VSO Het Gentiaan College

What VSO Het Gentiaan College does

VSO Het Gentiaan College is a publicly funded Dutch secondary special education institution (voortgezet speciaal onderwijs) located at Gentiaanstraat 804, Apeldoorn, serving students aged 12-18 whose behavioral and social-emotional development needs preclude placement in mainstream schools. The school operates as part of De Onderwijsspecialisten, a foundation administering 25 schools for students requiring specialized support, and is led by Director Hendrien Zijlstra-Hilbrands. It employs 100+ staff across four educational teams organized by exit direction, maintaining small class sizes of approximately 12 students.

The school delivers seven learning routes spanning Arbeidsgericht onderwijs (labor-oriented education), VMBO (BB, KB, TL), HAVO, VWO onderbouw, LINK-klassen, and MBO Entree-opleiding. Each student receives an individualized Ontwikkelingsperspectiefplan (OPP) outlining expected developmental outcomes and exit profile over a four-year horizon. Curriculum components include Cultuur- en bewegingsonderwijs (cultural and physical education), stagebegeleiding (internship support), and a Special Heroes Sport en Art integration program; in 2024 a LEGO Mindstorms robotics track was added via the NewTechFestival partnership with Sterk Techniek Onderwijs Apeldoorn. Student outcomes for 2023-2024 saw 50.5% progress to MBO, 16.2% to HBO, and 7.2% to regular VSO.

The business model is entirely publicly funded: education is free for students, with revenue derived from Dutch government allocations based on enrollment and special educational needs, supplemented by the ESF+ European Social Fund subsidy. Admission requires a toelaatbaarheidsverklaring issued by regional cooperation association Swv-vo-2505. The school maintains an active regional partnership network including MEE Samen (independent travel training), Onderwijsregio Oost-Nederland (teacher recruitment), and various care and community organizations supporting internships and practical lessons. It received a 'sufficient' rating on all Dutch Education Inspectorate standards following a November 13, 2025 visit.

Name

VSO Het Gentiaan College

Legal name

VSO Het Gentiaan College

Website

https://gentiaancollege.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

VSO Het Gentiaan College is a publicly funded Dutch special secondary school in Apeldoorn, part of De Onderwijsspecialisten foundation, serving students aged 12-18 with behavioral and social-emotional challenges through seven individualized learning routes leading to MBO, HBO, or employment outcomes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Education Online / Virtual Schools & Remote Programs (EDAKAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

School Climate, Culture & Belonging Initiatives (DEI-Aligned) (EDAKAMAM)

Keywords

• Special secondary education
• Behavioral support education
• Vocational education pathways
• Special needs schooling
• Educational support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Apeldoorn

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Publicly Funded Secondary Special Education: Government-funded special secondary education provided under the De Onderwijsspecialisten school board. Education is free for students; funding comes from Dutch government based on student enrollment and special educational needs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

VSO Het Gentiaan College provides publicly funded special secondary education (voortgezet speciaal onderwijs) for students aged 12-18 with behavioral and socio-emotional developmental needs. The school offers multiple learning routes including labor-oriented education, VMBO (BB/KB/TL), HAVO, VWO onderbouw, LINK-classes, and MBO Entree-opleiding, preparing students for follow-up education, employment, or day activities with focus on living, working, leisure, and citizenship skills.

Product overview

VSO Het Gentiaan College is a special secondary education institution offering a comprehensive educational portfolio under the umbrella of De Onderwijsspecialisten. The school provides multiple educational pathways including labor-oriented education (Arbeidsgericht onderwijs), VMBO programs (BB, KB, TL), HAVO, VWO underbouw, LINK-klassen, and MBO Entree-opleiding. Students follow individualized learning routes (Leerroute 3 through 7) leading to different exit profiles including sheltered work, employment, vocational training (MBO), or higher education (HBO). The educational offering is complemented by practical training (stages), cultural and physical education, and comprehensive student support services including development perspective plans. The school operates multiple specialized facilities including two gymnasiums, a fitness room, and a dojo for physical education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Arbeidsgericht onderwijs Labor-oriented education focused on preparing students for employment, including work training centers and skills development for the job market.
• VMBO basisberoepsgerichte leerweg (BB) Foundation vocational secondary education pathway preparing students for practical and applied vocational training.
• VMBO kaderberoepsgerichte leerweg (KB) Intermediate vocational secondary education pathway providing more advanced preparation for specific occupational fields.
• VMBO theoretische leerweg (TL) Theoretical vocational secondary education pathway preparing students for higher vocational education (MBO level 4) or HAVO.
• HAVO Higher General Secondary Education pathway preparing students for higher professional education (HBO).
• VWO onderbouw Pre-university education lower grades preparing students for university entrance.
• LINK-klassen Specialized classes with close collaboration with healthcare providers, designed for students requiring integrated educational and care support.
• MBO Entree-opleiding Entry-level middle vocational education program providing pathways to further vocational training.

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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Onderwijsregio Oost-NederlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2026Regional education partnership organizing annual Openscholendag (Open School Day) with participation from over 120 schools, aimed at attracting more people to work in education.
• Iselinge Hogeschool, Hogeschool Saxion, HAN, Hogeschool KPZ, Hogeschool WindesheimcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2026Five universities of applied sciences collaborating with Onderwijsregio Oost-Nederland to organize the regional Openscholendag open day event, encouraging people to consider careers in education.
• MEE SamencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 November 2025Collaboration on 'MEE op Weg' project helping students learn to travel independently using public transport, bicycle, or wheelchair. The project pairs students with a 'Reismaatje' (travel buddy) who practices one-on-one until independent travel is achieved. Trained volunteers support students with disabilities, autism, or travel anxiety.
• Sterk Techniek Onderwijs Apeldoorn eominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 October 2024Partnership for technical education initiatives including NewTechFestival where students developed LEGO Mindstorms robot tracks. Techlab instructor Levi van Rij provided basic frames for student projects. Project prepares students for a future where technology is increasingly important.
• De OnderwijsspecialistencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization: a foundation operating 25 schools for students requiring specialized educational support. School is part of this larger network providing governance, policy, and shared resources.
• Swv-vo-2505 (Samenwerkingsverband Voortgezet Speciaal Onderwijs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional cooperation association that determines and issues referral statements (toelaatbaarheidsverklaring) required for student admission to special secondary education.
• Special Heroes Sport en ArtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegrated sports and art program within the educational offering. A combination functionary provides physical education and supports students in finding suitable sports activities and associations in their leisure time.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Koninklijke Auris: Dutch foundation providing special education, audiological care and communication support for children with hearing, speech and language difficulties. Comparable as a Dutch publicly funded special education network running multiple schools with individualized learning plans.
• Vitus Zuid: Dutch cluster of special education schools serving students with behavioral, developmental and learning support needs in the southern Netherlands. Comparable as a multi-school publicly funded VSO/SBO provider with individualized educational pathways and regional referral-based admission.
• Kentalis: Dutch foundation providing special education, care and communication support primarily for deaf, hard-of-hearing and language-development-challenged students. Comparable as a publicly funded Dutch special education provider with multiple schools and individualized pathways.
• Bartiméus: Dutch organization offering special education, support and care for children and adults with visual impairment, including complex multiple disabilities. Comparable as a publicly funded Dutch special education provider serving students who cannot thrive in mainstream schools.

Regional players

• De Onderwijsspecialisten: The parent foundation operating 25 schools for students requiring specialized educational support in the Netherlands. It is the umbrella organization of Gentiaan College, sharing governance, policy and resources, and offers a directly comparable multi-school special education model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/onderwijsspec
• Facebookfacebook.com/DeOnderwijsspecialisten
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vso-het-gentiaan-college
• Instagraminstagram.com/gentiaancollege_

Compliance2 records

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 VSO Het Gentiaan College