need help in finding good french maternal in woluwe-saint lambert, brussels

[somikadixit]

hello, my DS would be 3 by may 2013, so he can start school from sep 2013, even for the schools that take children from 3 years, currently i live close to schuman, but i plan to move towards woluwe saint lambert commune.

I work in zaventem and my hubby works near noord station, so we need some place with walking distance from the stockel metro line.

the schools that i am looking into are

sacre-coeur lindthout
bonheur
vierge fidele
chapelle-aux-champs
singelijn

are there any other good schools that i should consider, i have no idea of the reputation of the schools which should i give priority, as i want my DS to learn english also with french.

He is already going to a french creche since 1 year, we speak english with him at home. but he is mixing now days both the languages.

Hi there
Where you a pretty good standard of schools in a commune like WSL, you should be fine with your nearest say 3 or 4 schools or look within a 1km radius of where you plan to live.

There are really only 2 or 3 maternelles in WSL which I'd say to really not consider, though I won't say which ones they are publically, leaving 14 or 15 schools to choose from.

You're probably too late for SC de Lindthout as they did enrolments on 1st October and almost definitely they would have been oversubscribed. LVF is 12th October by phone. Singelijn - set aside an extra 1,500 euro per year above the cost of other schools.

PS your son could start school in November or December 2012, if he is 3 in May 2013. School is cheaper than creche, I know 2 1/2 is young for some to start school, if you have a place at 2 1/2, you have a guaranteed place at age 3 in premiere maternelle in September 2013.

Thanks a lot natation for the response,

My actual situation is a bit complicated i will try to explain it to you. Currently my DS goes to a pvt crèche close to sc du lindthout.

As you suggested i can put my DS in maternal from December 2012. I contacted a few schools and have received positive response from colombe de la paix for rue Gérard ( i am meeting with the director tomorrow) and also from Chapelle-aux-Champs in WSL (director has told me that they have a place for dec and i have to call on 16th to make an appointment)

I have no idea of the reputation of Chapelle-aux-Champs, for colombe de la paix the lady in my DS crèche has given quite a negative feedback.

another option that i was considering is get admission in schools which take from 3 years for start from Sep 2013.

I registered with SC de Lindthout on 1st of Oct through postal mail as they stated on there website. i don?t know how long i have to wait to hear from them. SC de lindthout is on my top most priority as i have seen very good reviews from your side in other posts.

I also called in SC de Stockel and the secretory took my DS details and said that she has done un official registration and in starting of Nov she will call me back to make an appointment with the director and then official registration.

other schools that i am considering are for 2013

libre du Bonheur (have to call after 15th Oct for appointment for 2013)
libre Saint-Henri (registration on 16th nov for 2013 )
Vierge Fidèle (have to call on 12th Oct for 2013)
Singelijn (registration starts 5th Nov for 2013)
Sainte-Anne (registration starts 5th Nov for 2013)
Paradis des Enfants (registration starts 7th Jan for 2013)

Do you have idea about Chapelle-aux-Champs and colombe de la paix, is it possible that i start the school in Chapelle-aux-Champs or colombe de la paix from dec but if i receive positive response from SC de lindthout than from next year i move my DS to SC de lindthout.

Can you please tell me about any other good schools that i have not considered in WSL and is there any school which is not good enough to be considered.

My situation is that i am stuck with my apartment near schuman till next Sep, after that i can shift, I prefer WSL or area near merode and would shift according to the school location.

Hi I've answered the schools I wouldn't consider by personal mail so check your inbox.

I would completely ignore any opinions from the creche! Of course they would not want to lose the business would they? I know several children who've gone there, according to them yes a bit run down buildings, but fine as a school.

Given you don't know where you'll live, I'd go for an acceuil place NOW and go for near home so if Colombe de la Paix and Chapelle-aux-Champs are the only schools with places in December 2012, then it's a no brainer to choose Colombe de la Paix. Schuman to Colombe de la Paix is a pretty short journey so I cannot see any reason to go further.

In the mean time, make a decision about where you'd like to live form September 2013, visit schools in the area, shortlist maybe 3 or 4 and apply there. Keep the place at Colombe de la Paix in case you don't move as you hope. Choose closer to moving and DO tell any schools where you are holding places that you are no longer needing them.

For SC de Lindthout, if your child is in any way quite shy, well I would put yourself in the shoes of a 3 year old, with a total maternelle and primaire population of something like 900 children and 3 days a week the children, even the 2 year olds have to line up, the other 2 days mum and dad are allowed inside the classroom, that's not an ideal start to the day for a shy child, for a confident one, no problem at all. Yes SC de Lindthout has a good reputation and from children I know there now, their parents are all reasonably happy with the school. If you're here long term, at the moment choosing a school far from home lowers your chance of a place at a good secondary, choosing a school near to home increases your chances of a place at a good secondary. Priority from primary to secondary ends this year (yipppppeeee) and hopefully from now on all children will get a more equal chance of a place in a good secondary, no matter where thet go for primary. So if you go for SC de Lindthout or any other school which ends up far from home, then it might be better to look closer to home.

Hi,
I'm not an expert on schools but I live very near Colombe de la Paix and visited it with a view to putting my DD there a couple of years ago. Unfortunately I wasn't impressed and decided against it for various reasons (which I'm happy to share with you by PM if you like).
I agree that keeping a place there if you can would help you keep your options open, however.

We live in Zaventem (well Nossegem) and my DH works there and I work next to the Noord Station. (So kind of snap ) My dd is at school in Evere (where we used to live) and it is directly on the route from home to work for me. The Delijn buses pass through every 10 mins to Brussels Noord. She attends L'Aubier which I have always been impressed with. L'Aubier also has a "Pavillion" with 2 classes - Accueil t0 2nd Maternelle - so a bit more cosy that going straight into big school.

My two top options are SC de Lindhout and the college don bosco at chaussee de stockel

mchL73 do you have places in either, they are far apart as schools and also very very different as schools? SC de Lindhout gave out places last year, soon after the enrolment deadline in October 2012, Don Bosco would have done their enrolments a bit later and several weeks if not months ago.