Huygens Lyceum: nearby, personal and versatile like you!

Huygens Lyceum challenges pupils to take responsibility for the discovery and development of their talents. Our foundation is good, inspirational education. We want to fully equip students to face the challenges of present-day and future society. On the one hand, this means that they work towards obtaining their diploma, which includes gaining relevant subject knowledge. On the other hand, it means broadly preparing them for a future in which they will be challenged to find solutions for complex problems within professions that don’t even exist yet. 

Huygens Learning 
We will help you get the most out of yourself. Our approach is called “Huygens Learning”, which focusses on your development in the broadest sense of the word. It allows you to discover who you are, what goals you have and what you want to achieve. This will motivate you to learn and keep evolving, bearing in mind your future after secondary school. Huygens Learning is comprised of three building blocks, known as “VIP”, “VAK” and “VERDER”.   

VIP 
You go to school to learn and you can only accomplish that if you’re comfortable in your own skin. Who you are and how you feel are important. That’s why we want to get to know you. Your mentor plays the main role in this process. Each class in first year has two mentors, whom you will see every day during first period in the VIP class. The mentors are mostly there to help you discover where your talents lie, what interests you and what you find important. This stimulates your personal growth! During the VIP lessons you also learn how to plan homework and you receive tips on how to study. 

VAK 
We offer quality education that is both challenging and inspirational. Besides books we make use of short films, presentations, field trips and hands-on learning. You will attend VAK classes such as Dutch, French, Mathematics, Arts and Science. Lessons are offered at the level that suits you. We have separate first year classes for havo (higher general secondary education), atheneum/havo (A-levels/havo combination) and gymnasium (grammar school). These levels are explained further on. At Huygens Lyceum, you will be in the right place from day one, which will help you feel at home quickly and get the most out of yourself. 

VERDER 
During the VERDER classes you'll have the opportunity of  deepening your knowledge as well as receiving extra help for subjects you find difficult. You will tackle projects that are in line with your talents and interests and you will get the chance to demonstrate what you’re made of. You will learn to plan, find solutions by yourself and share knowledge. VERDER projects stimulate your development, using the knowledge and experience that you gained in VIP and VAK lessons. 

The First Year class that best suits you! 
Huygens Lyceum has three kinds of first year classes: 

• havo: This stands for higher general secondary education. These classes are made up of pupils whose primary school gave them a havo recommendation. They are taught at havo level. 
• atheneum/havo: Atheneum is comparable to the British A-levels. The classes are comprised of students with a recommendation for havo/vwo or vwo. Students are taught at the latter level. 
• gymnasium: In Britain this is referred to as grammar school. These classes are suitable for pupils that have a vwo recommendation, enjoy learning and have a critical and inquisitive mind. Pupils will get one extra subject: Latin. 

Besides the recommendation of your primary school, there are no additional acceptance criteria for first year. 

It is possible to continue to atheneum second year after havo first year. It is not possible to continue to gymnasium second year from a first year level other than gymnasium. In the event of extraordinarily good performance, the option of gymnasium will be brought up before Christmas break. In this case a class switch can be made during the school year. 

The duration of first year is one school year. In March pupils and parents receive our recommendation for second year. This is based on the professional opinion of all teachers of the student in question. At the end of the school year we decide upon the best place for the pupil to continue his/her school career, whether it is havo, atheneum or gymnasium.