Help! Anyone living in Belgium?

[Titsywoo]

Dh has been headhunted by Google. Massive massive opportunity for him but it means we would have to move to Mons in Belgium. I'm not sure what to do. I have dd 10 who is starting secondary school in a year and ds 8 just going into year 4. We are also in the last couple of months of a big refurb of our new house which is near a great secondary which is why we bought here.

He is having a telephone interview tomorrow where he has to make clear if he will consider relocating. There will be a relocation package and a better salary.

Dh says we would rent this place out (makes me a bit nervous after making it so nice that someone will ruin it all). He says we could just go for a couple of years to get Google on his cv but that means uprooting the kids twice. I have a lot of support here with family and a lot of good friends but it is 2 hours away on the eurostar.

Any advice appreciated as I can't discuss with anyone due to short amount of time involved. Admittedly I don't have to decide 100% now but if I am totally against it I should say now.

My gut says no way but my head says this is too good a career opportunity to pass up on.

Help!

Will schools be paid for in English or would you send them to French school?

Where will you live? South of Brussels/Brabant Wallon is about 45 minutes away where there are French and international schools in English.

Then will rent be covered? Many expats get this free too, but not all.

Then will you be on expat tax?

You would need to think of all these factors.

We moved to Belgium for a few years when we were kids. Some stayed in UK boarding, some went to British school of Brussels. Loved the whole experience.

Only been here a week but search for parents and bct school support in Belgium on Facebook for school questions

I really think going to a French school would be too much for my kids. Ds has special educational needs that are still being assessed and dd gets anxious so needs something familiar. Also if it is possibly just for 2-3 years they need to be able to slot back into the English curriculum. However the British school is mega bucks so it all depends on the package. They are giving us a range of figures by Monday evening.

Not sure where we would live. We assumed in Mons but maybe Brussels would be better.

Will look at bct thanks. How are you finding it littlealien?

Please consider the health of your children if you choose Mons and a school as far away as BSB. I have experience of being in an international school were a small group of children make a journey that long - ie 90 minutes each way starting at 6am and ending at 6pm. These children are so tired and many spend time lying in sick bay.

If anyone has a long commute, for me it should be the person in the family needing the least care and the most able. That does usually mean the working parent(s).

There is International School of Flanders in Rhode St Genese, or St John's in Waterlo, a bit nearer to Mons.

There is also a British primary school on SHAPE campus in Soignies, just outside Mons, plus an American middle and high school too, no British secondary. You might want to enquire if you can pay exceptionally for fees at the British school at SHAPE, as non military.

batchgeo.com/map/2a31361d90c2d9ff7569e087ee44ccd5

www.britishschool-shape.sceschools.com/page_viewer.asp?page=Home&pid=1

I would live near Brussels and get your DH to commute to Mons, for your own sanity, if nothing else.

I think the school at SHAPE is only primary anyway, so wouldn't be any good for your eldest. And look very carefully at the SEN facilities in the schools if your DS is likely to need them. Mine were at BSB years ago, and a friend whose son had HFA had to pay the full cost of support for him, on top of the fees. This was years ago, so things may well have changed.

just butting in, as i have no experience here, but its something ive looked into quite a lot, but fwiw, belgium schools have a MUCH better reputation for SEN than french schools, and I assume that includes french speaking belgian schools

Branleuse, don't hold your breath for SEN help in Belgian schools!!

Branleuse there is very little help for children with SEN in mainstream schools. There is little inclusion and children with SN/SEN are expected to go to a SN school, and not just any SN school, but the one of the right type. Depending on your child's SN, they will get a number from 1-9 and that decides which school is best for them. Eg. 7 is communication disorders, 8 is learning disabilities, 9 is autism. The local SN school may not cater to your child's type of SN.

There has been much publicity about the M-decree which is supposed to encourage children with SN into mainstream education with promised help and support. In reality the cutbacks mean there is even less support this year then last year, and children, like my child, are left with no support whatsoever with sometimes devastating outcomes.