The British International School of Brussels vs The British School of Brussels

	T The British International School of Brussels Brussels, Belgium	T The British School of Brussels Brussels, Belgium
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year €8,660 - 24,990	Fees / year €20,100 - 45,550
Age range	Age range 3 - 11 years	Age range 1 - 18 years
Type	Type Co-educational	Type Co-educational
Curriculum	Curriculum Bespoke Curriculum, British Curriculum, EYFS (Early years foundation stage)	Curriculum IB (DP), British Curriculum, BTEC Qualification, Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A Levels
Pupils	Pupils 120	Pupils 1,300
Typical class size	Typical class size —	Typical class size 16
Instruction language	Instruction language English	Instruction language English, French
Opened	Opened 2000	Opened 1969
Bus service	Bus service No	Bus service Yes
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location The school is located centrally in Brussels, midway between NATO headquarters and the European Commission. The Acorn Department is at Avenue Emile Max 163, 1030 Brussels, Belgium.	Location Located in the eastern suburbs of Brussels, Belgium, at Pater Dupierreuxlaan 1, 3080 Tervuren. The campus is state-of-the-art.
Stages	Stages Two campus buildings: Emile Max hosts the Infant Department (ages 3–7); Avenue Emeraude hosts the Junior Department (ages 7–11).	Stages Primary School (ages 1-11) and Secondary School (ages 11-18).
School type	School type The British International School of Brussels is a British Curriculum school for children aged 3–11.	School type Not-for-profit international day school.
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix —	Pupil nationality mix Pupils come from over 70 nationalities; the largest nationality represented is British at about 30%.
Additional learning support	Additional learning support —	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 The school has a British affiliation (British Curriculum).	Country affiliation United Kingdom (UK) curriculum; British orientation for an international school in Belgium.
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation —	Religious affiliation —
School day structure	School day structure —	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 —	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 Application and registration fees - Non-refundable registration (application) fee: EUR 750. - Refundable deposit: EUR 600 (refundable on departure minus outstanding charges and subject to 90 days written notice). Any bank transfer charges for refunds to non-euro accounts are deducted from the deposit. Tuition fees by year group (full year, 10% on application, remaining balance) - Early Years 1/2 (mornings only): Full year EUR 11,560; 10% on application EUR 1,156; remaining EUR 10,404. - Early Years 1/2 (afternoons only — four afternoons, not including Wednesday afternoons): Full year EUR 8,660; 10% on application EUR 866; remaining EUR 7,794. - Early Years 1/2 (full days, not including Wednesday afternoons): Full year EUR 20,220; 10% on application EUR 2,022; remaining EUR 18,198. - Early Years 3 (not including Wednesday afternoons): Full year EUR 21,320; 10% on application EUR 2,132; remaining EUR 19,188. - Year 1 & Year 2 (including Wednesday afternoons): Full year EUR 23,850; 10% on application EUR 2,385; remaining EUR 21,465. - Years 3, 4, 5 & 6 (including Wednesday afternoons): Full year EUR 24,990; 10% on application EUR 2,499; remaining EUR 22,491. Per-term amounts (annual fee divided into three school terms — calculated amounts) - Early Years 1/2 (mornings only): approximately EUR 3,853.33 per term (EUR 11,560 ÷ 3). - Early Years 1/2 (afternoons only): approximately EUR 2,886.67 per term (EUR 8,660 ÷ 3). - Early Years 1/2 (full days): EUR 6,740.00 per term (EUR 20,220 ÷ 3). - Early Years 3: approximately EUR 7,106.67 per term (EUR 21,320 ÷ 3). - Year 1 & Year 2: EUR 7,950.00 per term (EUR 23,850 ÷ 3). - Years 3–6: approximately EUR 8,330.00 per term (EUR 24,990 ÷ 3). Billing schedule and payment terms - To secure a place the registration fee, deposit and a non-refundable 10% of the annual fees are required by the invoice date (or by May 3 if the child is already at the school). The remaining 90% of fees is due by mid-June (invoice specifies the exact date). - The school offers a monthly domiciliation (direct debit) payment scheme as an alternative to the single-balance payment. A completed Bank Mandate form must be returned before the child starts if paying by instalments. - For children joining after the start of the academic year, the payable proportion of the annual fee depends on the month of joining (the schedule in the fee documentation shows the percentage payable by joining month). For children leaving during the year the documentation shows the corresponding payment/refund percentages by leaving month. Monthly payment option (domiciliation) - The monthly option divides a full year into 10 equal monthly payments: the initial 10% is taken on application (or by May 3 if paid by direct debit), followed by 9 domiciliation payments from June 3 to February 3 (dates extend for children joining later as specified in the payment schedule). Refunds and deposit refund conditions - The refundable deposit (EUR 600) is returned on departure minus outstanding charges and only if the school receives 90 days written notice of the child's last day. Any bank transfer fees for refunds to non-euro accounts are deducted from the deposit. The school provides a month-by-month refund schedule showing the percentage refund or payment due depending on the month the child leaves. Boarding fees - Boarding is not applicable for this school (the school serves children aged 3–11). There are no boarding fees. Other costs and additional fees - The published fee schedule does not list a mandatory uniform fee, exam fees, or other mandatory additional charges in the fee document. Any optional extras, trips, lunches or extracurricular charges are not specified in the published fee schedule and would be charged separately if applicable. Payment methods and bank details - Bank transfer (account name: British International School of Brussels asbl) using IBAN: BE77 0017 2460 6042 and BIC: GEBABEBB at BNP Paribas Fortis. When making a payment include the child's name and/or invoice number in the transfer communication. Transfers from foreign banks are accepted provided the remitter pays any handling charges. Domiciliation (direct debit) is used for monthly instalments. No credit-card payment method is specified in the published fee schedule.	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 —	Boarding arrangements —
Uniform requirement	Uniform requirement —	Uniform requirement —
Food options	Food options —	Food options —
House system	House system —	House system —
Governance and ownership	Governance and ownership —	Governance and ownership —
Academics	Academics
Curriculum details	Curriculum details British-based curriculum following the English National Curriculum from Early Years through to the end of Key Stage 2. Pre-Nursery to Reception form the Early Years Foundation Stage; from Reception onward, four French lessons per week. The Primary years are divided into Key Stage 1 (Years 1-2, ages 5-7) and Key Stage 2 (Years 3-6, ages 7-11). Teaching focuses on core subjects such as English, Mathematics and Science, complemented by cross-curricular topics; reading is central to the curriculum. The program is taught in English and French lessons are delivered from Reception to Year 6.	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 —	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 —	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 —	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 —	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 —	Academic calendar —
Wellbeing & support	Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning	Social & emotional learning —	Social & emotional learning —
Special educational needs (SEN)	Special educational needs (SEN) —	Special educational needs (SEN) —
English as an additional language	English as an additional language —	English as an additional language —
Mental wellbeing	Mental wellbeing —	Mental wellbeing —
Safeguarding	Safeguarding —	Safeguarding —
Safeguarding policy	Safeguarding policy —	Safeguarding policy —
Facilities	Facilities
Facilities overview	Facilities overview —	Facilities overview —
Sports facilities	Sports facilities —	Sports facilities —
Academic facilities	Academic facilities —	Academic facilities —
Extra curricular facilities	Extra curricular facilities —	Extra curricular facilities —
Parent experience	Parent experience
History	History —	History —
Community	Community —	Community —
Parent teacher association	Parent teacher association —	Parent teacher association —
Extra-curricular	Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual	Academic & intellectual —	Academic & intellectual —
Arts & creative	Arts & creative —	Arts & creative —
Cultural & language	Cultural & language —	Cultural & language —
Social & hobbies	Social & hobbies —	Social & hobbies —
Community & service	Community & service —	Community & service —
Leadership & professional	Leadership & professional —	Leadership & professional —
Lifestyle & wellbeing	Lifestyle & wellbeing —	Lifestyle & wellbeing —
Language provision	Language provision
Language provision	Language provision —	Language provision —
Bilingual teaching	Bilingual teaching —	Bilingual teaching —
Immersion programs	Immersion programs —	Immersion programs —
Reputation	Reputation
Awards	Awards —	Awards —
Accreditations	Accreditations —	Accreditations —
Admissions	Admissions
Admissions	Admissions 1. Submit an enquiry through BISB's enquiry form. The form collects the child's first name, last name, date of birth, anticipated start date, languages spoken at home, and contact details. You must check the BISB Data Handling Policy box to indicate you have read and understood it. BISB will contact you to arrange an appointment. 2. Attend BISB's Open Day to visit the school and meet staff. Open Day allows you to drop in during a 10:00–14:00 window to view the classrooms and speak with teachers. An online session is available at 14:00 for those who cannot attend in person. 3. Enrollment is accepted throughout the school year. BISB provides classes from Nursery to Year 6 and follows the British National Curriculum. The curriculum is taught in English and includes French lessons from Reception to Year 6. The school also offers specialist support for non-English speakers.	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 —	Scholarships —
Waitlist	Waitlist —	Waitlist —
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