The Bilingual Journey

Discover the Bilingual Programme

BSB is one of the few schools in Belgium to offer a French-English bilingual programme spanning both Primary and Secondary School. The programme begins in Year 1 (age 4) and continues through to Year 9 (age 14), providing students with an immersive learning experience in both French and English. After Year 9, students move into the British GCSE programme and may later choose to continue their multilingual journey through the IB Bilingual Diploma.

Click right to see how the journey unfolds from Year 1 to Year 9 and beyond.

Bilingual Learning in Primary School

From Year 1, one class in each year group is taught bilingually by native speakers of French and English. Selection to these classes is based on aptitude and attitude towards French language and culture. The bilingual classes follow the same curriculum as the English classes, but Maths and English are taught by the English-speaking teacher, while other subjects are taught in French. For younger learners, teachers adapt the level of French immersion to suit the language level of the class.

Bilingual Learning in Secondary School

In Years 7-9, the bilingual tutor class follows the same curriculum content and assessment as the other tutor groups. Some subjects are delivered 50% in English and 50% in French, others are taught solely in French, and the remainder solely in English – though even English-only subjects include selected resources and activities in French.

The Years 7-9 bilingual programme is ideal preparation for students who wish to continue to the IB Bilingual Diploma in French-English after age 16.

Pathways Beyond Year 9

The bilingual programme provides a strong foundation for future academic success and multilingual study.

After completing the GCSE programme, students may choose to pursue the IB Bilingual Diploma in French-English. BSB also offers the option of a Dutch-English IB Bilingual Diploma, enabling students to continue developing advanced language skills alongside their academic studies.

We are one of the few schools in Belgium to offer truly bilingual classes.

Languages are integral to our curriculum

Being located in Belgium, a multilingual country, BSB emphasises the importance of learning additional languages from a young age. This gives our students new talents and better prospects, and creates a linguistically rich environment.

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