Introducing Amsterdam School Lottery Navigator: a multilingual way to explore schools, open days, and travel time across Greater Amsterdam
Choosing a secondary school in the Greater Amsterdam Area can feel like a full-time job—especially if you’re navigating the Dutch system in a language that isn’t your own. The terminology is new, the timelines are tight, and the decisions feel high-stakes.
We wrote our foundational explainer—Middelbare School Lotterij (Secondary School Lottery) Amsterdam Guide: Everything you need to Navigate the Process with Ease as an International Family—to bring clarity to the process. Now we’re taking the next step: turning that clarity into a tool you can use day-to-day.
Today, House of Peregrine Product Studio is launching Amsterdam School Lottery Navigator, an app built to help international parents research schools, compare logistics, and keep an ongoing shortlist—without losing track of open days or starting from scratch every time you revisit the decision.
What Amsterdam School Lottery Navigator helps you do
The app is designed around the practical questions families ask most often:
- “Which schools accept my child’s advice level?”
- “How long will the commute actually take from our address?”
- “Which open days are coming up, and how do I not miss them?”
- “What are realistic options if we live in one place during the week and another on weekends?”
- “Which schools were most in-demand last year?”
With Amsterdam School Lottery Navigator, you can:
- Browse a list of schools with locations and a short description
- See which advice levels a school accepts
- Find the closest metro, tram, and bus stops for each school
- View open days / tours and go directly to the official school website for the latest details
- See last year’s lottery popularity to understand demand patterns (helpful context—not a prediction)
- Filter by:
- Child’s advice level
- Distance and travel time from your address
- Multiple household addresses (for families with more than one home)
- Save and maintain an ongoing shortlist, so your research compounds over time instead of disappearing into notes and screenshots
Multilingual (not just the interface—the school information too)
A major pain point for many international families is language. Even when official resources exist, it’s hard to compare schools quickly if details are only available in Dutch.
That’s why Amsterdam School Lottery Navigator is multilingual by design—including school information and descriptions, not just buttons and menus. It’s available in:
- English
- Dutch
- Turkish
We still link out to each school’s official website so families can confirm the most current information directly at the source.
Open day reminders in the HOP app
Open days and tours are where the decision gets real—but they’re also the easiest thing to miss when you’re busy.
If you turn on notifications, you’ll receive school tour reminders in the HOP app, helping you stay ahead of deadlines and visits throughout the season.
How to get access (free for members)
Amsterdam School Lottery Navigator is available here:
ams-school-lottery-navigator.houseofperegrine.com
House of Peregrine members can use the app for free.
If you’re new to HOP, you can start with a free trial membership here:
One Free Membership (trial)
If you’re just starting the process
If you’re at the beginning of the journey, start with our step-by-step overview of the system and timeline, then use the app to build your shortlist as you attend open days:
Because the goal isn’t to “pick the perfect school on paper.” It’s to make confident, informed choices—based on your child’s needs, your family’s realities, and the information you can trust.