Best places for living with the family well comunicated with EC?

Hi,

Woulwe Saint Lambert/Saint Pierre commune is the best, rent is a bit high. Metro is very convenient to EC. If budget is your concern then Evere commune apparently is quite friendly as lots of expat community lives there who works for NATO, EC etc...commute is very good as well.
Avoid schaerbeek, ixelles, etterbeek...

Hope this helps!
Best regards,
Trina

Thanks for your answer Trina,

Avoid schaerbeek, ixelles, etterbeek...

Why, are they dangerous?, bad for families?

Commune is a nightmare especially for Schaerbeek. You have to line up 1.5 hours to be the first in the queue and there is no shelter/place to sit. The commune ppl are not friendly and keeps asking for diff documents meaning to say you have to again stand in the queue. They have lost ppl's documents as well. They treat you like any other asylum seekers or refugee even if you earn three times than the person you will be talking to. They refuse to talk in any other language but French.
I rem applying for my resident card when I first arrived - it took 7 months. Two years ago, they by mistake cut my valid resident card - they are not professionals. Don't let your family go through the torture. The commences I mentioned will give your card with 1-3 weeks.

Thanks,
Trina

Thanks again. What about schools in Evere and Woulwe Saint Lambert/Saint Pierre? do you think it would be possible to get a vacancy in a french speaking school for a foreigner kid?

Unfortunately I do not have kids so won't be able to help you:( Sorry!

Best regards,
Trina

Hello eyp,

Is it an obligation for you to live in Brussels with your family? Why are you not looking to rent something in Wallonia and take the train/car to go to work each day in Brussels?

phipiemar wrote:

Hello eyp,

Is it an obligation for you to live in Brussels with your family? Why are you not looking to rent something in Wallonia and take the train/car to go to work each day in Brussels?

Not an obligation, but if I can avoid it, I prefer not taking car/train to commute. Also I have some friends in Brussels 1000 living there so I'd like to have them close to us, but I wouldn't like living in the old center, that's why I'm looking other communes in Brussels.

Etterbeek is fab for urban living with kids. The schools are mainly ok and the sports facilities excellent, as are all other child facilities. South Schaerbeek is similar, as is west WSL.

Hi All!

I am always a little bit surprised to see how Expats want to cluster in few municipalities in Brussels (Etterbeek, Evere, Uccle, etc.)... 

Frankly, Brussels is not the biggest capital in the World and compared to Paris, London or Madrid ... It s really small.

In your situation, I would consider to look into a municipality like Jette :

- Real Estate is not as expensive than it is the South municipalities,
- A lot of green places,
- Very good hospitals close by (UZ Brussel, Fabiola Queen Children Hospital, CHU Brugmann),
- Close to Kinepolis, Bruparc, National Stadium,
- Very efficient administration (one of the best),
- Good schools in the area (public or confesional) but it can be challenging to get a spot - this is a global situation in Brussels,
- Well known "Sunday Market",
- etc.

And by public transportation, it is only 20-30 minutes away from down-town Brussels (bus, metro, a new tram line will pop-up soon).
You can even take the train (if you like) from Jette Station to North, Midi, Central or Schuman Stations quite easly and straight forward.

If environment quality is something which is important for you ... I believe Jette is a very good option.

More info :
http://www.jette.irisnet.be/en/pdf-english/brochure-en

Good luck.

Thank you for your answer, it seems interesting. New expats concentrate in the same places because we don't know
the city, once there is easier to explore and find another good places for living, I think.

Anyway, my main concern is the matter of school, because I think I'll arrive when the deadline for registration in schools has passed, so I'm not sure what we'll be able to do about that. 

Well it will depend on different factors:

A. It will be much easier to find a school for a child going to 3th or 4th grade of middle school (for example) than entering the 1st grade (nightmare in Brussels). Some kids are changing schools (relocation, etc.).

B. The school "reputation" which sometimes is based on people beliefs and not on facts,

C. Your willingness to have your child/children having to go far away from home to get to school,

D. The timing - April/May period is, to my opinion the limit, to find a school to start in September.

What you have to do is to contact as much schools as you can which fit into your criterias and explain your situation and ask to be listed on the waiting lists.

May be having an expat status will help.

Is it easy to speak in English with schools? because me neither my wife can't speak French yet.

Humm  it will mostly depend on the person of contact at school (often directors) ... Not sure to be honest.

May be you can check if any spanish speaking association in Brussels could help.

If you want to get school places, Jette is NOT the place to look. By secondary level, in fact the north of Brussels is the worst place in Belgium for getting a school place!

If you want to make your school place search easier, look in WSL, WSP, Watermael-Boitsfort, as these areas meet the criteria of well connected to EU area AND with ample school places.

There are NO deadlines for school places, there are enrolment times where 99% of people submit their requests for primaire and maternelle, most schools have done that already, then you get those with multiple places, some give the spare spots back now, others are more selfish and give them back end of August.

tervurener wrote:

There are NO deadlines for school places, there are enrolment times where 99% of people submit their requests for primaire and maternelle, most schools have done that already, then you get those with multiple places, some give the spare spots back now, others are more selfish and give them back end of August.

Well, then I'll have some odds... What should I do if I can't get any school?, Should I go to my (future) commune then they assign me a random one, or how does it work?

Because in Spain, although the appliances are done in schools, it's the province government which finally assigns the places, so if you don't get any of the schools you applied for, they assign one to you, although it could be a far away school.

The communes are responsible for around 40% of schools, no it's the French Community who are overall responsible for schools and you can only ask to be allocated a place from the age of 6 upwards when education becomes compulsory.

There are plenty of school places in fact, it's just not so easy to find them as you have to do lots and lots of phoning etc.

Really not sure how accurate this new website is.
http://www.placesecolesmaternellesetprimaires.cfwb.be/

tervurener wrote:

Really not sure how accurate this new website is.
http://www.placesecolesmaternellesetprimaires.cfwb.be/

Yes, you told me about that site in another post. I've been searching through it, but there aren't too much schools with places.

but you only need ONE place surely?

there are some decent schools there too.

All schools in Brussels with P2 places for September 2015.
Libre confessionnel    Ecole fondamentale libre Saint-François-Xavier    Rue Eloy, 76 1070 BRUXELLES    02-521 36 21   
Subventionné communal    Centre scolaire du Blankedelle    Avenue Jean Van Horenbeeck, 33 1160 BRUXELLES    02-672 32 80   
Subventionné communal    Ecole fondamentale de Haren    Rue de la Paroisse, 34 1130 BRUXELLES    02-247 21 30   
Subventionné communal    Ecole communale Colombe de la Paix    Rue Général Tombeur, 78 1040 ETTERBEEK    02-733 75 99   
Libre confessionnel    Ecole fondamentale libre - Institut Saint-Stanislas    Avenue des Nerviens, 115 1040 ETTERBEEK    02-735 56 82   
Subventionné communal    Ecole communale Les Bruyères    Rue Jef Devos, 55 1190 BRUXELLES    02-344 61 21   
Libre confessionnel    Ecole fondamentale libre Sainte-Ursule    Avenue des Armures, 39 1190 BRUXELLES    02-347 11 67   
Subventionné communal    Ecole n°7 du Bois de la Cambre    Avenue du Bois de la Cambre, 173 1050 IXELLES    02-515 65 60   
Libre confessionnel    Ecole fondamentale libre Prés Verts    Avenue de l'Arbre Ballon, 249 1090 BRUXELLES    02-478 28 38   
Subventionné communal    Ecole fondamentale communale n°1 La Rose des Vents    Rue des Quatre-Vents, 71 1080 BRUXELLES    02-411 13 98   
Subventionné communal    Ecole fondamentale communale Henri Frick    Rue Braemt, 55-57 1210 BRUXELLES    02-220 28 50   
Subventionné communal    Ecole fondamentale communale Joseph Delclef    Rue Potagère, 52 1210 BRUXELLES    02-220 28 60   
Subventionné communal    Ecole fondamentale communale Arc-en-Ciel    Rue de l'Abondance, 19 1210 BRUXELLES    02-220 28 70   
Libre confessionnel    Ecole fond. libre - Centre scolaire des Dames de Marie    Chaussée de Haecht, 68 1210 BRUXELLES    02-223 20 23   
Subventionné communal    Ecole primaire communale n°2    Rue Gallait, 131 1030 BRUXELLES    02-216 00 82   
Subventionné communal    Ecole fondamentale communale n°3    Rue Rogier, 188 1030 BRUXELLES    02-216 00 83   
Libre confessionnel    Ecole fondamentale libre du Divin Sauveur    Avenue de Roodebeek, 253 1030 BRUXELLES    02-736 18 13   
Libre confessionnel    Institut Montjoie Primaire    Avenue Montjoie, 97 1180 BRUXELLES    02-344 16 62   
Libre confessionnel    Ecole fondamentale libre Saint-Joseph    Chaussée de Waterloo, 1190 1180 BRUXELLES    02-374 05 35   
Libre confessionnel    Institut de l'Assomption - Ecole fondamentale    Avenue des Archiducs, 52 1170 BRUXELLES    02-673 04 42   
Libre confessionnel    Institut de l'Assomption - Ecole fondamentale    Jagersveld, 5 1170 BRUXELLES    02-673 04 42   
Subventionné communal    Ecole fondamentale communale Prince Baudouin    Avenue du Couronnement, 42 1200 BRUXELLES    02-761 11 21   
Libre confessionnel    Ecole fondamentale libre Providence    Rue des Déportés, 38-40 1200 BRUXELLES    02-771 06 82   
Libre confessionnel    Ecole fondamentale libre - Collège Saint-Hubert    Avenue Jean Van Horenbeeck, 196 1160 BRUXELLES    02-660 84 16   
Communauté française    Ecole fondamentale annexée Les Griottes - Schaerbeek    Rue Royale Sainte-Marie, 168 1030 BRUXELLES    02-243 16 04   
Communauté française    EFA - A.R. Uccle I La Petite Ecole dans la Prairie    Avenue Paul Stroobant, 72 1180 BRUXELLES    02-374 95 52

tervurener wrote:

If you want to get school places, Jette is NOT the place to look. By secondary level, in fact the north of Brussels is the worst place in Belgium for getting a school place!

If you want to make your school place search easier, look in WSL, WSP, Watermael-Boitsfort, as these areas meet the criteria of well connected to EU area AND with ample school places.

Just to clarify ... I never said that finding a school in Jette is easier than somewhere else in Brussels.

All the best,

I'd shortlist the 10 schools there which are east of Schuman on a radius and phone them all to confirm the accuracy that there are places. They are all good to excellent schools. Then choose an area you like best. All this area is well connected to EU area.

You can make your school / area search area easy by following the above advice, or make it hard.

tervurener wrote:

You can make your school / area search area easy by following the above advice, or make it hard.

I'll follow your advise (and all of the resources you have give me), thanks for all.

After researching a little bit about schools with vacancies for 2nd primary at Etterbek, WSL/WSP, just realized that most of them but two are 'libre'. Out of curiosity, are libre schools expensive? I know it'll depend on each school, but may be someone knows something about them:

- ECOLE FONDAMENTALE LIBRE - INSTITUT SAINT-STANISLAS
- ECOLE FONDAMENTALE LIBRE DU DIVIN SAUVEUR
- ECOLE FONDAMENTALE LIBRE PROVIDENCE

They are fine.
Providence is in a more middle class area, but further from work, but it's a very nice area, more residential.
St Stanislas is on the edge of Cinquantenaire park, more mixed socially, but great urban area.
Divin Sauveur is going to have the least number of expat type children in it, but good school.

"libre" cost nothing, it's just a category of school, stil funded by the French community.

You DO pay for school books, pens, paper, lunch time supervision (typically 1 euro), school lunches, swimming, residential trips. You really shouldn't worry about costs, if you cannot afford costs, many "libre" schools will waive them, depends on head, but you are looking at a few 100 for the year.

That's interesting, because I was wondering what was the difference between:

- Communauté française
- Libre
- Subventionné communal

So if libre are free, does it mean that all of them are subsidised by the State?.

No difference other than who governs the schools AND for primaire level upwards, religion is obligatory for 2 periods a week in all public schools. In the free Catholic/Jewish/Muslim/Protestant schools, only that religion is an option and the children are taught together. In the free non religious aligned / communal / direct French Community schools, you have the option of Catholicism / Morality and whatever else parents demand such as Islam / Orthodox / Protestant / Jewish.

As I said before, they are all subsidised not by the state but by the French Community. I have only posted schools which do not have fees (except the ones I mentioned) Free does not mean "not costing anything" it means "not controlled by the commune or French Community as governors. But they are all funded by the French Community.

My uncle was a proffesor at St Stanislav. He told me it is a good school. He might be prejudiced as he was a teacher there but he told me there is a huge mix as to the social classes so there is a little bit of everything. I can ask him questions if you need me to but I don't often talk with him.  As to your not wa

Well, you've had lots of advice from others but I have another slightly different point of view! I have lived in Belgium for 20 years in Linkebeek. I commuted daily to Schuman by train from Moensberg that whole time (40 minutes door to door). I have seven year old twins who went to the Flemish section of the local school. Linkebeek is well positioned for schools - several French schools plus near the European School in Uccle. Not an expat ghetto, and not super expensive.

By the way, the Flemish schools are considered better quality than the French schools!

callasa wrote:

Well, you've had lots of advice from others but I have another slightly different point of view! I have lived in Belgium for 20 years in Linkebeek. I commuted daily to Schuman by train from Moensberg that whole time (40 minutes door to door). I have seven year old twins who went to the Flemish section of the local school. Linkebeek is well positioned for schools - several French schools plus near the European School in Uccle. Not an expat ghetto, and not super expensive.

By the way, the Flemish schools are considered better quality than the French schools!

Thanks for your answer callasa.

Well, I've already contacted to Dutch schools and some of them say me that they don't admit kids who don't speak dutch or haven't attended an school with immersion, or don't have a dutch parent. Also, as I told others in earlier posts, we have friends in Brussels city and I don't want to commute 40 minutes if possible. May be in the future when we know a bit better the country, we move far from the city, but not now.

I don't consider a 10 minute walk to a train station, a 25 minute train ride, and another 5 minute walk to my office as being a long commute! In fact, it is healthy because at least I get some daily exercise, and relaxing because I am not in heavy traffic. Even living in the city centre you'll probably spend 20-30 minutes to get to work. And Brussels city centre is pretty polluted with all the people taking their cars. Me, I have a 31 ares garden with fruit trees and a peaceful weekend. Funny how different people are in their views, I do not live FAR from the city, Linkebeek is a commune just outside Brussels, and across the street is Uccle, which is a commune of Brussels!

callasa wrote:

I don't consider a 10 minute walk to a train station, a 25 minute train ride, and another 5 minute walk to my office as being a long commute! In fact, it is healthy because at least I get some daily exercise, and relaxing because I am not in heavy traffic. Even living in the city centre you'll probably spend 20-30 minutes to get to work. And Brussels city centre is pretty polluted with all the people taking their cars. Me, I have a 31 ares garden with fruit trees and a peaceful weekend. Funny how different people are in their views, I do not live FAR from the city, Linkebeek is a commune just outside Brussels, and across the street is Uccle, which is a commune of Brussels!

Yes, you're right. Not too much, but currently I'm used to go by foot to everywhere (to work, back to home, to school, etc.), so I like also doing some exercise walking. I don't mind having to walk 30 minutes to go work, but I don't like taking trains, buses, etc...

Anyway I'll take a look to Linkebeek, but the problem is the language, because I'm not sure it will be easier for us to learn dutch than french.

I've been told it is easier to learn dutch than french due to the origin of the language. Dutch english etc is germanic vs french being latin. That being said I live in the french areas so started there and have not yet needed to try to learn the dutch... It has taken me the better part of 2 years to really become fluent and that after getting a job and being required to speak french for the majority of the day. I speak english with my girlfriend and french with her kids...

Zipper269 wrote:

I've been told it is easier to learn dutch than french due to the origin of the language. Dutch english etc is germanic vs french being latin. That being said I live in the french areas so started there and have not yet needed to try to learn the dutch... It has taken me the better part of 2 years to really become fluent and that after getting a job and being required to speak french for the majority of the day. I speak english with my girlfriend and french with her kids...

Well, I'm from Spain, that's why I say I think it'll be easier for us (wife, daugther and me) to learn French. For working I don't need it because I'll speak in English, but I'd like to learn some French to help my daughter in their studies.

Linkebeek is lovely BUT it's not where the OP is looking to live, wants to live in the city.
You could in fact live 5 minutes walk from Schuman.
Commutes can vary enormously, you're right, near is not always quickest. That's why I suggested most parts of Ixelles are NOT good for a quick commute to Schuman for work, as the buses and trams gravitate the other direction, exception of 81 tram.

Just remembered something useful for OP.

Brussels region has many "Spanish extra-curricular" schools, mainly on Wednesdays or Saturdays.
There is a big on held on the premises of Jean 23 Woluwe, which is near to Providence school.
My Spanish is non existent, but I'm sure any Spanish speaker could google to find the locations of the rest of these schools.

Do be careful mind you about the reliability of that website I linked to. Since it was set up a few weeks ago, parents who've used it have reported on the Facebook Parents Schools support group of in inaccuracy of the information.

tervurener wrote:

Linkebeek is lovely BUT it's not where the OP is looking to live, wants to live in the city.
You could in fact live 5 minutes walk from Schuman.
Commutes can vary enormously, you're right, near is not always quickest. That's why I suggested most parts of Ixelles are NOT good for a quick commute to Schuman for work, as the buses and trams gravitate the other direction, exception of 81 tram.

Yes, it's sad, but after researching a bit about public transport, it isn't very comfortable to go from Ixelles to places close to Schuman, you need to take two or three to get there.

PS Linkebeek is majority French speaking, but one of 6 "facility" communes around Brussels which are in officially monolingual Flanders region, but when "facility" was defined had something like 30% French speakers, allowing them to keep their French schools. At a guess, French is 60% in Linkebeek and Dutch 40%. The Flemish system school is next to the francophone one there I think? Good reputation.