Vrijeschool De Kleine Johannes

What Vrijeschool De Kleine Johannes does

Vrijeschool De Kleine Johannes is a Rudolf Steiner (anthroposophical) primary school located at Oosterstraat 3 in Deventer, Netherlands, founded in 1977 and housed at its current location since 1986. The school serves approximately 240 students daily across three kindergarten combination classes (children aged 4–6, Dutch groups 1–2) and six lower school classes (groups 3–8). Its core product is the standard vrijeschool (Waldorf) primary education program built on period teaching (periode-onderwijs), with deliberate emphasis on balanced cognitive, social-emotional, artistic, and motor development, supplemented by specialized programs including a children's choir (€5 per session), a coaching group for gifted students (cross-school with De Deventer Leerschool and De Olijfboom), and a learning-to-learn support group.

The school operates with no proprietary technology stack, relying on the Parro platform for parent communication and absence reporting and AcyMailing for weekly newsletter distribution. The business model is government-funded primary education delivered through Stichting Vrijescholen Athena, a foundation of 13 Waldorf schools that manages funding and governance centrally. Supplementary revenue is generated through voluntary parent contributions (Ouderbijdrage) and small fee-based activities. The school runs an event-driven, community-led go-to-market approach: semiannual open house mornings, municipal enrollment coordination, and a parent volunteer ecosystem (MR, class parents, year festival committee) drive its annual intake. The school maintains pedagogical autonomy within the Athena foundation, which handles administrative, HR, and quality assurance functions across the network.

Name

Vrijeschool De Kleine Johannes

Legal name

Vrijeschool De Kleine Johannes

Website

https://vsdekleinejohannes.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vrijeschool De Kleine Johannes is a Waldorf (Steiner) primary school in Deventer, Netherlands, serving approximately 240 students ages 4–12 across kindergarten and grades 1–8, funded by Dutch government allocations and voluntary parent contributions through the Stichting Vrijescholen Athena foundation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Primary Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Other Schools and Instruction (6116)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Waldorf/Steiner K–12 Schools (EDAJABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Waldorf/Steiner Early Childhood Programs (EDACADAC)

Keywords

• Waldorf education
• Primary education
• Steiner pedagogy
• Anthroposophical education
• Free school education

Headquarters

HQ city

Deventer

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government-Funded Education: Primary funding comes from Dutch government education funding. School is part of Stichting Vrijescholen Athena foundation which manages funding.
2. Voluntary Parent Contribution (Ouderbijdrage): Voluntary parent contribution collected to fund additional activities and materials. Amount is not publicly disclosed. Collected centrally through Stichting Vrijescholen Athena.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Vrijeschool De Kleine Johannes is a private Rudolf Steiner (anthroposophical) primary school in Deventer, Netherlands, providing Waldorf education to approximately 240 students daily across three kindergarten combination classes (ages 4-6) and six lower school classes (groups 3-8). The curriculum delivers balanced development in cognitive, social-emotional, artistic, and motor domains using period teaching methodology, supplemented by a children's choir and specialized learning support programs.

Product overview

Vrijeschool De Kleine Johannes is a Rudolf Steiner (anthroposophical) primary school offering a unified educational program based on holistic child development. The core offering is Vrijeschool Onderwijs, supported by specialized programs including Kinderkoor (children's choir), Coaching Groep (gifted education), and Leren-Leren Groep (learning skills support). The school employs Periode Onderwijs as its distinctive pedagogical method. Communication with parents is managed through Parro platform, with AcyMailing for newsletters. The school serves approximately 240 students across three kindergarten classes and six lower school classes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vrijeschool Onderwijs (Free School Education) Anthroposophical (Rudolf Steiner-based) primary education program serving approximately 240 students daily across three kindergarten combination classes (ages 4-6, groups 1-2) and six lower school classes (groups 3-8). Curriculum emphasizes balanced development in cognitive, social-emotional, and artistic areas alongside language and arithmetic skills, with period teaching as core methodology.
• Kinderkoor (Children's Choir) Music program for children in classes 1-6, rehearsing on Friday afternoons from 14:45 to 16:00. Children learn singing, voice play, and work toward performances including stories with songs and other musical presentations. Participation fee of €5 per session.
• Coaching Groep (Coaching Group) Enrichment class for gifted students from classes 3-5, organized in collaboration with two partner schools (De Deventer Leerschool and De Olijfboom). Students work on learning skills, collaboration, and challenge with specialist teachers.
• Leren-Leren Groep (Learning to Learn Group) Small group instruction for students who need additional support with learning skills, different learning approaches, and collaboration. Run by a specialist teacher to help students develop effective learning strategies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20-45% of students transition to regular secondary education annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Stichting Vrijescholen AthenacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Parent foundation managing 13 Waldorf schools across the Netherlands (Almelo, Apeldoorn, Harderwijk, Arnhem, Brummen, Deventer, Doetinchem, Emmen, Enschede, Leeuwarden, Groningen, Meppel, Oldenzaal, Winterswijk). Formed January 1, 2005 through merger of school boards. Each school retains autonomy in pedagogical-didactical matters while sharing governance, staff support, and quality assurance.
• Christoforus KinderopvangcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChildcare organization provides childcare, toddler care, and out-of-school care (BSO) at the school location. Children from this childcare receive priority enrollment at the school. Located on-site in dedicated facilities.
• Sine LimiteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative partnership with all primary and special education schools in Deventer. Participates in joint educational support initiatives and student referral network for children needing specialized support.
• BVS Schooladvies (Begeleidingsdienst Vrijescholen)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEducational consulting service for Waldorf schools providing pedagogical guidance, teacher training support, and school development facilitation. Supports period teaching and educational quality improvement initiatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• Rudolf Steiner School New York: One of the original Waldorf/Steiner schools founded in the US, sharing the same anthroposophical curriculum foundation; a comparable international counterpart that does not compete in the Dutch market but illustrates the global Waldorf operating model.

Emerging players

• Montessori Nederland: National umbrella for Dutch Montessori primary schools, the largest alternative-pedagogy competitor to Waldorf education in the Netherlands; comparable target market (parents seeking non-mainstream primary education) but different pedagogical model.

Direct peers

• Vrijeschool Apeldoorn: Sister Waldorf/Steiner primary school within Stichting Vrijescholen Athena, serving Apeldoorn with the same anthroposophical pedagogy and government-funding model; the most directly comparable entity to De Kleine Johannes.
• Vrijeschool Almelo: Another Athena-network Waldorf primary school in Almelo, operating with identical curriculum structure (periode-onderwijs, kindergarten combination classes, lower school classes) and serving a comparable regional Dutch community.
• Vrijeschool Arnhem: Athena-network Waldorf primary school in Arnhem offering the same Steiner-based primary education to children from kindergarten through group 8; comparable in size, funding model and pedagogical approach.
• Vrijeschool Enschede: Waldorf primary school within the Athena network serving Enschede and eastern Netherlands; comparable in pedagogical framework, staffing model and Dutch government funding mechanism.

Others

• Nederlandse Vereniging van Vrije Scholen: National association representing the interests of Dutch Waldorf/Steiner schools; comparable only as an industry body but adjacent to the regulatory and policy ecosystem in which De Kleine Johannes operates.
• BVS Schooladvies (Begeleidingsdienst Vrijescholen): Waldorf-specific educational consultancy providing pedagogical guidance, teacher training support, and school development services to Dutch vrijescholen including De Kleine Johannes; an industry-enabling service provider.
• Christoforus Kinderopvang: On-site childcare partner providing daycare, toddler care and after-school care (BSO) at De Kleine Johannes's Deventer location with priority enrolment into the school; an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Stichting Vrijescholen Athena: The parent foundation governing 13–15 Waldorf schools across the Netherlands; provides shared governance, staff support, and quality assurance to De Kleine Johannes and its sister schools, and is the umbrella organisation of which the subject company is a member.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vrijeschool-de-kleine-johannes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Vrijeschool De Kleine Johannes