de PI-scholen

What de PI-scholen does

de PI-Scholen (legal entity: Stichting Levvel PI-scholen) is a Dutch non-profit foundation operating five cluster 4 special education schools across Amsterdam (Professor Waterink Zuid, Noord, and West), Duivendrecht (De Pionier), and Hoofddorp (De Ster). Founded in 1931 (originally as BASCULE and rebranded in 2021), the organization serves children with learning, personality development, social-emotional, contact, and/or cognitive difficulties who require more support than standard special education can provide, with a maximum of 12 children per class.

The schools operate on a five-pillar pedological model integrating education, treatment, diagnostics, research, and knowledge sharing. Core differentiators include the Beter pASSend klassen for children requiring smaller, more intensive settings (including returning home-school refusers), the embedded Specialistische Jeugdhulp in het Speciaal Onderwijs (SJSO) model that places youth social workers, family coaches, and child psychiatrists directly in the school team without requiring a separate referral, and the RobotWise social robot program for transition support. Additional programs include PABO Zij-instroomroute Speciaal (Basis)onderwijs career-changer teacher training with HvA and a Co-teach PO-SO initiative with Stichting Openbaar Onderwijs aan de Amstel and ASKO Scholen.

The organization is wholly owned by Stichting Levvel, specialists for youth and family, and operates under Dutch government cluster 4 funding with admissions requiring a toelaatbaarheidsverklaring (admission certificate) issued by referral committees. Approximately 60% of students come from Amsterdam, with the remainder from Duivendrecht, Almere, Hoofddorp, and Het Gooi. The organization has 55 employees and is led by Algemeen directeur Sander Jacobs (appointed 2021), with a Supervisory Board (Raad van Toezicht) providing governance oversight.

Name

de PI-scholen

Legal name

Stichting Levvel PI-scholen

Website

https://pi-scholen.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1931

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

de PI-Scholen is a Dutch non-profit foundation operating five cluster 4 special education schools in Amsterdam, Duivendrecht, and Hoofddorp for children with learning, developmental, and social-emotional difficulties, integrating education, embedded youth care, and research under Stichting Levvel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized Programs & Classrooms (Autism, Emotional/Behavioral, Intellectual/Developmental, Multi-Disability) (EDAJAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

School-Based Mental & Behavioral Health Services (EDAJAIAB)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Cluster 4 education
• Youth healthcare integration
• Pedagogical institute schools
• Special needs primary education

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-funded special education (Cluster 4): As cluster 4 special education institutions in the Netherlands, the PI-scholen are publicly funded through government education budgets. Children attend with a 'toelaatbaarheidsverklaring' (admission certificate, cluster 4) issued by a referral committee. The schools operate under the Stichting Levvel PI-scholen legal entity.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

De PI-Scholen operates a network of five cluster 4 special education schools in the greater Amsterdam region (Amsterdam Zuid/Noord/West, Duivendrecht, Hoofddorp) for children with learning, personality development, social-emotional, contactual, and/or cognitive difficulties. Each school integrates education with embedded youth healthcare (SJSO) delivered by Levvel-affiliated youth social workers, family coaches, and child/youth psychiatrists, operating under five pillars: onderwijs, behandeling, diagnostiek, onderzoek, and kennisdeling.

Product overview

De PI-Scholen is a network of five special education schools (cluster 4) in the Amsterdam area, providing education for children with learning difficulties, developmental problems, and social-emotional challenges. Each school is connected to a pedological institute and operates on five pillars: education, treatment, diagnostics, research, and knowledge sharing. The schools integrate specialized youth care (SJSO) directly into the school setting, eliminating the need for separate referrals. Additional programs include Beter pASSend classes for children requiring more intensive support, RobotWise robotics programs, PABO teacher training pathways, and co-teaching initiatives with partner schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Beter pASSend klas: Specialized classroom program for children requiring more than standard special education, offering smaller groups, understanding, and focus on abilities rather than limitations
• BASCULE (formerly)

Products and services

• PI-school Professor Waterink Zuid A cluster 4 special education school in Amsterdam-Zuid for children with learning, developmental, and social-emotional difficulties, providing tailored education integrated with treatment and youth care support. Located at Amsteldijk 196, 1079 LK Amsterdam.
• PI-school Professor Waterink Noord A cluster 4 special education school in Amsterdam-Noord for children with learning, developmental, and social-emotional difficulties, offering personalized education and treatment programs. Located at Kopjachtplein 19, 1034 JG Amsterdam.
• PI-school Professor Waterink West A cluster 4 special education school in Amsterdam-West providing specialized education and care for children with complex learning and behavioral needs. Located at Jan de Louterstraat 21, 1063 KX Amsterdam.
• PI-school De Pionier A cluster 4 special education school in Duivendrecht for children with learning difficulties, contact-making problems, or personal development challenges, offering education integrated with treatment. Located at Rijksstraatweg 145, 1115 AP Duivendrecht.
• PI-school De Ster A cluster 4 special education school in Hoofddorp providing specialized education for children with learning, developmental, and social-emotional difficulties, with integrated care support. Located at Dussenstraat 32, 2134 DL Hoofddorp.
• Beter pASSend klas (Beter pASSend Class) A specialized classroom model for children who cannot function in regular special education settings, offering smaller groups (max 12 per class), deeper understanding of issues, and a focus on learning possibilities rather than impossibilities. Home-school refusers (thuiszitters) have returned to school through this program.
• Specialistische Jeugdhulp in het Speciaal Onderwijs (SJSO) Specialized youth care services embedded within the PI-schools, providing children and parents with access to youth social workers, family coaches, and child/youth psychiatrists without requiring a separate referral. Available at all PI-school locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Children who were home-school refusers return to school and engage in learning
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Stichting Openbaar Onderwijs aan de AmstelminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Together with Stichting Openbaar Onderwijs aan de Amstel and ASKO Scholen, the PI-scholen lead a co-teaching project that trains teachers to become co-teachers for both regular and special education settings. The project continued in the 2023-2024 school year and expanded to more schools.
• ASKO ScholenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023ASKO Scholen partners with the PI-scholen and Stichting Openbaar Onderwijs aan de Amstel in the co-teaching project that trains teachers as co-teachers for both regular and special education. Continued in the 2023-2024 school year with expansion to additional schools.
• LevvelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLevvel is the parent organization of the PI-scholen, acting as specialists for youth and family. Levvel provides embedded youth social workers, family coaches, and child/youth psychiatrists who are part of the school team at all PI-school locations. This enables short lines between parents, school, and care providers, allowing each child to receive tailored education and care.
• MOC 't KabouterhuiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOC 't Kabouterhuis is a specialized youth healthcare institution that works intensively alongside other care organizations at all PI-school locations, providing integrated specialist youth help within special education (SJSO).
• PI ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPI Research collaborates with the PI-scholen on the further professionalization of teams, contributing to research and evidence-based practice in specialized education.
• RobotWiseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe PI-scholen received a subsidy from the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science to collaborate with RobotWise, which provides interactive educational programs with social robots. These programs support 8th graders in making a smoother transition to secondary education, with a focus on motivation, teamwork, problem-solving, and creativity.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Pactum Jeugdzorg: Dutch youth care and education organization operating specialized group homes and schooling for vulnerable youth; comparable in combining educational and clinical care for children with complex behavioral needs.

Broad incumbents

• 's Heeren Loo: Large Dutch care provider for people with intellectual disabilities offering some specialized education and day programs; comparable in integrating care and learning but operating at much broader scale.

Direct peers

• Kentalis: National Dutch organization providing special education and care for children with hearing, language and developmental needs; comparable as a scaled cluster-style special education operator integrating diagnostics, treatment and education.
• Levvel: Parent organization of PI-Scholen and specialist youth/family care provider; comparable in offering integrated youth mental health and educational support to children with behavioral needs.
• Stichting Orion: Amsterdam-area special education school group; CEO Sander Jacobs was previously a director at Orion, indicating directly comparable cluster-style special education operations serving similar student populations in the same metro.
• Kolom: Dutch special education organization where current PI-Scholen CEO Sander Jacobs previously served as director; operates comparable cluster special education programs and youth support services.
• MOC 't Kabouterhuis: Specialized Amsterdam youth mental healthcare provider embedded in every PI-school location via the SJSO program; directly comparable as a partner delivering integrated youth care within school settings.

Regional players

• Stichting De Haagse Scholen: Large The Hague-region school foundation offering a spectrum of mainstream and special education comparable in multi-campus cluster structure to PI-Scholen, though operating in a different geography.
• ASKO Scholen: Large Amsterdam-region primary education foundation partnering with PI-Scholen on the co-teach PO-SO initiative; comparable as a regional school operator with growing special-education integration, though mainstream-focused.
• Stichting Openbaar Onderwijs aan de Amstel: Amsterdam public education foundation co-developing the co-teaching program with PI-Scholen; a regional incumbent now actively building special-education capability comparable to PI-Scholen's niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pi-scholen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about de PI-scholen