A truly international school
Located near Brussels in the heart of the European Union and one of the most multilingual countries in the world, BSB emphasises the importance of learning additional language skills at a very early age, both to enhance students' abilities and prospects, and also to foster a sense of multicultural community and global awareness.
Primary School: a bilingual education
French at BSB is taught as a core subject from the age of 4, (although children as young as the age of 3, in our Kindergarten classes, are already exposed to French), while Dutch is also available from the age of 7. Most importantly, our new French/English bilingual programme enables students to think and solve problems in an additional language, making it second nature to them, contextualising the language and encouraging students to use their language skills outside the framework of language classes, and incorporate it into their daily lives.
In September 2011, BSB introduced a bilingual French/English programme in its Primary School. From September 2012, courses will be available to children aged 4 to 9. This is one of the first bilingual programmes to be introduced by an International School in Belgium. Students are taught in a 50/50 mixture of French and English, with the bilingual programme fitting seamlessly into BSB's existing Primary School curriculum.
Taught by both French mother tongue and English mother tongue speakers, children develop greater language skills and problem solving skills in a bilingual manner, as well as encouraging even greater appreciation of intercultural attitudes and behaviour.
Cindy, BSB parent
“My mother tongue is Dutch and my husband’s is French, we communicate in English so we know very well the importance of languages. We discovered the French/English bilingual programme at BSB. What I notice now, after only a few months, is that Noé is not only learning English and French but also Italian and Spanish because it is an international environment and he hears all these languages in his classroom.”
Secondary School
In September 2012, BSB will introduce a bilingual programme into our Secondary School. A bilingual tutor group will exist with significantly enhanced provision in French across the curriculum. By 2015, as the programme expands, all students from 4 – 14 years old will have the option to choose a bilingual education.
Globally mobile families
Our aim is to offer an education that is international. Our bilingual programme moves us closer towards that goal and offers significant advantages to modern, globally mobile families who want their children to be able to adapt and thrive in an educational environment anywhere.
Consequently, as well as following a British-based curriculum, teachers are aware of the expectations from the French National Curriculum for children of a similar age. Children who have been able to benefit from the BSB bilingual programme for a significant period of time will be well-prepared to continue their learning experience in either or both languages, whether transferring to an English, French, or another bilingual school.