Important steps for the first year of secondary school.

From primary school to the first year of secondary school: an important step for your child. Taking the secondary school transition test, the school advice, and also registering at the secondary school of your choice are key moments.

The school advice

In group 8 of primary school, the principal gives a school advice about the best education for your child after primary school. The primary school must give this school advice before 1 February.

When giving this advice, the school looks at how your child developed in primary school and at the test data from the student monitoring system. The teachers know your child well and know what your child is good at and what your child finds difficult.

The school advice for the first year of secondary school is part of the educational report. Many schools already give an estimate in group 7 for the provisional school advice in group 8. Here you can read more about what you can do if you do not agree with your child’s school advice.

The secondary school transition test

Earlier, all students in group 8 took a final test. From the school year 2023 to 2024, this final test is called the secondary school transition test. The secondary school transition test is meant to check knowledge and skills at the end of primary school.

If your child does better on the secondary school transition test than the school advice given in January, the primary school must adjust the school advice based on the test result. This then becomes the final school advice. Only in rare cases can the school decide not to do this. The school must then explain clearly why it is really not good for your child to raise the advice.

Admission to secondary school

With the primary school advice, you can already sign up your child in March for practical education track, vmbo, havo, or vwo. In principle, you and your child can choose freely, but by law this free choice is limited by the school advice. The secondary school must decide about your child’s admission based on the school advice and must tell you this in writing.

If your child is admitted and the school advice is changed after the secondary school transition test, the adjusted school advice gives the right to admission to the matching school type. Here you can read more about admission and refusal of registration at secondary school.

Regional agreements

Partnership Tailored Education can make regional agreements between primary schools and secondary schools about the switch of students to secondary education. These agreements are in so-called placement guides.

Registering at another education level

You do not have to follow the school advice. You can register your child for a different type of secondary education than the primary school advises. You can also register your child at a higher or lower level than the school advice says. Then it is up to the secondary school to decide if they admit your child at that level or not.

The education report

The primary school must by law make an education report for the secondary school. You as a parent must know what is in this education report.

Primary schools can choose to send the education report when registering, but it is also possible to give the report later, when the results of the required secondary school transition test are known.

Admission to the secondary school must be based on the given school advice. The school can look at the education report to see if they can offer any extra support your child needs. Read more about the education report.