Brussels, Belgium Report of what it's like to live there - 08/12/24
Personal Experiences from Brussels, Belgium
School Name:
École fondamentale communale Prince Baudouin
Background Information:
1. Are you the parent of a child(ren) attending this school? A teacher at the school? Or both?
Parent
2. What grade or grades do/did your children attend at the school? During what year(s) did they attend the school?
6th grade, 2023-2024
3. What years did you live here?
2023-2024
4. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
Military
5. Are other schools available to expatriates in this city? Why did you choose this particular school?
There are many other options for schools in the area but we wanted to continue our daughter's French-language education.
Admissions & Welcome:
1. Are the admissions and placement procedures clearly stated to prospective families, either on the school website or through other means of communication?
The best way to enroll at the school is just to go in person and take a meeting with the director. You will need to do this in French, but if you are even interested in the school, you are probably already a French speaker.
2. How would you rate the school's support and welcome/integration of new students and their families, and why?
Excellent support for new students. Most of the students come from non-Belgian backgrounds so they are used to dealing with cultural differences and people who speak French as a second language.
Administration & School Procedures:
1. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?
Good communication through emails and the online portals. Teachers also send materials home so when your child can be trusted to show you what they bring home, the communication overall is excellent.
2. Aside from school fees, are there required expenses such as uniforms, laptops/tablets, musical instruments, or field trips that parents are expected to cover? What are the approximate costs?
There are some trips that need to be paid for, but overall the expenses are minimal. If your student goes for 6th grade, you will pay for the dépaysement at the beginning of the year, which does cost a bit more, but it's nothing exceptional.
Academics & Resources:
1. What personal or academic counseling resources are available at this school? Is there a dedicated college counselor at the school? Is he/she familiar with universities worldwide?
If your child needs extra help in French, they will get some extra attention here.
2. Is there before and/or after-school daycare available? What are the costs?
Before and after daycare is available, but we didn't use it.
3. What are the technology requirements for students? Do they need their own laptops/ipads? How is technology integrated into the classroom and homework?
No laptops provided. Access to technology sometimes needed at home but not much is needed at this grade level.
4. How are information technology resources at the school. Are they up-to-date? Is there a computer lab?
None that I know of.
5. Describe the physical education resources at the school. Is there a gym? A swimming pool? Are there playing fields or tennis courts available?
Gym and playground at school. Access to a swimming pool off-site.
6. What is the approximate teacher-to-student ratio in the grades that your child attended?
24 to 1.
7. Are students generally challenged appropriately by the curriculum? Please describe any particular strengths or weaknesses in this area. Do you have any thoughts how the curriculum is applied and implemented at this school?
The school really caters to the individual needs of the students. Our daughter was appropriately challenged while still given a lof of support.
8. Is the amount and type of homework generally appropriate for the age and grade of the students?
30 minutes/night on average. Sometimes more and sometimes less. Time requirement will depend on your child's French-language ability.
9. What fine arts electives are available (music, drama, visual arts)?
Art.
10. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?
No, and don't expect to communicate in English at all at this school.
11. What services are provided for speakers of English as a second language at this school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
General support for students who speak French as a second language.
12. What extra-curricular activities (including sports) are available at this school? Have your children participated in these activities? What activities do you feel are missing at the school?
There were numerous extra-curricular activities including sport, art, theatre, and music.
Social & Emotional Well-Being:
1. Do expatriate students socialize with local students at the school? Are both groups successfully integrated into the school culture?
yes
2. Are there are any problems with exclusionary behavior, cliques, or bullying at this school? Please describe any problems your children may have experienced in this area.
The solidarity amongst students was generally quite positive.
3. What is the climate for students who identify as ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious minorities at this school? Are there resources they can draw upon? Have your children had any experiences in this area?
The school is about half minority, and the climate is respectful of diversity.
4. What can you say about diversity among the faculty and staff at the school and their experience in supporting minority students?
The staff is somewhat diverse and overall seemed to offer good support to all students
Overall Impressions:
1. Please describe some of your child's/children's highlights and challenges during their time at this school.
Our daughter made good connections with her classmates and teachers and quickly integrated into the school. The challenges were all related to academics and language but she had good support and was able to succeed.
2. What letter grade (ranging from A, excellent, to F, fail) would you assign to this school based on your overall experience? Would you choose it again?
A: excellent for a public school. Met our needs and expectations.
3. Please tell us anything else you think prospective parents and students should know about this school. Thanks for your contribution!
In our experience, this is a very good choice for an elementary school. If your child is young enough, they could easily start their French-language education here. If they are older, I would recommend that they already speak French fluently. Otherwise, they will likely have a very difficult time integrating and learning.
