Group (class) placement
At IPS Hilversum, classes are organised in a way that will meet our school’s philosophy and goals. From our international perspective and given the transitional community that we serve, we use single-age grouping. We recognise the importance of children being surrounded by peers of the same age and consider their developmental stages and socialisation as important to their holistic education as academic results. However, a student may be placed in an alternative group (lower or higher) after an initial evaluation period of three weeks and after a conference with the student’s parents. In specific cases, an alternative educational placement may be recommended.
We recognise that every student has different and diverse needs and comes from a different background, including the number of years’ previous schooling, etc. Therefore, the table below is used as a guideline for groups 2 to 8. As each child is unique, placement is based on the table in the first instance, and also individual academic achievement and social emotional development alongside consultation with parents.
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Group
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Expected age range
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Early Years
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Children may enter the Early Years group as soon as they are 4 years of age. Children turning 4 years old after 31 October 2022 will continue in the Early Years group for the remainder of the school year and continue through the school year 2022-2024.
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Group 2
5-6 years old
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5 to 6 years old
A child in Group 2 turned 5 years old before 1 November 2022.
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Group 3
6-7 years old
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6 to 7 years old
A child in Group 3 turned 6 years old before 1 November 2022.
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Group 4
7-8 years old
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7 to 8 years old
A child in Group 4 turned 7 years old before 1 November 2022.
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Group 5
8-9 years old
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8 to 9 years old
A child in Group 5 turned 8 years old before 1 November 2022.
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Group 6
9-10 years old
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9 to 10 years old
A child in Group 6 turned 9 years old before 1 November 2022.
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Group 7
10-11 years old
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10 to 11 years old
A child in Group 7 turned 10 years old before 1 November 2022.
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Group 8
11-12 years old
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11 to 12 years old
A child in Group 8 turned 11 years old before 1 November 2022.
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Comparison Guide to IPS Groups
Admission to IPS requires that students attain the minimum age requirements as stated below. Chronological age is calculated from the date of birth. Please refer to the chart below to determine your child’s placement at IPS (compared to other national school systems).
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Age
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IPS Group
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UK Years
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US Grades
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4-5
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Early Years
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Reception
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Pre-kindergarten
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5-6
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Group 2
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Year 1
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Kindergarten
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6-7
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Group 3
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Year 2
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Grade 1
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7-8
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Group 4
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Year 3
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Grade 2
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8-9
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Group 5
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Year 4
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Grade 3
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9-10
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Group 6
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Year 5
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Grade 4
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10-11
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Group 7
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Year 6
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Grade 5
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11-12
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Group 8
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Year 7
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Grade 6
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Students must reach the appropriate age before 1st November of the school year.