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Looking for special needs school in / near Brussels

6 replies

Pfaffingabout · 04/03/2012 11:32

My daughter is 11 and has been going to a French-speaking type 8 school (dyslexia, dyscalculia etc) for 3 ½ years. For the first 2 years, she made good progress. Then we had a shock at the end of the 3rd year / start of the 4th year when we were told that she had not been progressing - despite not having had any inkling of this during the year. In the first term of this school year, we had a very depressing meeting with her teachers when it became obvious that they think they cannot teach her due to her attention issues, and that it is our responsibility as parents to sort this out. I was astonished that a special needs school thought this way (and angry that I had to arrange a meeting with them to find this out - they did not initiate this)!

We have since found a neuro-psy to help with the attention and a tutor for maths. She could stay at this school for another year and we could also apply for a further year's extension. However, I have become disillusioned with the school. I think they have given up on my daughter. She is also now in a class with a number of boys who have discipline problems.

Consequently, I am looking for a school on the east side of Brussels or anywhere out as far as Wavre that takes children who are not expected to pass their CEB and have difficulty learning. As we do not get any financial support for education, ISB is out of the question although we may be able to afford smaller fees.

I would appreciate any recommendations!

OP posts:
natation · 04/03/2012 13:02

Sorry I don't know any other children in a type 8 school.

Have you looked at people looking for similar help in French? Here's an interesting thread which contains a link to a French dyslexia association.
www.enseignons.be/forum/type-8-f223/topic20801.html

Have you looked at Ecole Ste Bernadette in Auderghem? You could ask where their children transfer to for secondaire?
www.ecole-sainte-bernadette.be/

The first thought for a secondaire which would welcome your daughter is Décroly in Uccle. It is accessible by tram from Mérode or a more complicated tram and bus combination. There is a différenciée class there. The school is way over subscribed for secondaire Commune classes, but a mum who tried to get her children in there last year said it could offer a place in the différenciée class called 1S.

A school which our school's directrice said wasn't bad and has a différenciée class on the east side of Brussels is Institut de la Providence - very sad home page on website of victim of drunk driver last weekend, go beyond the page.
www.providence1200.be/

The cheapest secondaire when self-funding in English or English / French are :
BICS - really really the wrong place
WIS in Rhode St Genese, 14.3K, Eng
www.wis.be/
International Montessori Woluwe opposite EEB2, 14.7k, Fr-Eng
www.international-montessori.org/

All those schools are tiny for secondary.

There is a new school hoping to open in September 2012 with 1st secondary and it refers on its website to a possible primary too, initial premises in Kraainem on Tervuren border.
arboretumcollege.be/college/

Pfaffingabout · 04/03/2012 14:15

Thank you natation - I had never even heard of some of these schools!

I looked at Saint Bernadette a few years ago but the director did not want me to come and look at the school by myself - I had to take my daughter with me and sign her up at the same time. I figured that if he didn't have time before dd started there, he was not likely to have much more time afterwards. Consequently, I never went!

We are quite close to the Institut de la Providence so that might be a good option. I need to spend more time reading the french link. Thank you again!

OP posts:
Longtime · 04/03/2012 14:44

I have a friend whose daughter went to St Bernadette. If you want, I can give you her e-mail address so you can ask her about it. She doesn't often have good things to say about Belgian schools though (three dyslexic children, two of them badly).

Pfaffingabout · 04/03/2012 15:38

Yes please, Longtime. Could you PM me or email me directly? Or perhaps give your friend my email address.

OP posts:
natation · 04/03/2012 17:10

I once heard of an internat of a school which accepts children who have additional needs, it's a French Community subsidised school. I am completely guessing it could be this school here called Florette.
www.semflo.be/secondaire.htm

There are 2 completely private schools I know of in Belgium which are not international ones, one is at Incourt so an awful long way away and no internat I think and it's based on Greek and Latin, don't think it would suit your daughter! The other is in Brussels, apparently popular with BICS parents seeking an alternative to the BICS secondary section, no CEB needed but the school is recognised by the French Community, unlike BICS. Here is its website, it's called Lycee Moliere, it might be a bit too traditional....
www.lycee-moliere.org/

Longtime · 05/03/2012 22:04

Have asked her permission to give you her e-mail address. I'll let you know what she says.

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