The Lorentz Casimir Lyceum trains for the final examinations in havo, atheneum and gymnasium. The Higher General Secondary Education (havo) department provides a general education of five years, the diploma of which gives access to higher vocational education or a transfer to vwo 5. The havist is a bright student who prefers to learn through experience and doing things.
The atheneum, together with the gymnasium, forms the Preparatory Science Education (vwo). This is a six-year course, the diploma of which gives access to higher vocational education or university. The vwo student seeks depth of content with which to prepare for a more academic study. In addition to the vwo profile, the gymnasium student chooses to focus on the languages and culture of classical antiquity, which are partly the cradle of our current culture and morality.
Mastering subject knowledge and related skills is an important prerequisite for success in a future study and/or profession. The school therefore strives to offer high-quality subject lessons. However, the ambitions of the Lorentz Casimir Lyceum reach further. In addition to the usual curriculum, we want to make extra challenge possible in the form of various educational programs and activities, where students can excel in specific subject areas. In the quadrennial inspection survey (2018), the school obtained the rating "good" for the realization of the above ambitions. We highlight the most important of those educational programs to this end.
Cambridge Certificate and DELF Scolaire
More and more students want to study abroad or aspire to an international career. Every year, a number of students go abroad after their exams to study at renowned institutions. Enhanced language education therefore occupies an important place at our school. For English, students can follow the Cambridge program, for French DELF Scolaire.
In the first two grades, all students take reinforced English, Cambridge PRE. This includes the predominant use of English in classes. From the third year, in both havo and vwo, talented students are offered the Cambridge program, Cambridge PRO, in preparation for the Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (C1). This is an internationally recognized certificate. Subsequently, students in vwo 5 can prepare for the Certificate of Proficiency in English (C2) whose final level is qualified as 'near-native'.
For French, talented students can participate in the DELF Scolaire B1 or B2 program, which they can complete with an internationally recognized certificate. The level B2 shows that they have completed their French studies at the level that allows them to enter college or university in France or French-speaking countries. Students who choose DELF receive one additional hour of French per week in the fifth and sixth grades.
There is no voluntary fee for this enhanced language instruction. Examination fees for this do result in a mandatory contribution by parent(s)/caregiver(s) upon participation. The costs for these external exams are a one-time fee of approximately 280 euros for and 145 euros for DELF and are paid by the school to the institute that administers the exams.
The Lorentz Casimir Lyceum offers "excellent" students the opportunity to participate in BrainSport, an extra curricular program with guest lectures, practical assignments, field trips and in-depth assignments.
BrainSport Junior's project lessons emphasize enrichment. Students work with the learning line Big History; in groups they investigate the history of the universe and mankind from the Big Bang to the present. This includes subjects that are not part of the standard curriculum such as astronomy, philosophy and psychology. Students are given freedom in choosing their research question and in the way they present their findings. BrainSport Junior classes take place during the school day; selected students therefore miss one or two regular classes each week. Guest lessons and field trips are also organized outside of school.
The program is taught in vwo 1, vwo 2, and vwo 3.
Since 2012, the BrainSport excellence program has existed for above-average interested or talented upper secondary students. In a pre-academic learning environment, students are introduced to applied science, challenging practical assignments and special theories. The program for vwo 4 and vwo 5 consists of guest lectures or workshops by external experts and excursions to research institutes and companies. In vwo 6, the subject matter is mainly deepened. The BrainSport program contributes to the development of research skills, and deepening and broadening of knowledge regarding the (STEM) subjects. The series concludes with a festive gathering and the presentation of certificates. This school year, students in vwo 4 and vwo 5 can choose from a Society or STEM program.
Olympiads are competitions that offer students the opportunity to (further) develop their talents and deepen their knowledge. Students can thus test their knowledge and skills outside the regular curriculum and measure themselves against the best in the country. Since 2012, the Lorentz Casimir Lyceum has carried the Olympic School designation. In the upper school many students participate in various national olympiads in the subjects math, physics, chemistry, biology, geography and Dutch.
The lower school has its own variant of these: the IJSO (International Junior Science Olympiad), the OECD (European Union Science Olympiad), the Physics Olympiad Junior and the Biology Olympiad Junior. In the international Kangaroo math competition and the olympiads, our school regularly achieves a national podium place, after which winning students are also regularly allowed to compete for the top international positions!
From the autumn vacations until the provincial preliminary round of the debate competition Towards the House of Commons (usually February/March), the members of the debate group meet weekly to train themselves in presentation, debating and speaking. From the group, students are selected to represent us in the school debate competition of BNNVARA. Our debate group is very successful and has already won many prestigious competitions, including (twice) the live televised final of the school debate competition On the way to the House of Commons with the winning speech. Throughout the year, so-called "bootcamps" are also offered to the students of the debate club, provided by the DebatUnie.
