Holistic education for newcomer students in ISK schools in Utrecht: A qualitative study on how teachers provide a holistic education to students with such complex and diverse needs

Abstract

International Transition School (ISK) schools are uniquely placed to provide newcomers with a positive start to their educational and citizenship journey in the Netherlands. This thesis explores how three transition schools in Utrecht work to identify and address the diverse and complex needs of their students. Specifically, by examining students’ social, emotional and learning needs through the lens of a holistic approach to education. The qualitative research included fourteen semi-structured interviews with ISK teachers, nonteaching staff, students, and parents alongside document analysis. The results indicated that among the schools, learning needs were well-addressed but their ability to meet social and emotional needs varied. This can be attributed to resource constraints and the rapid growth of their student population in recent years. The findings suggest that better resourcing and more training is required to overcome the inconsistencies between newcomer students’ school experiences. Future research could investigate how citizenship needs can be integrated as an additional aspect of holistic education.