CSG Willem van Oranje is the only secondary school in the region that offers bilingual education (TTO). We started in 2004, and since 2011, we have been a senior TTO school, which means you can follow bilingual education with us for your entire time at both the havo and vwo levels. You begin with TTO in the havo/vwo or vwo year 1 class, and then continue with bilingual havo, atheneum, or gymnasium in the following years.

Our mission and vision for TTO

• Future-oriented: Students learn to speak English well and are introduced to other cultures, making it easier for them to build connections in a world that’s becoming increasingly smaller. Themes like sustainability and peace are central to this.
• Unique: TTO is a fantastic opportunity to explore the world from a safe home base, allowing students to discover themselves and who they are. We want you to be happy and feel accepted.
• Connected: At De Willem, we take a conscious approach to personal development. Students learn to understand their own "normal" and, in doing so, are open to accepting the "normal" of others.

Our vision for TTO at De Willem is that our students are aware of their role in their immediate surroundings while also looking outwards with an open mind. Our students are, among other things, knowledgeable, open-minded, and reflective.

Education that pushes boundaries, built on a strong foundation.

Who is TTO for?

We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to follow TTO at our school. That’s why there’s no entrance exam or admission test. However, you should consider whether you’ll enjoy TTO, as it does require some extra effort. Learning and speaking English, especially at the beginning, can be more challenging than doing so in Dutch. Perseverance and motivation are therefore very important. Of course, our teachers and mentors will help you if you find something difficult!

TTO in the lower years

When you follow TTO at our school, you will receive at least half of your classes in English during the first three years. These subjects include geography, history, music, art and design, physical education, biology, math, and, of course, English itself. Later, subjects like physics and economics are added to this list. Your teacher and classmates will all speak English, and the textbooks are in English too, so you’ll naturally pick up a lot of English along the way.

During the first three years of TTO, you’ll also participate in a lot of fun, extra activities, such as sports clinics during PE, theater visits, the Speaking Contest, and various exciting projects. In the second year, you’ll even go on an exchange trip abroad with your class! In the third year, you’ll conclude the lower years by taking an official Cambridge Checkpoints exam, so you know your level of English for reading and writing.

TTO in the upper years

From the fourth year onward, the number of subjects taught in English is reduced. This is because of profile selection and clustering, as well as preparation for the final exams, which are all in Dutch. However, you must maintain at least 25 percent of your study-load in English. Physical education and social studies will still be taught in English for this purpose. You will also be assigned a TTO mentor, and your profile paper (PWS) will be written in English. Because we run many TTO projects in the upper years, you will likely exceed the 25 percent requirement without even realizing it. Additionally, you’ll complete an international internship in the upper years, and you can find more information about that here.

The content of English in the upper years differs from the lower years. Starting in the fourth year, you’ll prepare for the International Baccalaureate (IB) exams. For TTO havo, this will be the English B exam, and for TTO atheneum/gymnasium, it will be the English A Language and Literature exam. If you pass these extra exams, you’ll receive an IB certificate. This is an internationally recognized certificate that indicates you have near-native English proficiency, making it easier to study at universities and colleges in the Netherlands and abroad where English is the main language. For the rest, you’ll follow the regular exam program and will also obtain your regular havo, atheneum, or gymnasium diploma at the end.

In summary: If you follow TTO havo, you’ll obtain your secondary school diploma and an IB English B certificate in year 5. If you follow TTO vwo (atheneum or gymnasium), you’ll receive your secondary school diploma and an IB English A: Language and Literature certificate in year 6.

Costs

All information about costs can be found here.