespective of his or her social or academic background, will be treated as an individual and encouraged to develop independently to the best of his or her ability;
as the learning child is also a social being, co-operation with other pupils forms an essential part of education within the groups;
education is based on four so-called pedagogic situations : Conversation, Work, Play and Festivities.
Initiatives to be proud of:
Two annual school projects including all grades and students; the project ends with a project evening visit where parents can view the results of the projects
A school garden where the children from year 5 and 6 tend to their own garden from February until October
The Choice Course: five times per year during three consecutive weeks, the children spend their Friday morning taking classes in cookery, carpentry, watercolour painting, drama, clay modelling, costume making, theatre make up, juggling, doing fretwork, construction art etcetera. The course groups consist of around 8 children from all grades.
Frequent field trips to museums, businesses, forests and farms.
Art Menu: every grade takes part in an arts programme run by the provincial Art Society. In every grade the children are introduced to one of the disciplines of art: dance, film, poetry, sculpting, theatre, opera, photography
Computer and internet access in separate instruction classroom
A very spacious playground including a soccer court, basketball goal, volleyball, tennis and hockey materials for the older pupils. An adventure unit with climbing wall, swing, rope net and climbing bars has been placed on a safety surface. For the younger pupils there are different playing materials and a sandbox
All children are member of the next door public library, free of charge. They make weekly visits during classes to borrow books for projects or general reading.