Novalis College

A Secondary School in Eindhoven that develops intellectual, artistic, and practical skills where pupils develop as whole people.

Your child is thriving in Dutch primary school. Now what?

Secondary school brings new challenges: early tracking, increased testing, the pressure to specialise before pupils have discovered who they are, are just some of these. At Novalis College, there is another approach.

Head, heart, and hands.

We teach pupils to think critically, feel deeply, and work skilfully with their hands. Academic excellence and creative development strengthen each other.

Old crafts teach perseverance.

Making something with your hands builds concentration, patience, and provides a joy of accomplishment. Our pupils learn through doing: do not just study geology, they examine rocks; do not just read about architecture, they build models; they do not just analyse poetry, they perform it.

What makes Novalis different?

Novalis College is a Waldorf secondary school in Eindhoven offering vmbo-t, havo and vwo pathways. For over 40 years, we have provided an education that develops the whole person - academically rigorous and creatively rich.

This means:

Small and personal
teachers know every student by name
Time to find their level
our two-year heterogeneous bridge class delays “Forced choise”, giving pupils space to discover their strengths
Long-term mentorship
one sometimes even two mentors guides your child through bridge years, another from year nine through graduation
More than academics
philosophy, blacksmithing, eurhythmy, painting, woodworking, music, and drama are offered alongside mathematics, sciences, and languages
Support for all families .
we provide guidance in English where with needed. Your child continues with Dutch integration, while you receive support in English.

We prepare students for exams.

The school covers all the subjects you need to enter the world with a diploma and a wellfilled backpack. You learn to trust yourself. Our teachers take the sting out of test pressure by helping pupils develop genuine confidence, not just test-taking skills. Our graduates pursue diverse pathways: medicine, graphic design, international studies.

We see your child, not just a number.

In our beautiful building on the Sterrenlaan, there is space for every talent to emerge. Pupils who might have struggled elsewhere often thrive here; not because we lower standards, but because we recognise different kinds of intelligence and create room for them to grow. You are not alone in this: Your child’s mentors become partners in their development, and we support parents in understanding the Dutch system every step of the way.

Waldorf education has a 100-year international track record.

Students will certainly feel at home at the school.
Yes, some elements (eurhythmy, seasonal festivals, biography work) may be unfamiliar at first. Parents often tell us they grew to understand these practices by watching their children benefit from them. We would love to explain our approach in person.

In a world increasingly focused on test scores and screen time, we offer something different: a place where children connect with themselves, each other, and reality through making, thinking, and experiencing together.

Visit us.

Contact us to schedule a visit: Experience our building, meet our teachers, see pupils’ work, ask questions about Waldorf pedagogy, academic results, and find out what makes our community special.
If there is an interest, we can organise information evenings in English for families whose children will transition to secondary school.