Calvijn College is a reformed school community in Zeeland offering a wide range of educational programmes, from practical training to gymnasium. The new sustainable school building in Middelburg has around 400 pupils, almost all of whom cycle to school.
In total, the seven locations of Calvijn College accommodate more than three thousand pupils. In addition to education, they can also access a wide range of support options. In Goes, Krabbendijke, Middelburg and Tholen, similar education is provided at three different levels in the first two years. As a result, younger pupils in streams 1, 2 and 3 do not usually have to travel far.
Pupils and staff form a learning community, but also a living community. The school pays attention to its Christian foundation in many different ways and how you can apply this in your daily life. The culture here is characterised as open, well-organised, orderly, clear and promising.
The school is committed to providing promising education, focusing on developing the talents of both pupils and staff. Pupils can work independently in an open learning centre and are given tailor-made challenges. Examples include the range of plus projects, science and elective work time with practical subjects.
Gerrit Terlouw, Director of Calvijn College: ‘When designing the building, we focused on the entrance. When you walk in, you should feel like you're welcome here. That's really important to us. What I love about being here at school is that we have a beautiful environment where we can meet our students. And that it's a meeting place where there's harmony and genuine connection.'
'When designing the building, we focused on the entrance. When you walk in, you should feel like you're welcome here.'Gerrit TerlouwDirector of Calvijn College
And they did it! ‘When I walk in here, I immediately feel happy because the building is so beautiful and new,’ says one student. The students are also enthusiastic about the classrooms. ‘We can now fit many more students in the chemistry classroom; it's much more spacious than before. We can also do more experiments there.’
In addition to learning, there is also room for relaxation between lessons and during breaks. The school has three fields where pupils can play hockey, football or basketball. During a free period, they can also work out in the gym. There is also a media library where you can borrow books or a laptop, or work in peace and quiet. Of course, there is also a canteen with healthy snacks.
Calvijn College was established in 1994 as a result of a merger between three independent schools. Even before that, the various schools had been working together. This cooperation was further intensified by, among other things, the introduction of basic education. There are one or more school locations in four municipalities, so that pupils in streams 1-3 can attend Reformed education close to home.
‘We opted for a new building,’ says Gerrit Terlouw. ‘A new concept and a new layout. We are very pleased that BNG was willing to invest in and finance this.
BNG is owned by and serves the public sector. Everything we do is focused on making a social impact. By financing this project, we are contributing to quality education as a financial partner in making educational real estate more sustainable, which is one of our priorities.
Lonneke de Waal
Sector Lead Government & Education
