Public school for 3-years old child in Wolluwe, Etterbeek or Ixelles

Go through the previous postings on schools.
Your best school now is either one of the private ones such as Acacia or BICS which will almost always have places, 6-7k for the year which is more than affordable for 2 income family, especially since it will only be for a year, or alternatively a local school which has a place. If your son is born in 2009, then you need to ask a local school for 2e maternelle for September 2012 (or 1e maternelle if you want him to start in May 2012 and go for 2 months). Just pick out somewhere you fancy living and get on the PHONE, don't bother with emails for local schools, they are unlikely to respond. Here's a map of all the local schools in Brussels. If you definitely want your son to go to European school in September 2013, might be good to start looking in areas and schools near EEB1 in Uccle or EEB3 in Ixelles as that is where the Spanish sections are. Communal and French Community controlled schools tend to be less popular than Catholic ones so they are most likely to have places.

https://batchgeo.com/map/1f1bf2b3b6e4ad … a57d56a826

Hi
I am interested by your conversation as I am moving to brussels next months. I have a 1 year old daughter, so I am looking for a kinder garten/ crèche or a school. I have seen on the map that there are some schools called "ecole fondamentale". Name is a biyt scary. what does it mean ?
Thanks for your replies.

Ecole Fondamentale means the school has both maternelle classes (3 or 4 school years, acceuil, M1-M3) from 2 1/2 or 3 to 6 years and also primaire classes (P1-P6) from 6 to 12 years.

Mg de Maurice, where are you planning to move to in Brussels?

Creches are for 0 to 3 years and locals book them from 6 weeks pregnant. Mix of public and private creches which cost 450-600 euro a month. You will find it hard getting a place for a 1 year old if looking for full time care. There are however 2 creche chains which market to expats in Brussels, based exclusively in central Brusssels and Woluwe communes. They cost I believe close to 800 euro a month full time, very few locals choose them as they are so much more expensive, but if moving to Brussels with a children already alive and looking, they are a realistic if expensive option. If looking for only part time or occasional creche, then there are a few "halte-garderies" and an organisation called La Farondoline which offer cheap at typically a cost of 10 euro for a half day place, payable by day or booked in term blocks.

As for maternelle schools, well some allow you to enrol at birth, but most you enrol for in the preceding school year.

For a 1 year old child  who turns 2 before end October 2012 and who could therefore enter maternelle between 1st September 2012 and 30th June 2013, enrolments have already taken place in most schools and you would have to take whatever maternelle school places are still available.

For a 1 year old child born after 1st November 2010, well in the tiny minority of schools which enrol from birth, you could enrol ASAP, in the rest of schools, enrolments will start any time from September 2012 onwards for school year 1st September 2013 to 30th June 2014.

Thanks a lot for your reply Shoolmum.
I guess I will have to use the halte garderie when I need it. We are moving to Brussels in april. I hope I can find a full time place as from September ??
What about child care at home ? How much do you think it costs ?
Also, concerning creche fees, are they deductible from taxes ?
Thanks again
Maela

How many hours a week do you actually need? Full days or half days? When does your daughter turn 2 1/2? So how many months would you need creche / halte-garderie?

The biggest network of halte-garderies are Farandoline ones but they are only part time 8.30-12.30 and the biggest coverages is 4 days a week in Wezembeek-Oppem or Etterbeek. They are bookable by the term.
http://www.farandolienne.be/programmes/ … iode&id=64

There is 1 full day halte-garderie in WSP, I don't think you can book it, run by Cap Famille under the maison communale of WSP.
http://www.capfamille.be/

There are 2 full day halte-garderies in WSL. Details here.
http://www.woluwe1200.be/fr/vivre-et-tr … te-enfance


That above link is quite informative. It explains the difference between a CRECHE COMMUNALE, CRECHE PRIVEE, MAISON d'ENFANT (they are in fact all creches). Some Maisons d'enfant are in fact 2 or 3 childminders working together, it's just a mini creche or a mega childminding setting!

There are 2 forms of "childminders" here ACCEUILLANTES AUTONOMES and ACCEUILLANTES CONVENTIONNÉES, but there are very few of both types, most 0-3s are in creches.

There are quite a few unofficial and unregulated childminders around, but to find them is word-of-mouth, as they are breaking the law so they dare not advertise. There are also many illegal Filipinos who offer childminding in YOUR HOME for which you'll pay 7.50 - 10 euro an hour. I would not recommend this route.

So long as a child care setting is regulated by either ONE (French) or KIND EN GEZIN (Dutch), then the child care is deductible against tax.

Once your child gets to school, extra fees like before and after school provision and lunch time supervision is also tax deductible, if it is a public school and a child under 12 years. School holiday care for under 12s is also tax deductible.

Thanks so much for all these information.
I do not have a job in brussels yet, so he few hours here and there will be enough.
The problem is that I can not start working before I have a solution for my daughter.
Thanks again for all this ! I am checking the links now.

Good luck to you, lots of very well qualified people in Europe and Belgium unemployed, many of those in work are suffering significant pay cuts and being taken advantage by employers knowing that they can get away with illegal behaviour because of the difficult labour market.

Well it's no good looking for child care really if you have no job. Contracts for ordinary creches usually have minimum periods for signing up and long durations. Better to look for more occasional care of a halte-garderie once in work, then school at 2 1/2.

Hello, I would like to kindly ask you if you have found any good public school for your kid in Etterbeek? Thank you, Vladimir

Hello Schoolmum, I see you are very knowledgeable about the schools in Brussels, In the summer we are moving for 3 years and looking for a french speaking public school. My son does not speak french nor English yet, that's why we are looking for a smaller school. I heard the EU school or BICS are quite strict and demanding, so trying to give him a chance to learn the language in public school first and then maybe do the transfer. Could you advise any suitable school? I very much appreciate your support.
Kind regards, Vladimir

Hello honlades,

Please note that this thread has been inactive since 2012.

As suggested earlier, kindly create a new topic to ask you questions.

Cheers,

Cheryl
Expat.com team