Sorry, Brussels again! Specific questions about British School V European school, plus WHERE to live!!??

[solittletime]

I am really sorry if you have replied to lots of other Brussels threads already, and I realise there are already lots of such threads, however they mostly seem to be about local schools. I'll just give a bit of background before I ask my questions!

We will be in Brussels for about 2 years and for some reason, on the little research I have done, I am not keen on the idea of the European School (is it the same as the International school?). We would be entitled to a place in the European school if we wanted.

My DCs are currently in an international school and doing the PYP curriculum and I'm not mad on it, but it could be mostly related to the school they are in at the moment.

Because we are only there for 2 years I'm thinking it may make life easier if we just move to near the British school (BSB), especially considering that after that we will go back to the UK and DCs will have to continue in the British system.
School fees are paid by employer.

It's our fifth and last posting, and it may sound terrible but I don't feel a strong need to immerse myself in local culture and throw the children in a local school to learn the language. Of course I will make an effort to learn French though, I'm not just going to completely put myself in a bubble - I just want an easy life for a few years. I will also have a toddler in tow.

So, questions below!

If you have personal experience of BSB could you tell me a bit what you think of it? Primary and secondary

Same if you have experience of the European / international school? I see there is more than one? Would you recommend one with both primary and secondary, in a nice area to live as well?

Is it possible to rent an apartment house with 4 bedrooms within walking distance to BSB. Would the area also provide walkable ameneties, shops, restaurants etc.. or is it very suburban and quiet?

Stockel also seems close to BSB, could that be doable with a short trip on public transport? Would it be a bit more lively there?

We would definitely want to live somewhere with a bit of life going on around us! I can't handle suburban areas where there are just rows and rows of houses. But I also don't need city centre buzz, what with having two older children and a toddler.

That's all I think!
Thank you so much!

PS remember that locals would give an arm and a leg to have their children educated at EEBs for free and free buses and free health care etc etc. I would consider as a first option for all the children the EEBs, ACE of Brussels / ISF as a second option for a child over the age of 11, local schools as a second option for under 8s.

Thank you so much for that. You have saved me hours of research on Google!! They would be cominvto Brussels going in to year 6 and year 3. So just older one crossing over in to secondary.

You know UK state boarding can be had for as little as 12k euro per year, that includes most activities and 7 days a week food, that is cheaper than the cheapest English only option in the Brussels / Brabant area. I know 11 is young but I did this for my 16 year old, best decision in his life I've ever made.

EEB would also mean one single campus, whether primary or secondary, would simply require a bit of extra French (I'd choose French) second language for the eldest. Most likely to get Laeken, Uccle is the one I'd want the least, it's really inconvenient if you have to go pick up yourself if you choose to live a good commuting route to the EU area, great if you live near the school of course but then lousy commute to work, whereas Laeken, Ixelles, Woluwe schools, much better for living in eastern and central or northern communes of Brussels for a commute to work and school.

www.politico.eu/article/european-schools-european-problems/

This article really put me off! But I am sure it is just one perspective.

We are going through that typical expat experience of being in a phase of transition.
Every day there is a phone call or something that changes everything. One minute I'm online looking at trevuren, the next I'm looking at state schools in the UK. Argh!!

As a teacher myself I think I way over think my dcs experience of school. If I look at the situation objectively there are not any bad choices really.

I would completely ignore that article. For sure EEBs have their problems, with half the class (shock horror) in EEBS English section on hearsay alone being non mother tongue and Eastern European countries from what I can see taking huge advantage of French and English sections, some of the new EU national governments have refused to fund their own sections and the result is the UK put 2 fingers up to them (why should the UK and France and Belgium subsidise those countries who refuse to pay for their own sections and also refuse to provide funding for their nationals in the French and English sections), but despite this, the schools churn out high standards of education and they often get jobs with mum and dad.

Your children will be there 2 years, they won't graduate from there, you'll know you can walk away from the pressure to learn 3 languages fluently and instead will be able to pick up at least French a bit whilst there. Your children will get facilities you'd have to pay handsomely for in the UK, whilst the Belgian tax payers have built those schools and can only dream of the same facilities for their own children at Belgian public schools. The teachers cannot be all bad, if they are able to produce students who compete with straight A students schooled in other EU countries.

I would reserve opinion by going to see one of the EEBS in person at least and also consider local schooling for the 7 year old and toddler who if you choose the right local school, might actually enjoy trying a different education system and would be able to store in their brains a high level of fluency in French. If you however don't wish to put them through the possible hard time they'll initially have, then send them to English at EEB.

PS Tervuren is a terrible choice of where to live for EEBS, a long way from all of them. Since you won't know till late on next year which EEB you could be allocated if you applied, then I'd be looking instead at the current travel times to the EEBs from various areas, by looking up the current bus timetables. If I was going to jump the gun now for location, I'd be looking close to Montgomery, as you can also get to EEB2/3/4 on public transport fairly easily, as well as travel times will not be too long on school bus, plus also the EU quarter is only 2 stops away by metro if counting exactly from Montgomery. This is quite a built up area though, a more residential area is just a few stops away by metro.