Be yourself at Brightside
Experiences from students
Joanna
I love the creative parts of the school. The music and art room are my favourite to sit and work in. I feel like the innovation hour really helps me with bringing my creative side out. I get really motivated to go to school because I can always finish my homework during the flex hours which leaves more free time besides school.
Marcus
I am in my third year of VMBO and I love having my mathematics, sciences and physics classes. During last year’s Innovation hours, I realized that I had a real talent for technology and science. I really like my classes and I am going to participate in the Cambridge Assessment Exam program soon.
Robin
I like my school and I can hang out with my friends a lot during the breaks. I really made a lot of good friends from different classes during my time here. The flex hour system was a little hard to get into at first but after a while I had a lot of free time because I could finish my homework and learning for tests during school hours. I always got the support that I needed for my dyslexia.
the school hours
Our school hours are quite flexible and are between 8:20 am and 3:40 pm. If a student chooses to start the day with a flex hour, it starts at 8:20 AM to 9:00 AM, after which regular classes will start and all students must therefore be at school. The flexibility of the flex hours ensures that students who have to come from far away can also cycle away from home at a (safe) later time. After each normal 80-minute lesson, all students have a 20-minute break during which they can relax and enjoy their social interactions. At the end of all regular lessons there is also the option to do more flex hours. However, on Monday there is an innovation lesson for first and second year students where we work on skills that students cannot do every day at school and on Wednesday there is a homeroom hour where all students must be present for mentor conversations and guidance moments.
The flex hours
In the schedule there is room to make your own lesson choices. You decide which flex hour you want to do and when. You are obliged to take five 40-minute flex hours per week, you are always allowed to take more. This will be maintained and noted down in the online system.
- Homework hours (no explanations)
- Explanation hours (explanations by subject teacher)
- Subjects for Explanation hours - English, German, Dutch, mathematics, economics, and history
Normal classes
You will take three regular subjects every day. They have a permanent place within the everyday roster. These lessons last 80 minutes. You will have a break after each lesson so you can destress and socialize. system.
- Dutch, English, German
- History, Geography, Economics
- Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry
- PE (Physical Education), Arts education, Music
Advantages
- More choices on what and when to learn
- Fewer books to school
- More structure in your day
- Fewer lesson changes
- You can receive more explanation
- Less homework to do at home
- More time for repetition
- Discover different talents
- More time for activities after school
The innovation hour
The innovation hour is designed to motivate students to acquire extracurricular skills that can be very useful later in life. In addition, it is also intended to allow students to work together on various fun projects with fellow peers. Every school period, first and second-year students must register for an innovation set. Students will work together and create a final product which will be presented to the rest of the students and their parents. There are three sets available, set 1 is aimed at students who want to improve their computer skills, set 2 is aimed at students with green fingers and who like to cook, set 3 is for students who like to go on the stage, and set 4 is designed for students who want to be business minded and political.
- Set 1: Culture swap, Design, Coding
- Set 2: Garden club, Cooking, Mini market
- Set 3: Dance, Arts, Acting
- Set 4: Visiting local businesses, Local Counsil, Debate.
