Democratische school De Ruimte

What Democratische school De Ruimte does

Democratische school De Ruimte is a private, non-profit democratic school established in 2002 in Soest, Netherlands, operating under the foundation Stichting De Ruimte Soest with ANBI public-benefit designation and full approval from the Dutch Education Inspectorate. It delivers primary (and adjacent secondary-age) education to students aged approximately 2 to 22 using a self-directed learning model with no preset curriculum, governed through a sociocratic circle structure with consent-based decision-making. The school positions itself as the oldest and largest democratic school in the Amersfoort-Utrecht-Hilversum region and is affiliated with EUDEC, IDEC, and Platform Democratische Scholen, networks that together span roughly 70 European and 200+ global democratic schools.

The school's revenue model is tuition-based, charging EUR 491 per month for under-13 pupils (inclusive of BSO/out-of-school care) and EUR 342 per month for 13+ pupils, augmented by Inspiration Day fees, ancillary donations, and parent contributions. Two captive subsidiaries, BSO De Ruimte (registered for 70 child places in Dutch or 40 in English) and KDV De Ruimte, extend the service surface into childcare and after-school care. Approximately 21 staff work as self-employed (ZZP) facilitators, while the unpaid board comprises parents, former students, and school circle members. The organization also maintains published books and media to extend its pedagogical brand.

Operationally, De Ruimte is a single-campus, capacity-constrained entity with no external venture or growth-equity funding, no acquisitions, and headcount stable in the low twenties. Its strategic activity centers on reinforcing its leadership in the democratic-education ecosystem via event hosting (notably EUDEC 2024) and on deepening ancillary childcare revenue lines rather than on geographic or product-line scaling.

Name

Democratische school De Ruimte

Legal name

Stichting De Ruimte Soest

Website

https://deruimtesoest.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Democratische school De Ruimte is a non-profit, Dutch-Inspectorate-approved democratic school in Soest, Netherlands, founded in 2002, offering self-directed primary education to students aged 2-22 under a sociocratic governance model and serving families across the Amersfoort-Utrecht-Hilversum region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Primary and Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonsectarian Independent Day Schools (EDAJABAA)

Keywords

• Democratic education
• Primary secondary school
• Sociocratic schooling
• Alternative education
• Child-centered learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Soest

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. School Tuition Fees: Monthly tuition fees paid by parents for their children's education. The school is a private institution not financed by the government and depends on these fees to pay staff salaries, rent, teaching materials, reserves, and activities. Students over 13 pay 342 euro/month; students up to 13 pay 491/month (including after school care).
2. Inspiration Day Fees: The school charges for Inspiration Day experiences: 75 euro per person for companies or education professionals, 50 euro per person for students under 27 or those starting democratic schools. Group rates available (300 euro for up to 5 people, 600 euro for 6-10 people).
3. After School Care (BSO): After school care services for students up to 13 years old, averaging 40 hours/month at 7.50 euro/hour. Parents can apply for government child care allowance (kinderopvangtoeslag) within 3 months of registration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Democratische school De Ruimte Soest is a private nonprofit primary and secondary school operating under democratic and sociocratic principles, where children aged 2-22 determine their own learning activities and participate equally in school governance. The school also provides after-school care (BSO/buitenschoolse opvang) for younger children and runs Inspiration Day programs that allow prospective families to experience the school's approach before enrolling.

Product overview

Democratische school De Ruimte is a private democratic school in Soest, Netherlands, offering comprehensive educational services for children and young people aged 2-22. The school operates without a predetermined curriculum, allowing students to learn through intrinsic motivation and self-directed learning. Core educational offerings include Basisschool (Primary Education) and Voortgezet Onderwijs (Secondary Education) under one roof, a Peutergroep (Toddler Group) for early childhood, and BSO/KDV (After School Care and Child Day Care). The school also offers optional Staatsexamen (State Exam Program) for students seeking official diplomas through DUO. Supplementary programs include Inspiratiedag (Inspiration Days) for external visitors interested in democratic education, and the school has published books including 'Van verveling tot vervulling' and 'Je moet het wel durven'. The school hosts the annual International Democratic Summer Camp and EUDEC conferences, connecting with the broader international democratic education network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Primary Education (basisonderwijs) Self-directed primary education for children, delivered under democratic and sociocratic principles within a mixed-age learning environment at the Soest campus.
• Secondary Education (voortgezet onderwijs) Self-directed secondary education for adolescents, continuing the democratic and sociocratic model with monthly tuition of €342 for students aged 13+.
• After-School Care (BSO / buitenschoolse opvang) After-school childcare (buitenschoolse opvang) integrated with the school's program for children under 13, bundled into the standard monthly tuition.
• Inspiration Day (Inspiratie Dag) Paid trial-day programs for prospective families to experience the school's democratic education approach before committing to enrollment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students successfully transition to further education and careers - documented alumni include Julian winning Belgian Game Awards 2025 as a game designer, Jasper studying ICT Software Development, and Jasmijn admitted to Pact+ theater school
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Oasis Movement (India)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2024Indian organization focused on 'character education' and democratic education approaches. Staff members Dorianne and Ruud participated in a 10-day L3 Course (Living, Loving, Learning) workshop in Vadodara, Gujarat. The collaboration explores integrating character education with democratic education methodologies.
• IDEC (International Democratic Education Conference)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023International democratic education conference network. De Ruimte staff and students participated in IDEC Nepal 2023, presenting on sociocracy, non-formal education, and the Consentspel. Staff members Ruud, Dorianne, Christine, Jet, and Katie represented the school at this international event.
• Platform Democratische Scholen (Democratisch Onderwijs Nederland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDe Ruimte is affiliated with the Dutch platform of democratic schools, connecting it with approximately 19 other democratic schools in the Netherlands including Aventurijn, Avonturis, De Tijd en Ruimte, De Vallei, De Vrije Ruimte, DOE, and others. The platform provides networking, shared resources, and collective advocacy for democratic education in the Netherlands.
• EUDEC (European Democratic Education Conference)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean platform connecting democratic schools across approximately 70 schools in Europe. De Ruimte hosted EUDEC 2024 conference with nearly 250 participants from across Europe. Active participation in annual conferences and collaborative initiatives.
• EUDEC (European network of democratic schools)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnected to approximately 70 democratic schools across Europe including Summerhill (England), Sands School (England), Sudbury School (Belgium), Kapriole (Germany), and Donum Felix (Czech Republic). Provides access to best practices and collaborative opportunities across European democratic education.
• Democratische School Amsterdam (DSA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch democratic school network connection. Staff member Marieke from DSA joined De Ruimte staff at IDEC Nepal 2023, presenting together on sociocracy and democratic education topics.
• Holistic Education School (Taiwan)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDemocratic school in Taiwan where student Jasmijn spent 90 days (September-December 2018) during a student exchange. The schools have ongoing student exchange connections.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Sands School: Democratic school in Ashburton, England, explicitly named in De Ruimte's EUDEC network. Uses sociocratic meetings and self-directed learning for ages 3-17, mirroring De Ruimte's pedagogical model in a UK setting.
• Summerhill School: The original democratic free school in Leiston, England, founded by A.S. Neill. Operates on self-directed learning and one-member-one-vote governance—the foundational model that De Ruimte explicitly belongs to and references via the EUDEC network.
• Kapriole: German democratic school listed in De Ruimte's EUDEC network. Operates a sociocratic/self-directed learning model analogous to De Ruimte, serving as a regional (Germany) peer.
• De Vrije Ruimte: Dutch democratic school named in De Ruimte's own network. Directly comparable self-directed/sociocratic model serving Dutch families seeking alternative education.
• DOE (Democratisch Onderwijs Eindhoven): Dutch Platform Democratische Scholen member offering a comparable democratic education model. Geographic peer in the Netherlands, competing for the same niche parent demographic.
• Sudbury Valley School: Pioneering Sudbury-style democratic school in Framingham, Massachusetts, with no preset curriculum and consent-based governance. Directly comparable methodology and serves the same global democratic-education movement De Ruimte participates in through IDEC.
• Donum Felix: Czech democratic school referenced in De Ruimte's EUDEC network. Comparable sociocratic/self-directed pedagogy in a Central European setting; serves as a regional peer within the same international democratic-education movement.
• Avonturis: Another Platform Democratische Scholen affiliate in the Netherlands. Operates a comparable democratic/free-learning model and competes with De Ruimte for the same Dutch parent segment.
• Aventurijn (Democratische School Aventurijn): Dutch democratic school in De Bilt, explicitly listed as a Platform Democratische Scholen affiliate alongside De Ruimte. Directly competes for the same Dutch families seeking alternative K-12 education in the Utrecht region.

Others

• Platform Democratische Scholen: Dutch umbrella organization for ~19 democratic schools including De Ruimte. Acts as an industry association/ecosystem coordinator rather than a competitor, but materially shapes the addressable market and shared advocacy agenda for De Ruimte.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DeRuimteSoest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/democratischeschool-de-ruimte

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Democratische school De Ruimte