SOPHIANUM, an International ELOS School
SOPHIANUM, an International ELOS School
Sophianum is a Comprehensive School, teaching on all levels that the Dutch educational system has to offer for youngsters between 12 and 16 - 18.
The school is situated in the Heuvelland, a hilly region between Maastricht and Vaals (The Netherlands). This part of the Province of Limburg is almost surrounded by Belgium in the west and Germany in the east. Distances to major European cities are short: Aachen 30 minutes, Brussels and Cologne 1 hour, Paris 3 hours.
There are around 1750 pupils and 170 staff, the numbers of which will grow slightly in the next few years.
The school is housed in two modern buildings. The Gulpen site houses V.W.O. (grammar school: Gymnasium and Atheneum), H.A.V.O. (higher secondary education) and the theoretical stream of vmbo (vocational education). In the Nijswiller site the other streams of vocational education are accommodated.
After a 6-year education a V.W.O. student can obtain a certificate that offers entrance to a university.
H.A.V.O. takes 5 years to complete and a certificate grants entrance to a H.B.O. (College for Higher Education) or M.B.O. (College for Further Education).
The senior classes of Gymnasium, Atheneum and H.A.V.O. belong to the so-called 2de Fase, which means that students will have to spend part of the allotted time per subject or cluster of subjects with independent and project learning. In the ?studiehuis? as this is called (referring to both the building and the way of learning) the students can choose one of four ?profiles? (streams):
- Nature and Technology
- Nature and Health
- Economy and Society
- Culture and Society
V.M.B.O. is a new form of education and takes four years to complete. Here there are several streams.
- The theoretical stream, comprising six general subjects. Passing this exam gives entrance to the 4th year of H.A.V.O. or an M.B.O. course lasting 4 years.
- The mixed stream comprises five general subjects and one vocational subject and allows entrance to a 4-year M.B.O. course.
- The vocational streams comprise 4 general subjects and a more comprehensive vocational programme, which can be compared with two subjects. The highest level certificate gives entrance to a 4-year M.B.O. course, a 2-year M.B.O. course or to a ?sandwich course? combining work and study. In the lower level stream the pupil can also opt for more individual education.
In the third and fourth year of V.M.B.O a pupil can choose between the following departments: Technology, Economics, Social Services and Welfare.
Sophianum is more than just learning. The school is participating in the ELOS project and aims to offer more than just education and believes that all her pupils/students should be prepared to participate in the Europe of the future. That is why there are several possibilities for them to get acquainted with European and other cultures. There are exchange programmes lasting one day, but also longer than that. Annual trips to London, Berlin, Aachen Paris and Rome are organised as well as a skiing holiday for exam candidates. There is a link with a college in the USA, enabling students to study there for a year. Of course there are international contacts via ICT. These activities are co-ordinated by the ?Werkgroep Internationalisering?.
The school is also renowned for its bi-annual cabaret. Pupils, teachers and other members of staff take part in this event. All aspects of theatre and cabaret are involved like stage-design scriptwriting, lighting and sound, singing and acting and making music. A video or CD of the latest version can be ordered via the school.