This academic year, The British School in The Netherlands (BSN) has been delighted to welcome a new Headteacher to Senior School in Voorschoten. Mr Patrick Heuff, previously working at St George’s British International School in Munich, became a welcomed member of the BSN community in September. Just as the BSN community has felt Mr Heuff’s positive influence within the school from the beginning, he reports feeling very welcomed by the friendly students and welcoming staff.
In a recent interview with the school’s podcast club, he delved into his reasons for wishing to join the BSN as a Headteacher. Mr Heuff told the interviewers that he felt “the pull of the BSN” and an “initial attraction” to the school, having heard about its “warm and friendly” atmosphere. He was pleased to see that the school’s reputation did not disappoint. He specified that he had never come across more friendly and welcoming students in the past and that, given the choice, the school’s environment is something he would not want to change but instead build upon. He revealed his wishes for the school to “provide the most excellent education that it possibly can” and continue to progress its approaches to teaching.
Additionally, Mr Heuff explained that he was interested in learning more about the Netherlands, the Dutch culture, and the Dutch language due to a personal connection to the Netherlands. He previously lived in Germany for four years and in England before that, but by moving to Voorschoten, he felt immediately welcomed and said it “feels a bit like coming home”. This can be attributed to the warmth and openness of the local community of Voorschoten.
Patrick salmon fishing in Scotland.
While expressing his admiration for the school’s inclusivity and diversity, he also spoke about how proud he was of students having high academic outcomes whilst participating in activities and experiences outside the classroom. Mr Heuff is passionate about extra-curricular opportunities such as sports, Drama, leadership roles, Model United Nations, and the International Award that the school provides. He explains that he and the leadership team in the school are “looking at developing extra-curricular activities within the BSN and really pushing them forwards”, as they believe that it is with the assistance of these extra-curricular activities that they can provide the most well-rounded education possible. He is delighted about the base that this school provides for students to continue to higher education or careers and wants to continue with the “high academic expectations” he has observed at the school.
After attending an alumni event at the school, Mr Heuff described being pleased to see that the “friendships and connections formed at the BSN continue throughout their lives.” To him, a legacy is the memories that are left behind, and it was clear that all the alumni shared this sentiment as they returned to the school building again after so many years. They could see the effects of their legacy on the school, with some extra-curriculars they had put in place still continuing to this day or whole school events they had helped plan, are still incorporating their ideas.
We wish Mr Heuff the best of luck during his time at the BSN and look forward to seeing the lasting impact he leaves on the school.
Some of Patrick’s Favourite Things
A version of this article was first published in the Voorschotense Krant in November 2022. The article was written after an interview by the BSN podcast club with Patrick Heuff.
About the Authors
Marlène
My name is Marlène and I am an IB student at the BSN. I am very invested in writing and journalism, being editor of the school newspaper PUBLISHED and member of the SSV student podcast. I was grateful for the opportunity to interview members of staff at SSV and publish the article in the Voorschotense Krant.
Follow the Senior School Voorchoten on Twitter: @BSN_SSV
Eva
My name is Eva, and I’m a Year 13 student at Senior School Voorschoten. I have been at the BSN since Foundation 1. I recently created the podcast club with Franziska and Marlène. We have thoroughly enjoyed interviewing both staff members and students and are grateful for the BSN’s help in making this project a reality. The staff have all been very supportive in teaching us about the equipment and software we used for our monthly podcast that will be released through the school’s record label.
Franziska
My name is Franziska, and I am a Year 13 student at the BSN. I have grown up in the Netherlands and attended the British School for 15 years. Due to my close connection to the school, I enjoyed interviewing the new Headteacher. The interview is also featured in the new SSV podcast.
