Sint-Maria

What Sint-Maria does

Sint-Maria (legally operated by VZW Verwondering) is a subsidized Catholic secondary school located at Lovelingstraat 8 in Antwerp, Belgium, serving approximately 388 students across the first through seventh grades (1ste graad through 7de jaar). The school is organized into two educational domains: Kunst & Creatie (Arts & Creation), covering visual and audiovisual arts, graphic techniques, crossmedia, grafimedia, and decoration/display programs; and Maatschappij & Welzijn (Society & Welfare), covering healthcare, education/guidance, welfare sciences, and hairdressing/beauty care tracks. Programs range from academic throughflow trajectories to labor-market-oriented vocational tracks, with seventh-year specializations including Crossmedia, Grafimedia, Persoonsbegeleider, and Kapper-stylist. All programs culminate either in higher education readiness (with documented pathways to KDG and KASK Gent) or in direct labor-market entry, including student-run hairdressing enterprises.

The school's technology footprint is modest: a WordPress-based public-facing website (sintmaria.school), the Smartschool learning management system for grades, assignments, and parent communication, Microsoft Outlook for institutional email, and Google Analytics for site measurement. Administrative integrations include the centralized Antwerp secondary-school enrollment portal (meldjeaansecundair.antwerpen.be) for first-year intake, plus third-party procurement platforms — Signpost for student laptops, Studieshop.be for textbooks, and PivotPoint for hairdressing kits. A virtual student art exhibition is hosted on the Artsteps platform.

Sint-Maria operates as a non-profit (VZW) under Belgian law and is funded primarily through Flemish government education subsidies rather than tuition fees. Its go-to-market is direct-to-consumer: student recruitment is driven by an annual open day, year-round personalized infomomenten with subject teachers, organic social media (Facebook, Instagram), and the school's website. Leadership is headed by Directeur Dominique Janssen. The institution is GDPR-compliant and operates exclusively within the Antwerp metropolitan area, with no disclosed multi-site or international footprint.

Name

Sint-Maria

Legal name

VZW Verwondering

Website

https://sintmaria.school

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Instituut Sint-Maria is a Flemish subsidized secondary school in Antwerp, Belgium, operated by non-profit VZW Verwondering, serving approximately 388 students across arts, welfare, and hairdressing vocational and throughflow tracks from first through seventh grade.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Education

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Career & Technical Education (CTE) Centers & Programs (EDAJAAAJ)

Keywords

• Secondary education
• Vocational training
• Arts education
• Welfare sciences
• Hairdressing training

Headquarters

HQ city

Antwerp

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Educational Services (Government-Funded): Sint-Maria operates as a government-registered educational institution (VZW Verwondering) providing secondary education. As a Belgian school, funding comes primarily through government subsidies rather than direct tuition fees.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sint-Maria is a secondary school in Antwerp, Belgium, operated by VZW Verwondering, providing secondary education from the 1st grade through 7th-year specializations. The school delivers comprehensive educational programs across two main domains: Kunst & Creatie (Arts & Creation — including visual arts, audiovisual arts, graphic techniques, crossmedia, grafimedia, and decor/display) and Maatschappij & Welzijn (Society & Welfare — including healthcare, education/guidance, welfare sciences, and hairdressing/beauty care). Programs combine theoretical knowledge with practical skills, internships, and portfolio building to prepare students for either higher education or direct entry into the labor market.

Product overview

Sint-Maria is a secondary school in Antwerp, Belgium, operated by VZW Verwondering, offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs across the first, second, and third grades of secondary education, plus special seventh-year specialization programs. The school organizes its offerings into two main domains: Kunst & Creatie (Arts & Creation, covering visual arts, audiovisual arts, graphic techniques, crossmedia, grafimedia, and decor/display programs) and Maatschappij & Welzijn (Society & Welfare, covering health care, education/guidance, welfare sciences, and hairdressing/beauty care programs). The school uses the Smartschool digital learning platform for internal communication and grades, and integrates with external third-party platforms including Signpost (device procurement), Studieshop.be (textbooks), and PivotPoint (hair care kits). The institution also provides personalized information sessions, an annual open day, and a virtual exhibition showcasing student work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 1ste graad (A-stroom & B-stroom) First grade secondary education program covering both the A-stream (general/academic track) and B-stream (practical/technical track), including remedial and enrichment classes, project-based learning, and career exploration for secondary school students.
• 2de graad — Maatschappij en Welzijnswetenschappen Second grade throughflow-oriented program in society and welfare sciences covering philosophy, sociology, psychology, and social sciences to prepare students for higher education.
• 2de graad — Maatschappij en Welzijn Second grade throughflow or labor-market-oriented program in society and welfare, covering health promotion, development, pedagogy, and practical project work.
• 2de graad — Grafische Technieken Second grade program combining creative and technical skills in graphic design, covering concept development, layout, printing, and digital/online media production.
• 2de graad — Beeldende en Audiovisuele Kunsten Second grade program combining manual and digital arts, introducing classical and new media, photography, animation, video, and audio, alongside 2D and 3D artistic techniques.
• 2de graad — Zorg en Welzijn Second grade labor-market-oriented program in care and welfare, preparing students for a career as a caregiver through practical lessons and early-stage experience. New as of school year 2025-2026.
• 2de graad — Decor en Etalage Second grade labor-market-oriented program introducing decoration, styling, and display design using various materials, manual and digital tools, and art history appreciation.
• 2de graad — Haar- en Schoonheidsverzorging Second grade labor-market-oriented program teaching foundational hair care and beauty techniques on practice heads, fellow students, and models, including coloring, cutting, styling, manicure, and makeup.
• 3de graad — Welzijnswetenschappen Third grade throughflow program in welfare sciences preparing students for academic and professional bachelor's programs in psychology, pedagogy, and social work.
• 3de graad — Gezondheidszorg Third grade program in healthcare covering psychology, anatomy, health promotion, and practical skills, preparing students for professional bachelor's in healthcare, education, or pedagogy, or for se-n-se specializations.
• 3de graad — Opvoeding & Begeleiding Third grade program in education and guidance, covering psychology, pedagogy, pedagogical action, and practical training to prepare students for work with children under 12 or for further study.
• 3de graad — Beeldende & Audiovisuele Kunst Third grade advanced program in visual and audiovisual arts, deepening analogue and digital creation skills, storytelling, and portfolio development, culminating in a professional jury defense.
• 3de graad — Crossmedia Third grade program training hyper-creative individuals to develop both online and offline campaigns for companies and organizations through visual communication and multimedia storytelling.
• 3de graad — Grafimedia Third grade program teaching students to create 360-degree visual campaigns combining traditional print media with social media and online strategies for brand communication.
• 3de graad — DOE! (Decor, Ontwerp & Etalage) Third grade broad and practical program in decoration, design, and display covering both digital and manual skills for the advertising and display sectors, with options in advertising design or spatial design.
• 3de graad — Haarverzorging Third grade advanced hairdressing program building on second-grade techniques, covering advanced cuts, coloring, morphology-based styling, innovations in hair products and tools, and business management through a student enterprise.
• 7de jaar — Crossmedia One-year specialization program in crossmedia for students who completed the third grade, covering design for multiple media carriers, web development, video and animation production, audio creation, and a two-month internship.
• 7de jaar — Grafimedia One-year specialization program in graphic media (preparator – assistant designer in print media) covering Adobe Creative Suite, digital image editing, typography, layout, color use, sustainable printing, AI in graphics, and an eight-week internship.
• 7de jaar — Persoonsbegeleider One-year specialization program in personal guidance, covering professional attitude, applied psychology, orthopedagogy, agogic action, and a 14-week internship, preparing students to work with people with disabilities, vulnerable youth, and adults.
• 7de jaar — Kapper-stylist One-year specialization program in hairdressing and styling, covering advanced ladies' and men's cuts, coloring, updos for weddings and theater, business management, and operating a student enterprise, with a sectoral business management certificate.
• Infomomenten (Information Sessions) Personalized, year-round information sessions with subject teachers, offering school tours, subject overviews, and Q&A for prospective students and parents.
• Virtuele Tentoonstelling (Virtual Exhibition) Online art exhibition accessible at any time, showcasing student work in a virtual gallery format without time or mask restrictions, hosted on the Artsteps platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students build professional portfolios during their studies that enable them to start businesses or continue to higher education in creative fields
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SmartschoolcoreTechnology or IntegrationLearning management system used by the school for student-teacher communication, coursework management, and educational platform services.
• VDABminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFlemish public employment service where Sint-Maria publishes its job vacancies for teacher positions.
• SignpostminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLaptop supplier partner through which students can purchase or rent devices with various payment options including installments.
• Studieshop.beminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSchool book supplier where students order textbooks for the academic year.
• PivotpointminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHair care products supplier where hair care students order their student kits and supplies.
• ArtstepsminorOthersPlatform used by Sint-Maria to host its first virtual exhibition showcasing student artwork.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Deeltijds Kunstonderwijs (DKO) Flanders: Government-subsidized Flemish part-time arts education system covering visual arts, performing arts, and creative disciplines; competes indirectly for students interested in arts-focused secondary education across the same geography.
• Don Bosco Halle / Sint-Pieterscollege Leuven: Larger Salesian Catholic secondary school network across Belgium with comparable technical/vocational and arts programs; competes in the Flemish secondary market for arts, design, and care-focused students but at much greater scale.

Direct peers

• Sint-Niklaasinstituut Antwerpen: Long-established Catholic secondary school in Antwerp offering comparable mixed-academic and vocational tracks in a similar urban setting, often competing for the same Antwerp-area students seeking arts, care, and general secondary education.
• Sint-Ursula Instituut Schoten: Catholic secondary school in the Antwerp region offering arts, care, and welfare tracks parallel to Sint-Maria's Kunst & Creatie and Maatschappij & Welzijn domains, with similar 7th-year specialization pathways.
• Stedelijk Lyceum Antwerpen: City of Antwerp secondary school offering general and several technical/vocational tracks in arts, design, and care-related fields; competes in the same Antwerp enrollment pool with a similar mix of academic and CTE programs.
• Koninklijk Atheneum Antwerpen: Public GO! secondary school in Antwerp offering academic and artistic streams; comparable size and Antwerp catchment, draws from similar demographic pools as Sint-Maria for first-grade enrollment.
• Vrije Kunstschool Sint-Lucas (Brussels): Art-focused secondary school in Belgium offering visual arts, audiovisual, and design tracks paralleling Sint-Maria's Beeldende & Audiovisuele Kunsten, Crossmedia, and Grafimedia offerings; comparable product but in Brussels rather than Antwerp.

Regional players

• Provinciaal Instituut voor Verpleegkunde Antwerpen (PIVA): Antwerp healthcare-focused secondary and nursing school providing care pathways that overlap with Sint-Maria's Maatschappij & Welzijn, Persoonsbegeleider, and Gezondheidszorg programs in the same catchment area.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/InstituutSintMariaAntwerpen
• Instagraminstagram.com/instituutsintmariaantwerpen
• Xx.com/sintmaria

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sint-Maria