Our new resident: Bazalt Group 

“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world” 

At the end of last year, Bazalt Groep became the proud tenant of the 2nd and 3rd floors of The Zone. This makes them one of the largest tenants in The Zone, so it’s high time to find out more. Annemarie Kaptein, director of Bazalt Group, tells more about this great organization. 

Can you tell us about the Bazalt Group?
“Bazalt Group is an educational consultancy. We are one of the largest education expertise centers in the Netherlands. Our experts work throughout the Netherlands for schools in primary, secondary and secondary vocational education, day nurseries, child centers and playgroups. We also provide youth care for municipalities. We have remedial educationalists, psychologists and other educationalists in-house. With the aim of getting the best out of children, young people and education professionals.” 

We also have our own educational publisher, where we publish books for teachers and parents, but also children’s books. 

  

The Bazalt Group is now located in The Zone. Is this your only location?
We are located at two locations. In addition to our office in The Hague, we also have an office in Goes, where the educational publisher is also located. We also work throughout the Netherlands. 

 

Since when have you been a director of Bazalt Groep and why did you make this choice?
I have been performing this position for 5 years now. What drives me is the social relevance and, in particular, equality of opportunity for every child. “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world” Mandela once said. And that is what I fully support. Becoming a director of education consultancy Bazalt Groep was therefore a logical choice for me. 

  

What kind of children come here at Bazalt Groep?
For the project ‘education and support for sick pupils’, we help schools if a pupil is really very ill. We are the link between the student, school and the (academic) hospital. We think along with you about how a sick student can go through and finish school in the best possible way. 

We also help students with ‘Between place and placement’. Every child has the right to receive the best education in the most suitable place. But what happens if a school has done everything it can to offer suitable education and at that moment it does not succeed in that location. Unfortunately, we have waiting lists in education, which means that sometimes a student cannot immediately move on to a suitable place. Between place and placement then ensures that a pupil receives individual education a few times a week, so that he/she is not in danger of dropping out.  

We have various teams, such as team learning impulse where we help children who learn in a different way, for example who have dyslexia or behavioral problems. We also have a youth assistance team, which we do in collaboration with municipalities. The school development team focuses on teachers, schoolteams and school boards. For example, in these times with a huge teacher shortage, how can we use the teachers as best as possible, so that the lessons can continue. We do many different projects. 

What is the reason for this new location in The Zone?
Bazalt Groep was first located in Kijkduin in an old school building. This building was outdated and had to be renovated considerably in order to comply with the new energy-saving measures. The location of The Zone is centrally located and this location is also easily accessible by public transport and therefore also for our colleagues from Zeeland, for example. At Bazalt Groep we work in a hybrid way and both offices are now equipped for this. We also have our own training rooms. We have designed the office light and open, so that there is more transparency and people are more likely to walk in together.  

What do you expect from The Zone and the co-tenants in the building?
The great thing about this location at The Zone is that you can easily have a chat with other people in the restaurant or coffee corner. You meet people here. Ultimately, I also hope for good collaborations.