Angenita: ‘You want every child to have a school like this’.

Angenita: ‘You want every child to have a school like this’.

A school where the teachers think along with students and parents, and where they do not avoid extra support. It took some effort to find such a school, but it succeeded. Angenita van Es shares her experiences and how much difference a nice school can make for a child.

Well-being of the child

The story of Angenita and her son is not an easy story. It does make you think about how important a school is for the development and well-being of a child. “At his previous school my son was bullied. He became more and more unhappy and could keep up less well. I decided, in consultation with Ouders & Onderwijs and an external confidant, that it was time for a new school.”

A school that does think along

The old school did not want to cooperate with the transfer and shifted the problem to Angenita and her son. Schools where she wanted to enroll her son dropped out after a conversation with the old school. Eventually she came to director Wietske Darphorn of the Dr. Jac. P. Thijsse school, a regular school in Den Helder: “They did want to think along. He started in the new class after the summer holidays. From the beginning it seemed like he had always been at that school. He joined in well, got no more punishment, and was a very different child. So it was not because of us!”

Chronically ill

Unfortunately, Angenita’s son became seriously ill, resulting in a chronic disease. The school handled this well too. “What a fantastic director. It is her role and task to decide how to fill in such a situation, and she handled it wonderfully from minute one. Together we gradually made a plan to make sure he could just keep going to school.”

Medication and emergency phone

Together with the teachers, internal support coordinators, education guidance service OBD Noordwest, and specialists from Ziezon they looked at what was needed. “The school gave us the space to shape this. So he always carries his medication and an emergency phone in a small bag and everyone knows what is going on. I can always contact him and the teachers, there are action plans all over the school, and emergency medication is kept in the fridge.”

Peace to let go

Angenita notices that there is much understanding at school. “The teachers really think along and we have a group chat with the directly involved teachers. Because of these short lines there is a kind of safety net, without my son noticing. This gives me the peace to let him go and just let him go to school. The teachers bring out the best in my son and my son is a happy child. As far as I am concerned, Wietske deserves a medal, because a school like this is what every child deserves.”