Extra support in primary school

The teacher, the internal supervisor (intern begeleider) and you as parent(s) discuss together what extra support your child needs. Schools request extra money for this from the school board (but some schools have already received this money from the board). Most schools call this the request for an ‘arrangement’.

The school board to which your child's school belongs receives money from our samenwerkingsverband to provide extra support to pupils at the schools. Each school board has made different arrangements for this. Usually, the school has to apply for this money from the school board; sometimes the school has already received this money.

With the money, someone from the school or an external organisation is hired to support your child for a number of hours per week for a certain period of time. This can be in the classroom or outside the classroom.

If you prefer not to talk to the teacher and the internal supervisor alone, you can ask a parent-child counsellor (OKA) to help you. Every school has an (independent parent-child counsellor (OKA). The parent-child counsellor (OKA) will then discuss the interview with you first.

You can ask the school's internal supervisor for the contact details of the parent- child counsellor. Some schools have the contact details of the parent-child advisor on their website. Would you like to know more about the parent-child counsellor (OKA), or what the Parents' and Children's Team (OKT) can do for you? Take a look here (in Dutch).

The first step is to discuss this with the teacher, your child's counsellor or the school's internal supervisor. If you cannot work it out with them, it is best to talk to the school board. Would you like to know which school board this is? Then take a look here.

In some cases it is not possible to implement extra support. However, this does not happen very often. If you are unable to come to an agreement with the school's teacher and internal supervisor, you can request an appointment with the school board to which the school belongs. Would you like to know which school board this is? Then take a look here.

If your child needs support, the school will discuss with you what that support will look like. Sometimes a school chooses to support a child outside the classroom. A school would prefer to support your child in a way that you as a parent(s) agree with, but sometimes this does not work. In the end, the school decides whether it will support your child in the classroom or outside the classroom.

Very rarely, and only if there is no other possibility, the school chooses to (temporarily) place a child outside the classroom. If the school is able to explain properly why it places your child outside the classroom, school is allowed to do so. Even if you do not support it. However, this situation should not last long. School is obliged to actively look for a better solution for your child.

There is a parent-child advisor attached to every school. The parent-child advisor (who works for the Parents' and Children's Team, also known as the OKT) can advise and support you in the deployment of care and assistance for your child. You can ask your child's school who the parent-child advisor is. Would you like to know more about the parent-child advisor, or what OKT can do for you? Take a look here (in Dutch).