Choosing a school in Brussels

[bontheka]

I'm new to Mumsnet but hoping I will get some good answers to my questions.

I'm a mother of 2 young kids and we're currently residing in Hong Kong. We will be moving to Brussels in June for a 3 year spell. Husband will be working at the NATO office.

My children will be 5 and 3 respectively at the start of the autumn school session. The office has recommended the following schools to us - BSB, BJAB, BISB.

At the moment, we do not know yet where we're going to live. Apparently, there's a house belonging to the office available in the Tervuren area but they can't tell us till June if they will let us move into it. I've looked up the schools on the internet, and I realise that BSB is in the Tervuren area, BISB is nearest to NATO, and BJAB is well...somewhere. The office will pay the full school fees for Year 1 onwards but we'll have to contribute an amount towards the kindergarten fees. We have a friend who moved to Brussels a couple of years back and enrolled her then 5 year old into BJAB, and is extremely pleased with the school. I realise that BISB is a nice, little school as well with small classes, not to mention that it will be near the NATO office while BSB has great facilities and is well-established, so I'm having a hard time trying to pick one. Actually, hubby has said that he'd like to put down an application for BSB as well as one of the smaller schools to reserve a spot, and then pick one when we get there.

If there's anyone out there with young kids in either BSB, BJAB or BISB, please give me the pros and cons of the schools. Also, what would be the nearest, affordable residential area to the NATO office?

Thanks in advance.

Anna don't be patronising.

I do understand that I slightly misinterpreted you anyway -- you were not saying they lift performance, just that there is no problem with it.

We looked at a house in the "golden triangle". A beautiful art deco villa with a huge garden. Inside it was all mould, mouse droppings - and one plug socket per room! I would have loved to have bought it and done it up, but as rental is was a big no no sadly.

One thing I have noticed with the belgian rental market, is that the locals prefer new builds. If they inherit say, granny's house, they will rent it out, often without doing any updating at all. Nicely painted but with ancient bathrooms and kitchens. And no plug sockets.

There are a few "period properties" to be found that have been completed overhauled. They tend to be pricey though. We have actually rented a brand new house, a bit out of the area we would have preferred.

I'm not being patronising - there are some incredibly intelligent people working in the EU, with brains quite unlike the sort of brain you find in international business. But they are anonymous, and caught up in a large, unwieldy machine - so it isn't very apparent to the outside world (and may not be very useful anyway). But they do - some of them - have very bright children!

I love those old Brussels maisons de maître . But, as you say, Belgians would rather build their own house.

They don't seem to mind tarmacing over their country so that everyone can have their own plot to build on. Nor do they seem to mind that their architectural patrimoine is going to go to seed. Both these things are anathema to the British...

Anna

Good warning from Porto ..landlord responsibilities not the same as in the UK. If a house is more affordable in a good area there will probably be a reason, and it won't get better after you move in.

Good point about the Landlord's responsibilities! You are VERY protected as a tenant here. Standard leases are 3-6-9 years. So you lease for 9 years, and if you move within the first 3 you pay a penalty. We moved from our apartment after 2 years as we were desperate for a garden. We had to pay 1 month's rent as a penalty and 2/3rds of the redecorating charge. On the upside, once you're in, they can only give you notice to quit (6 months I think) if they, or a member of their immediate family want to live there themselves. (Both our properties were owned by companies....)

You have put up a surety of 2 months rent in a secured account. The bank will do this for you (if you prefer not to lock your own cash away) and you pay a annual fee for the priviledge. Sometimes companies will offer this as part of the relocation.

We had a relocator take us round a number of properties. We said we wanted outside space, at least 3 beds, near nurseries/schools and commutable to Brussels by public transport. Most of what we saw was OKish, but the decent houses were in the middle of nowhere, the good locations offered dated, sometimes horrid houses. It really is a question of having a generous budget to tick ALL the boxes. We settled on a new build apartment not far from Nato as it met all criteria apart from a garden, and there was a park/playground immediately behind.

And here the rule is that you leave the place exactly as you find it. There are no light fittings, no curtain poles etc. You buy and install your own, and when you move you have to take them down and fill in the holes! Total madness!

And DON'T DON'T DON'T take a place with wooden floors. There is NO fair wear and tear allowance. None at all. So normal floor scrapes you will end up paying for the landlord to have a nice new floor put down when you leave out of your deposit. Some demand that marble windowsills be reground -- I'm not joking. If you can move in with slightly worn decor it will be better for your pocket in the end!

One place we looked at in W-S-P looked fab in the pictures. Location was great. We were really excited. When we got inside, the beautiful parquet floor in the living room and all the carpets were GONE. I could even vaguely get over the carpets, but how do you just take up a wooden floor?

stuffit You are so right! Everywhere has wooden floors though! When we left the apartment, there were all sort of holes and marks in ours! We spent two evenings oiling and polishing ours. When the surveyor came the sun reflected off the gleaming surface and he never spotted a thing!

He said that the walls were "dirty" though - in a disparaging tone. Try living in a lovely brand new, magnolia painted apartment for 2 years with a small child. Of COURSE it won't look the same.

I think we need to stay in our white painted house for the full 9 years so we don't have to redecorate/pay for painting, cos counting loos and hallways there are 13 rooms! I don't think we can AFFORD to leave

Anna, thanks for the link to the report, it´s quite a weighty one ; ) Are you most familiar with the Brussels ES?

No, I'm most familiar with Luxembourg. But historically Brussels and Luxembourg European Schools were a similar demographic and had similar sorts of results/student outcomes. Some of the smaller schools are rather different (and less academic).

How are you doing with your search? Just registered today. I moved to Brussels from London last august. I live in Ixelles near le Chatelain. It's great! We are just down the road from La Cambre (beautiful woods), 10mn drive from the forest and very close to central Brussels.
If you have not find a place yet, check out Ixelles and Uccle (around Place Brugmann), there are plenty of Art Deco style houses and flats.
My kids are joining the Lycee Francais from september, but are currently attending a local belgium school, where they are very happy. Some of my kids friends are attending BEPS, you should have look!
Best of luck
M

Arrived last month. Currently in transit flat in WSL. Not having much luck with property search in Tervuren. My biggest problem is I don't drive! The embassy has many rules and regulations, strict space and rent ceilings, so it's a bit frustrating trying to find something that ticks all the boxes. There is one property we were keen on until I found out that the school bus doesn't pass that way. It's actually not far from the school, about 1km away, but with 2 boys with different school times, I would have to make 3 round trips to the school. The embassy is going to check out the property next week and see if it passes their standards. I'm now just thinking, if it's meant to be, it's meant to be and I'll have to figure out if there's an easier way of getting the boys to school. If not, we'll have to resume our search and widen it to properties around Wezembeek-Oppem and Kraainem.

My oldest has already done kindergarten and reception in our previous posting, but because he's a September baby, BSB want him to go back into Reception. They've said they will create a special program for him so he's not bored, but we're thinking wouldn't it just be easier to put him into Year 1, which is the class we thought he was going into, until last month, when we went to check out the school and they suddenly noted his DOB.

Those are my 2 big concerns at the moment. I thought arriving in June would give us plenty of time to find a property and settle down before school starts, but now I'm not so sure anymore.

Hi Bontheka
If you are still looking for a house. The sister of my friend is a relocation agent. I can give you her mobile number.

Have you found the place, It is bit difficult to find a place. I was doing [url=www.epa-internships.org/programs/brussels]study abroad Brussels[/url]

We are moving to brussels in july and would like to know some good public french schools in evere.
My son is 8 years old and will be going to 3year primary school.
All english schools are expensive and the only option for us is international school in leuven which will be very far for my hubbys office which is in harmeslaan diegem.
At present he is staying alone in evere and is very comfortable for him for shopping and commuting.
Please suggest.

Adiaru start your own thread - this one is very old and no one will reply.