Moving to Brussels

[Fruli]

DH has an interview next month for a two-to-three year assignment in Brussels. If he gets it (which seems likely), he'll certainly take it. I work PT in the UK and could not do my job in Brussels - language being the main barrier. Financially I don't need to work when out there but would (potentially) want to do something. The alternative is if I get pregnant, in which case I suspect I'll be busy enough!

I would look to join him in September-October time, after my current job finishes. We have a DD who will stay with me until we move, when she will have just turned three. She attends nursery three days a week and adores it.

I visited Brussels once for two days several years ago - I really liked it and I'm excited about the idea of moving there, but at the same time I'm just a bit scared! I have a lot to look into and learn about the areas of the city, where to live, what life is like, learning language(s), do I take the car, do I have a baby there (I'm a complex obstetric patient) - where do I start?!

Any advice, pointers etc. will be gratefully received!

How old are your kids? It is much of a muchness really - school places are so sought after, having one in an achievement. If they are still Maternelle/early primary - accept what you can get and revisit when you get here. If they are older, it might need more though.

thought

valebresil, that's the school that CuriousJen and rushingrachel have their ds's in

I spent years in Brussels and taught or did supply in several of the British / International schools so do pm me if you want to chat about any of those. I loved living there.

Don't rule out working if you want to though. It is such an international city that you never know what opportunities might pop up.

I've lived here 29 years and for the most part my three dcs (now aged 25, 23 and 14) have been in the Belgian school system.

I personally don't like the Belgian school system. I find it too rigid, they tend to discourage rather than encourage, it's snobby (Latin gets the thumbs up but art subjects are looked down upon), their reports are only based on their (many) test results and their twice yearly exams. If you don't make the grade, tough, you leave the school or redo the year.

That said, that's a bit immaterial here as your dd will only be three when you come over. If you stay for 2 years I would say it will make little difference whether you choose local or international with the caveat that you know your child's character best (is she shy or outgoing, does she find it easy to fit into new situations?). I know rushingrachel choose an international school for ds1 because she felt that would suit him best. If I think about my own dcs, ds1 and dd would definitely have benefited from being in an international school whereas ds2 was fine.

However, if you stay for three years, please be aware that your dd will have only done three years of maternelle when you return to the UK. They go into primary at the age of six here and it's only at that point that they start to learn to read and write. They advance more quickly than they do in the UK once they are in primary so do catch up but you would find yourself in a situation where your dd is behind her peers. I guess the answer to this is for her to do two years in maternelle and then transfer her to an international school.

I'd just add to Longtime - having no experience of Belgium (yet?) but lots of the UK. I wouldn't worry about your child being behind when you return to the UK. Children I have seen arrive in the UK from other systems (often with no English) have all "caught up" pretty quickly, especially at that age. Most schools at least in big cities/the south east, have experience of children coming from other education systems.

Thank you all again. His interview is tomorrow! If all goes well, by Monday I will be quizzing you all about characteristics of the various areas in and around the city, just how to navigate the schools application system and such. After being in the pipeline for over a year, this may now actually happen! Gulp

Fingers crossed.

He got it! We're coming to Brussels [bit scared face]

Ooh exciting! Remember the FB page - there are more people there to give advice than you would normally find in here.

Thanks Portofino - now it's official I feel I can come along and ask stuff. See you there!