Tackling educational disadvantage at secondary school

The amount of funding a school receives, depends on the number of immigrant pupils and pupils from deprived neighbourhoods.

Pupils from deprived neighbourhoods

Secondary schools can obtain extra funding if they have a relatively high proportion (between 30% and 65%) of pupils from deprived neighbourhoods:

• practical training and VMBO: at least 30%;
• HAVO: at least 50%;
• VWO: at least 65%.

This funding enables schools to tackle educational disadvantage and prevent school dropout.

Recent immigrant pupils at secondary school

Schools can receive extra funding for ensuring that recently-arrived immigrant pupils learn Dutch quickly. The size of the grant depends on how long the pupil has already been living in the Netherlands. It is up to the school to spend the extra funding as it sees fit and to select the most suitable type of education for the new pupil.

For immigrant pupils who have been in the Netherlands for less than a year, schools can apply for extra funding. The money provides extra language training for a full school year. Schools can apply for this extra funding three times a year.

One-off funding for initial reception of immigrant pupils

Schools that organise initial reception for newly-arrived immigrant pupils can obtain a one-off grant. This enables them to engage extra staff and set up special teaching programmes.