British School of Brussels

The British School of Brussels
Location
Tervuren, Belgium
Information
Type	British School and International School, Early Years, Primary School and Secondary School
Established	1970
Principal	Melanie Warnes
Campus size	8ha (19ac)
Athletics	Leagues: ISST, GISGA, IAPS
Website	www.britishschool.be

The British School of Brussels (commonly abbreviated to BSB), is an international school in Belgium. It occupies a site of about 8 ha (19 acres) surrounded by woodland near the Royal Museum of Central Africa in the town of Tervuren, Flemish Brabant, east of Brussels. It has over 1350 students aged 1–18 years from approximately 70 nationalities. BSB consists of two schools: Primary (age 1-11) and Secondary (age 11-18).

BSB follows an English elementary school curriculum, and offers a bilingual English/French programme. Teachers are recruited among English and French native speakers. It offers programmes for pupils aged 4–14 in a 50/50 timetable covering both languages.

In 2016, BSB opened the Jacques Rogge Sports Centre on campus. The new Sports Centre includes: a 25m swimming pool, gymnastics arena, dance studio, fitness suite and multi-purpose sports hall.

History

The British School of Brussels was founded on 5 December 1969 by a group of businessmen led by Sir Dick Pantlin CBE, just as the UK was preparing to join the European Union. Pantlin went on to become the chairman of the board of Trustees and Honorary President of the school with Leslie Firman, the group's secretary. The school was also co-founded by Mike Goodman. In fact, the houses are named after them; Pantlin, Firman and Goodman. For its first few months it occupied temporary premises in the Rue de la Loi in Brussels. The School first opened on 15 September 1970 with 213 pupils aged 5–13 and 16 teaching staff including the first headmaster, Alan Humphries. On 9 December 1970, the Duke of Edinburgh officially opened the first building on the campus, then called Building 1. In 2006 all buildings were renamed after famous Belgian people or fictional characters such as Victor Horta and Tintin.

Primary

The Primary School curriculum is open for ages 1–11. The Primary School has dedicated facilities for each age group: Early Childhood Centre (ages 1–3), Lower Primary (age 3-7) and Upper Primary (age 7-11). Each part of the Primary School has its own school building and playground. Primary School has its own unique spaces. We have two dedicated outdoor playgrounds, full-equipped gym and two libraries exclusively for our Primary school children, whilst they also benefit from the whole school facilities like the pool and theatre.

Secondary

Although BSB is a non-selective school (there is no entrance exam for admission), the school has achieved impressive results in public examinations. At age 16 all students take either nine or ten IGCSEs. In 2018, 61% of our students achieved A or A*.

Post-16, students are given the option to study for English A Levels, the International Baccalaureate Diploma or Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) vocational courses in Applied Science, Business, Hospitality and Sport.

Exam results are consistently among the best in Belgium. In 2018, the school achieved an average IB Diploma point score of 35 points (IB world average is 29.9), we also achieved an average of 99% pass rate in the last 3 years. 17% of students achieved the Diploma with 40 points or more .

At A Level, students achieved a 100% pass rate in 2018, with 35% of grades at A or A* – well above the national level of 26.2 per cent. 13% of students achieved A* well above the national level. BTEC results are also strong with a 100% pass rate in 2017 and 61% of grades at Distinction or Distinction * level (equivalent to A and A* at A Level).

Facilities

• 25m swimming pool with movable floor
• Gymnastics arena
• Three multi-purpose sports halls
• Fitness suite furnished with Technogym equipment
• Dance studio
• Design and Technology workshop with CAD suite and 3D printer
• Post-16 centre, careers, and business suite
• Purpose-built 240-seat theatre
• Modern Science and Mathematics block
• Self-service Cafeteria seating 330
• Modern languages suite
• Specialist ICT Suite
• Recording studio
• Parents' centre with café, information centre and rooms for social activities.

Clubs and Activities

BSB offers students of all ages a broad and diverse range of Enrichment activities (extra- curricular activities) Clubs and activities take place at both lunch time and after school. The incredible variety of clubs and activities on offer at BSB allows students to both perfect their talents and explore new interests. Enrichment at BSB is extremely important. By taking part in clubs and activities, our students work and play together in a fun and fulfilling way that forges links and fosters understanding between age groups and between students and staff. In 2018 we offered around 200 enrichment activities, including: • 290 sessions per week including 186 sports, 87 activities, 13 music and 4 drama • Over 100 teachers and sport coaches • An average of 15 sport fixtures per week • Almost 400 students are enrolled in the swimming recreational programme and more than 140 students in competitive teams.

The construction of the new Jacques Rogge Sports Centre was completed in 2016. This includes: a 25m swimming pool, gymnastics arena, dance studio, fitness suite and a multi-purpose sports hall. Outdoor facilities are also extensive and include three floodlit all-weather pitches, as well as tennis courts and grass fields for rugby, football, and hockey matches.

Notable alumni

• Deborah Lawrenson (journalist and writer)
• Katherine Rundell (novelist)
• Victoria Hollins (journalist)
• Craig Dowsett (rugby player)
• Stephen Rowbotham (Olympic rower)
• Nick Kennedy (rugby player)
• Oliver Wilson (TV Producer)
• Oliver Sarkic (football player for Leeds United and the Montenegro national team)
• Matija Sarkic (football player for Wigan Athletic and the Montenegro national team)

External links

• BSB website