Brussels - Buy - Schools/Maternelle

[LeosMamma]

This is probably going to be a bit rambly - I’m thinking as I type. Very grateful for any advice...

We are looking to buy in Brussels and need a bit of advice on where to buy plus, you guessed it, schools. :) Our son will probably go straight to maternelle at 2.5 (which is a long time off), as both I and hubby can and will take long parental leave. But since we want to buy sooner, we’d like to consider maternelle and schools.

We currently live in Ixelles and both of us walk to work - Schuman/Arts-Loi and Porte de Namur. We really like it here, but I understand schools are a nightmare? We would really like a good local maternelle (with option of school in future) and ideally one where the kids spend some time outdoors at least most days. Organic food, kind teachers, some kind of equality/diversity think - am I being too picky?

We’ll prob be entitled to European schools, but neither of us are sure that’s the way to go. Views welcome, but they seem huge and the allocation/location issue difficult to square with wanting an easy life logistically. lHowever, my French is merde and hubby’s is even merdier. So we’d either need to get our act together and learn French (unlikely) or find a maternelle/school which is used to expats.

So, in a really roundabout way, I guess I’m asking where we should be looking to buy! Hoping you’ll have insights on maternelles/schools and then we’d adjust where to live from that. As I said, we’re pribably OK time wise, as DS starting maternelle is more than 1 year off.

Surely where you buy is going to depend on your income and if you're entitled to EEBS, then you have a considerably higher than average income.

Start by visiting banks and mortgage brokers, then once you've found out how much you can afford, start looking on immoweb and work out where you can live.

Ixelles in only a nightmare for schools if you don't apply early enough.

Unless you choose a maternelle in a very old building in the middle of Brussels where outdoor space is limited, your child will be forced outside for at least 2 hours per day, out of 7 hours of maternelle.

Good is subjective so I definitely would not recommend chasing any maternelle anyone tells you is good.

How long are you planning to stay? I think you need to be here long term to mitigate the costs of buying. We've been here 13 years and always rented. For the past 6 years we could have bought, but would have lost too much when we sold.

If you want to join our Benelux mumsnetter FB group where you may get more opinions, pm me.