British School of Brussels

Established 1970
School type British School and International School
Principal Melanie Warnes
Location Tervuren, Belgium
Campus 15 acres (6.1 ha)
Athletic Leagues ISST, GISGA, IAPS
Website britishschool.be

The British School of Brussels (commonly abbreviated to BSB), is an international school in Belgium. It occupies a site of about 15 acres (6.1 ha) surrounded by woodland near the Royal Museum of Central Africa in the town of Tervuren, Flemish Brabant, east of Brussels. It has over 1300 students aged 1–18 years from approximately 70 nationalities. BSB consists of two schools: Primary (age 1-11) and Secondary (age 11-18).

BSB has a bilingual English/French programme. English and French mother-tongue teachers teach students aged 4–14 in a 50/50 timetable covering both languages.

In 2016, BSB opened the Jacques Rogge Sports Centre on campus. As a result, BSB is said to have the best indoor school sports facilities in Europe.[1] 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. 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, allowing children to develop in a caring environment that is suited to their age group.

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 2016, 30% of all IGCSE grades were A* (the national average is 6%).

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. In 2016, the school scored 100% pass rates in the IB Diploma and BTEC courses, and 99% at A Level. In 2016, more than one in four IB students scored over 40 points (world average of 7%) and 30% of A Level grades were at A*/A.

Facilities

Sports

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.

The school has incorporated cutting-edge technology into their new sports facilities. The swimming pool has a movable floor that allows the depth to be adjusted according to the ability for the students using it. The pool can also have different depths on either side, allowing for two groups of varying ability to use the pool at the same time. The fitness suite is furnished with the latest cardiovascular and strength equipment from Technogym, the official supplier for the Olympic games.

Notable alumni

Deborah Lawrenson (journalist and writer)

Katharine Rundell (novelist)

Tanya Leroy (novelist)

Richard Baker (photographer)

Victoria Hollins (journalist)

Tulio Fagim (artist)

Olivia Vinall (actress)

Laura Dowsett (rugby player for Saracens Women)

Craig Dowsett (rugby player)

Stephen Rowbotham (Olympic rower)

Nick Kennedy (rugby player)

Savenaca Vocea (Belgian rugby player)

Quentin Köster (Dutch rugby player)

References

  1. ↑ "'Handing over of the keys' ceremony marks completion of Sports Centre construction". www.britishschool.be. Retrieved 2016-09-06.

External links

Coordinates: 50°49′55″N 4°31′26″E / 50.832°N 4.524°E / 50.832; 4.524

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