St. John's International School vs The British School of Brussels
St. John's International School and The British School of Brussels are both in Brussels, about 16 km apart. Both schools offer IB programmes. St. John's International School also offers Advanced Placement (AP), and The British School of Brussels also offers British, BTEC Qualification, Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge A Levels. Published annual fees are close, at €14,200 - 45,850 for St. John's International School and €20,100 - 45,550 for The British School of Brussels. Both take pupils from 1 to 18.
IB (DP), British Curriculum, BTEC Qualification, Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A Levels
Pupils
Pupils
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Pupils
1,300
Typical class size
Typical class size
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Typical class size
16
Instruction language
Instruction language
English, French
Instruction language
English, French
Opened
Opened
1964
Opened
1969
Bus service
Bus service
Yes
Bus service
Yes
Essentials
Essentials
Location
Location
Waterloo, Belgium. Founded in 1964 in Waterloo, St. John's is located just 15 minutes south of Brussels in a quiet, tree-lined residential area of Waterloo. Many students live within walking distance, or in the surrounding suburbs of Ohain and Lasne, with easy access to Brussels via the Waterloo highway.
Location
Located in the eastern suburbs of Brussels, Belgium, at Pater Dupierreuxlaan 1, 3080 Tervuren. The campus is state-of-the-art.
Stages
Stages
Kindergarten (Early Years 1–6), Primary School (6–11), Middle School (11–14), High School (16–18); IB Continuum (ages 3–18).
Stages
Primary School (ages 1-11) and Secondary School (ages 11-18).
School type
School type
Private international school; An Inspired School; part of Inspired Education Group; offers boarding at Shannon House.
School type
Not-for-profit international day school.
Pupil nationality mix
Pupil nationality mix
65+ nationalities represented.
Pupil nationality mix
Pupils come from over 70 nationalities; the largest nationality represented is British at about 30%.
Additional learning support
Additional learning support
Learning Support Programme available for students who learn differently; English as an Additional Language support; small-group or in-class support; Speech, Language and Occupational Needs services offered (via freelance staffing).
Additional learning support
EAL and AEN support are provided, including an Inclusion team, Learning Assistants, and Speech and Language Therapists; an Educational Psychologist, counsellors, and nurses are available to support students.
Country affiliation
Country affiliation
Belgium
Country affiliation
United Kingdom (UK) curriculum; British orientation for an international school in Belgium.
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation
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Religious affiliation
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School day structure
School day structure
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School day structure
The school year is divided into three terms: Term 1 runs from late August/early September to mid-December; Term 2 runs from early January to late March or early April; Term 3 runs from late April to late June or early July.
Bus service details
Bus service details
Door-to-door transport with SAM-Drive; 8-seat vans; extensive bus system serving Waterloo and the greater Brussels region; bus monitors for high schoolers; free bus from Waterloo train station at 8:00; also options to reach school by car or bike.
Bus service details
A supervised school bus service operates on many routes across Brussels and surrounding villages for pupils aged four and above. Bus fees are listed on the Fees page. There is no bus service on Wednesday lunchtimes for Lower Primary.
Fees
Fees
Fee details
Fee details
Enrolment and one-time fees - Enrolment (application) fee (new students only): EUR 1,000. - Campus Development Fee (new students only): EUR 700.
Tuition fees (annual and termly) — 2025/26 academic year - Early Years 1 (Day Care): Annual EUR 14,200 — Termly EUR 4,733 (annual ÷ 3). - Early Years 2 (Timbertops): Annual EUR 14,200 — Termly EUR 4,733 (annual ÷ 3). - Early Years 3 (Pre-K1): Annual EUR 19,500 — Termly EUR 6,500 (annual ÷ 3). - Early Years 4 (Pre-K2): Annual EUR 19,500 — Termly EUR 6,500 (annual ÷ 3). - Early Years 5 (Kindergarten): Annual EUR 27,800 — Termly EUR 9,267 (annual ÷ 3). - Grade 1: Annual EUR 36,700 — Termly EUR 12,233 (annual ÷ 3). - Grades 2–5: Annual EUR 37,300 — Termly EUR 12,433 (annual ÷ 3). - Grade 6: Annual EUR 39,800 — Termly EUR 13,267 (annual ÷ 3). - Grades 7–8: Annual EUR 42,200 — Termly EUR 14,067 (annual ÷ 3). - Grade 9: Annual EUR 42,900 — Termly EUR 14,300 (annual ÷ 3). - Grades 10–12: Annual EUR 44,600 — Termly EUR 14,867 (annual ÷ 3). (Note: the school year is organised in three terms; termly figures above are the annual fee divided by three. )
Boarding fees - Weekly boarding (Sunday night to Thursday night): EUR 16,200 per year. Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. - Full boarding (Sunday night to Saturday night): EUR 18,340 per year. Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. - Daily boarding / short-term exchanges: EUR 110 per day. - Refund for early departure during the first semester: 25% of the boarding fee paid (see refund policy below).
Other recurring or optional costs - Lunch / food and supervision (annual / termly / daily as applicable): - Early Years 2 – Early Years 4: Annual EUR 740 — Termly EUR 247 — Daily EUR 4.30. - Early Years 5 – Grade 2: Annual EUR 1,175 — Termly EUR 392 — Daily EUR 6.50. - Grade 3 – Grade 12: Annual EUR 1,550 — Termly EUR 517 — Daily EUR 8.60. - Cub Care (Extended hours) Early Years 1 – Grade 5: EUR 15 (frequency indicated in fee schedule). - Bus service: Round trip EUR 3,630 per year; one-way EUR 2,700 per year. Sibling discount of 10% for the second and each subsequent child using the bus. - Mandatory service / support fees: - Student support (EdTech AI fee) Grade 3–11: EUR 50 per year (mandatory). - EdTech VR fee Grade 7–12: EUR 50 per year (mandatory). - IB Diploma exams and support Grade 12: EUR 1,200 per year (mandatory). - Optional / activity fees: - Performing Arts show participation: EUR 150 per performance (termly). - NECIS tournament participation: EUR 150 per tournament (termly). - AP exams (Grade 10–12): EUR 135 per exam (optional). - Replacement student card: EUR 20 per replacement.
Billing schedule and payment terms - The full Tuition Fee is payable within 30 days of the invoice date. Termly (instalment) payment arrangements may be made with the Business Manager; choosing instalments incurs an annual administrative fee of EUR 750. If paying by instalments, all fees must be paid by 1 April of the current school year. Late payments incur interest and other charges; specific remedies for prolonged arrears are set out in the terms. - The school year is made up of three terms (Autumn, Spring, Summer); fees are charged on an annual basis and may be presented with termly instalments.
Refund and withdrawal policy (summary) - New-student cancellation: if the school is not notified in writing at least three months before the student's start date, a fixed indemnity equal to 10% of the Tuition Fees is due. - Current students withdrawing prior to the start of the new school year must notify the school in writing before 1 June; otherwise a fixed indemnity of 10% of the Tuition Fees applies. - Departure/withdrawal during the school year: - Notice received on or before October 15 of the school year: reimbursement of 25% of the annual Tuition Fee. - Notice received after October 15 (during or by the end of the first term): no reimbursement of the annual Tuition Fee. - Departure during the second semester: no reimbursement of the annual Tuition Fee. - Boarding-specific refund: early departure during the first semester entitles the payer to 25% refund of the boarding fee paid. - General statement in the terms: absent exceptional cases specified above, fees (including Tuition Fees) are treated as non-refundable; additional contractual provisions detail exceptions and indemnities.
Accepted payment methods and practical payment notes - Invoices can be paid via bank transfer; the invoice provides bank details. For payment plans the school uses Direct Debit / SEPA in specific cases; parents must provide bank details for SEPA. An administrative fee applies to instalment arrangements (EUR 750 per year). Overdue invoices incur interest (1% per month) and reminder costs (EUR 15 per reminder). Credit-card payment is not listed as a standard option in the school's fee documentation.
Other practical fee notes - All fees are expressed and payable in euros. Prices are reviewed annually. Additional services (bus, lunch, extra-curricular trips, private music lessons, therapy, tutoring, etc.) are invoiced separately and are not included in the Tuition Fee. Sibling discounts for the bus service and other specific discounts may apply where stated in the fee schedule. VAT and applicable taxes are included in the published figures.
Fee details
Application fees - Main school application fee (Kindergarten/ECC – Year 13): Payable once per child: €750. - Early Childhood Centre (ECC) application fee: Payable once per child: €750. - Note: the school's online payment form shows an alternative published breakdown for application payments (Main school: €1,000 for first child and €500 for each subsequent child; ECC: €250 for first child and €125 for each subsequent child). The school's online application payment form accepts credit-card payment.
Tuition fees by year group (annual and per-term amounts) - Kindergarten: Annual fee €20,100. Per-term (calculated by dividing the published annual fee by three): €6,700.00. - Reception, Years 1–2: Annual fee €35,600. Per-term (calculated): €11,866.67. - Years 3–6: Annual fee €37,400. Per-term (calculated): €12,466.67. - Years 7–9: Annual fee €44,400. Per-term (calculated): €14,800.00. - Years 10–13: Annual fee €45,550. Per-term (calculated): €15,183.33.
(Note: the school publishes annual tuition amounts and invoices fees annually; the per-term figures above are straightforward equal divisions of the published annual fee for use in a per-term view and are not presented by the school as an official instalment plan.)
Early Childhood Centre (ECC) daily/session fees - ECC half-day morning session: €70 per session. - ECC full day: €128 per day. - ECC application fee (payable once per child): €750.
Transport (bus) fees - Annual Brussels school bus service fee: €3,550 (per year). Per-term (calculated): €1,183.33. - Annual Antwerp/SHAPE school bus service fee: €4,180 (per year). Per-term (calculated): €1,393.33.
After-school care (Garderie) and other sessional fees - Kindergarten (14:00–15:50, not Wednesdays): €20.00 per session. - Kindergarten in ECC after 16:00 and from 11:50 on Wednesdays: €10.00 per hour. - Reception to Year 6 (15:50–18:00; Reception–Year 2 on Wednesdays from 11:50): €9.00 per hour. - Pre/Post-Enrichment for Years 3–6: €9.00 per whole session.
What tuition does and does not include (summary of extra costs) - Included in tuition: extensive enrichment clubs, individual iPads/laptops for Years 3–9, curricular day and residential trips up to Year 9, learning resources (textbooks/exercise books), public examination entries (A Level, BTEC, IB, IGCSE) except re-sits, basic PE kit (including swimming costume on arrival), team sports kits and subsidised fixture costs, hot lunch for Kindergarten–Year 2, and specified medical checks for new starters and certain year groups. - Not included in tuition (examples of additional payable items): Garderie beyond included times, individual instrumental tuition run by external providers and instrument rental, extra PE clothing beyond the basic kit, costs of certain residential sporting and other competitions, Years 10–13 school trips and visits run by external providers, and other course-related items. Bus fees are charged separately.
Billing schedule and payment terms - Invoicing: Fees are invoiced annually. Fees for the following academic year are due in one single payment each May. - Reductions for students joining mid-year (applied as percentage reductions of the annual fee): November 10%; December 20%; January 30%; February 40%; March 50%; April 60%; May 70%; June 80%. (October: no reduction.)
Withdrawal and refund policy - Notice requirement: A full academic term's written notice of withdrawal to the Principal is required in accordance with the school calendar. Failure to give a full term's notice will result in an invoice for a full academic term's fees in lieu of notice. - Refunds when a student leaves during the school year (reductions expressed as percentage of the annual fee by month of leaving): October 80%; November 70%; December 60%; January 50%; February 40%; March 30%; April 20%; May 10%; June/July no refund.
Boarding - Boarding: The school is a day school (no boarding facilities).
Application and invoice payment methods - Application fee payment: The online application/payment form uses a secure credit-card payment system and accepts credit-card payments for the application fee. Application fees are non-refundable. - Annual tuition invoice payment: The published fee schedule states that fees are invoiced annually and are due in a single payment each May. The fee schedule directs payment of the application by credit card via the online form; it does not publish a separate publicly listed, detailed list of all accepted payment methods for annual tuition on the fee schedule page.
Other administrative and policy notes on fees - The school reserves the right to amend the published schedule of fees. Parents are responsible for payment of the total sums due regardless of any employer subsidy. The published fee schedule cancels and replaces previous fee schedules. Application fees are non-refundable.
(End of fee overview.)
Diving deeper
Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements
Boarding arrangements
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Boarding arrangements
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Uniform requirement
Uniform requirement
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Uniform requirement
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Food options
Food options
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Food options
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House system
House system
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House system
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Governance and ownership
Governance and ownership
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Governance and ownership
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Academics
Academics
Curriculum details
Curriculum details
St John's follows an all-through IB curriculum with PYP, MYP, and DP. Diploma students may also take Advanced Placement (AP) courses, and there are five graduation pathways that combine the IB Diploma, AP credits, and the St John's High School Diploma. The school runs a Dual Language Programme in French and English in Early Years and Primary to foster bilingualism and biliteracy. In Grades 6–8 students study two to three languages, and in Grades 9–10 there is a Mother Tongue Programme offering eight languages; Language A and Self-Taught Literature are part of the Diploma. The IB framework underpins a holistic, global education with tailored learning and a diverse international community.
Curriculum details
The school offers a British-based curriculum up to age 16 (GCSE and International GCSE). Post-16, the school offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma, A Levels, and BTEC vocational courses, including a bilingual IB Diploma in French/English or Dutch/English. A French-English bilingual programme runs across 10 Year Groups from Reception (age 4-5), and Dutch lessons start from age seven.
Student teacher ratio
Student teacher ratio
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Student teacher ratio
Student-teacher ratio is 9:1. Maximum class size is 21 in Secondary and 14 in Post-16. Total enrolment is 1,363 (Secondary 873; Primary 490).
Exam results
Exam results
2024 IB results show a 100% pass rate for the High School qualification. 54% of graduates earned the IB Bilingual Diploma. The average IBDP score was 33, with many students scoring 38 and above; the top IBDP score achieved was 43.
Exam results
GCSE 2024: 94% pass rate with 57% of grades 7 or above. A Levels 2024: 96% pass rate with 61% of grades A*-B and 34% A*-A. IB Diploma 2024: 97% pass rate with an average score of 35 and a top score of 44. BTEC (Level 3) 2024: 100% pass rate with 60% Distinction*/Distinction; Level 2 BTEC: 100% pass rate with 72% Distinction*/Distinction and 89% Merit or higher.
Higher education progression
Higher education progression
Graduates gain entry to top universities worldwide. The University Guidance team supports course selection, applications, interview preparation, and campus visits, coordinating opportunities such as college fairs and admissions interactions. Destinations include Oxford, Cambridge, MIT, Columbia, Yale, KU Leuven and Bocconi.
Higher education progression
Graduates progress to higher education worldwide. Destinations include Imperial College London, University of St Andrews, University of Amsterdam, McGill University, University of British Columbia, KU Leuven and other universities in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, the United States and beyond.
Gifted and talented
Gifted and talented
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Gifted and talented
Enrichment and outdoor learning are central to the programme, with around 200 clubs and activities, including sport, music, drama and creative pursuits. Enrichment opportunities are complemented by service learning and broader personal development experiences.
Academic calendar
Academic calendar
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Academic calendar
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Wellbeing & support
Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning
Social & emotional learning
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Social & emotional learning
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Special educational needs (SEN)
Special educational needs (SEN)
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Special educational needs (SEN)
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English as an additional language
English as an additional language
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English as an additional language
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Mental wellbeing
Mental wellbeing
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Mental wellbeing
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Safeguarding
Safeguarding
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Safeguarding
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Safeguarding policy
Safeguarding policy
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Safeguarding policy
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Facilities
Facilities
Facilities overview
Facilities overview
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Facilities overview
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Sports facilities
Sports facilities
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Sports facilities
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Academic facilities
Academic facilities
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Academic facilities
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Extra curricular facilities
Extra curricular facilities
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Extra curricular facilities
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Parent experience
Parent experience
History
History
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History
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Community
Community
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Community
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Parent teacher association
Parent teacher association
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Parent teacher association
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Extra-curricular
Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual
Academic & intellectual
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Academic & intellectual
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Arts & creative
Arts & creative
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Arts & creative
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Cultural & language
Cultural & language
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Cultural & language
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Social & hobbies
Social & hobbies
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Social & hobbies
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Community & service
Community & service
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Community & service
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Leadership & professional
Leadership & professional
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Leadership & professional
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Lifestyle & wellbeing
Lifestyle & wellbeing
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Lifestyle & wellbeing
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Language provision
Language provision
Language provision
Language provision
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Language provision
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Bilingual teaching
Bilingual teaching
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Bilingual teaching
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Immersion programs
Immersion programs
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Immersion programs
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Reputation
Reputation
Awards
Awards
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Awards
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Accreditations
Accreditations
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Accreditations
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Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
1. Contact Us: Complete a brief online form. The Admissions Office will contact you to discuss entry options. Please inform how you would like to be contacted when you submit the form. The team will guide you through the next steps.
2. Visit the School: We encourage you to visit to experience our facilities and community. You can book an on-site tour or view a virtual tour. Both options are available throughout the summer.
3. Interview: An interview is a normal part of the admissions process. The admissions team will try to accommodate your schedule. If you are not in the country within an acceptable timeframe, the interview can be arranged remotely.
4. Admissions Entry Criteria: St. John's is an IB World School. Admission is open year-round to students of all nationalities, faiths, and backgrounds. The final decision on acceptance and placement is based on the applicant's ability to benefit from the programmes and educational services available. English is the primary language of instruction; non-English-proficient applicants may be considered if they can develop sufficient English proficiency to enter the IB Diploma Programme, with Grade 8 as the last year for an absolute beginner English learner.
Admissions
BSB is inclusive and non-selective with an international student body. Tours are available and new students are welcome at any time of the year. Joining at the start of the academic year in September is encouraged, but the school welcomes new students throughout the year. Year groups are assigned based on a child's calendar age against the September 1 to August 31 academic year; students coming from other systems may be placed a year above or below to stay with their peers. The Admissions team is available to help, and the school provides an application form for prospective families. Languages are taught in English with bilingual options: a French/English bilingual programme runs for children aged 4 to 14; French is taught from Kindergarten, Dutch is taught from age seven, and additional languages such as Spanish and German are available; secondary students may also learn these languages. Exam options include GCSEs and iGCSEs in Years 10–11, and in Years 12–13 students can choose the International Baccalaureate Diploma, A Levels, or BTEC. The school is located at The British School of Brussels vzw, Pater Dupierreuxlaan 1, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium. Admission enquiry can be made via the Admissions section of the site. Fees and financial information are provided on the Fees page, and the school's admissions process outlines how and when to apply.
Scholarships
Scholarships
The school offers 3 academic and 1 theatre art scholarship for entry into the final year of IBMYP (Grade 10) and the first year of the IBDP (Grade 11). Scholarships are open to high-achieving Belgian students currently in 3ème and 4ème Secondaire of the Belgian State Education System. Scholars will learn in an immersive English-language environment and follow the IBDP. Applications are open until 25 April 2025 and include fee reductions of up to 100%.
