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The International School of Brussels

Belgium, Brussels

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Independently researched by doris.
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The school at a glance
Instructs in English
Fees €22,590 - 49,715
Ages 2 - 18 years
Type Co-educational
Opened 1951
Bus Service Yes
Availability Not shared by this school
Academic offering
Curriculum IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP), Advanced Placement (AP), American Curriculum, BTEC Qualification
Taught languages French, Dutch, Spanish, Japanese
Strengths Sport, Visual and Creative Arts, Languages
Clubs Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language, Community and Service
Stages Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle School, High School
Introduction

The International School of Brussels is a private, not-for-profit day school in Belgium for ages 2–18. It offers IB programs (PYP, MYP, DP) along with AP, BTEC, and an American curriculum, with English as language of instruction. French begins at age 2.5, with a bilingual program from Grade 5; additional languages include Dutch, Spanish, and Japanese, and a Home Language Programme integrates languages spoken at home. ISB uses an inquiry-based, personalised learning approach across ECC to High School. Set on a 40-acre forest campus in Forêt de Soignes beside a UNESCO World Heritage site, the campus includes libraries, Arts Annex, theatre, science labs, a digital music classroom, and arts spaces. Sport and outdoor facilities include two gyms, a running track, athletic fields, a dojang, climbing walls, a tennis bubble, and a VUB swimming partnership. ISB Plus offers about 90 activities and 50+ teams, with community service, CAS, and leadership development.

www.isb.be

Kattenberg 19, 1170 Watermael-Boitsfort, Belgium

Vibes and Culture
The school has not added this information
The Essentials

The International School of Brussels has instruction in English.

Location
Kattenberg 19, B-1170 Brussels, Belgium. It is in Watermael-Boitsfort, the south‑east quadrant of Brussels. The 40‑acre campus sits within the Forêt de Soignes and offers extensive outdoor learning facilities; it is easily reachable by car, bus, train and tram.

Stages
Early Childhood Centre (Preschool – Grade 2); Elementary School (Grade 3–6); Middle School (Grade 7–9); High School (Grade 10–12).

Type
Private not-for-profit international day school.

Pupil Nationality Mix
60+ nationalities represented.

Additional learning support
Inclusion & Challenge services provide personalised support for diverse learning needs across all age groups.

Country affiliation
Belgium

Bus service
The ISB Bus Service operates with more than 30 buses serving most parts of the city and surrounding areas. It is available to students from Kindergarten to Grade 12, with BatOnRoute real‑time tracking and bus monitors. Late Bus Service is available for Middle and High School students; bus fees for 2025‑26: Return 3,140 Euro; One way 2,385 Euro.
Diving Deeper
The school has not added this information
Fees

Annual tuition at The International School of Brussels ranges from EUR 22,590 to EUR 49,715 for 2026/27.

Application fee

- Application fee (all grades): EUR 2,000.

Tuition fees (annual) — by year group

- Preschool (ages 2.5–3): EUR 22,590.
- Pre‑Kindergarten (4 years old): EUR 25,030.
- Kindergarten (5 years old): EUR 37,760.
- Grades 1–2 (ages 6–7): EUR 40,670.
- Grades 3–6 (ages 8–11): EUR 41,400.
- Grades 7–9 (ages 12–14): EUR 46,825.
- Grades 10–12 (ages 15–18): EUR 49,715.
- Intensive Learning Support (for ILS students): EUR 25,155 plus the relevant grade‑level tuition.

Per‑term (how fees are presented and typical payment structure)

- Fees are published and invoiced on an annual basis; the school issues invoices annually in May for the following school year. Because fees are set and invoiced annually, there is no official per‑term charge published. Families may choose the school's instalment plan, which spreads the annual tuition into monthly payments; the instalment plan divides tuition into up to 10 monthly payments (July–April). For simple budgeting, an approximate per‑term figure can be obtained by dividing the annual tuition by the number of academic terms you choose to use for your own budgeting (the school does not publish an official per‑term schedule).

Billing schedule and payment terms

- Invoices for the following school year are issued annually in May.
- Invoices for students joining during the school year are issued before the enrolment date.
- Invoices are payable within 30 days of the invoice date or prior to the student's start date.
- The parent (or legal guardian) is always responsible for payment of school fees regardless of any employer arrangements.

Payment methods and terms

- All fees are due and payable in EUR. Payments can be made by bank transfer to The International School of Brussels at BNP Paribas Fortis.
- Bank transfer details (for payments by bank transfer): SWIFT: GEBABEBB; IBAN: BE71 2100 5790 1069.
- Consolidated monthly invoices (for items such as lunch, athletics, music, ISB Plus) can be paid by bank transfer or by direct debit (SEPA mandate).
- There is no published option on the fee page for credit‑card payment; available options shown are bank transfer and SEPA direct debit.

Instalment / payment plan

- A family instalment scheme is available to individuals (not open to companies paying tuition).
- Typical administrative fee: EUR 200 per family, annually.
- The instalment calculation uses the cost of tuition plus an interest rate of 1% above the current EUR Central Bank rate and may be divided into up to 10 monthly instalments (July–April).
- The instalment scheme applies only to tuition fees (does not include bus fees or other related costs).

Bus fees

- Return trip (annual): EUR 3,140.
- One‑way only (annual): EUR 2,385.
- Bus fees are charged annually; there is no reimbursement of bus fees due to an inability to use the service.
- The school offers a separate payment plan for families who would otherwise find it difficult to pay the annual bus fee.

Other costs and optional charges

- Cafeteria: daily lunch is paid through student lunch accounts; a lost lunch card carrying fee of EUR 10 will be billed if a card is lost.
- Co‑curricular activities and ISB Plus: costs for clubs, activities and ISB Plus are optional and billed through the consolidated monthly invoice.
- Musical instrument rental: EUR 210 per year (rental from the school).
- Athletics fees: billed per season/per sport; typical player fees noted are EUR 270 for JV/Varsity teams and EUR 170 for U14 teams (additional travel costs for tournaments billed separately).
- International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme: students taking the IB will be billed for IB exam and administrative fees and any external examination expenses requested by the student.
- Other potential costs (examples): school trips, seasonal team travel, specialty courses, therapy or additional student support services — these are billed as they occur via the consolidated invoice.

Refunds, adjustments and pro‑ration

- Students who leave early: for students who have paid the full tuition (and bus, where applicable) and who leave before the last day of January, 25% of the tuition (and bus) fee will be reimbursed by the school. If a student leaves after the last day of January, there is no reimbursement of fees already paid.
- Students who enrol late: the school publishes monthly pro‑rata amounts by level (the published schedule shows the reduced amounts for each month if a student starts after the academic year begins). The published pro‑rata schedule is used to calculate fees for late enrolment and for partial months; students starting within a month will be asked to pay for the full month.

Boarding

- Boarding is not provided as a standard full‑time option; the International School of Brussels operates as a day school for its student population. (Overnight/boarding arrangements may be referenced only in limited, event‑specific contexts such as camps where temporary overnight accommodation is arranged.)
Academics

The International School of Brussels teaches IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP), Advanced Placement (AP), American Curriculum, BTEC Qualification for students aged 2 to 18.

Curriculum
ISB uses English as the main language of instruction. French is offered from age 2.5, with a French bilingual programme from Grade 5; additional language options include Dutch, Spanish, and Japanese. The Home Language Programme integrates languages spoken at home into the curriculum. The curriculum is flexible and inquiry-based, with personalised learning pathways across ECC to High School.

Student Teacher Ratio
7:1

Exam Results
IB Diploma results for 2025 show 160 graduates, 141 IB Exams taken, 118 Diploma candidates, 27% of IB Courses with accommodations, an average IBDP score of 35, a 100% pass rate, 49% bilingual diplomas, and an average Course score of 5.5. AP results show 84 students (Grades 9–12) completed 136 exams in 13 subjects, with an average AP score of 3.84, 90% of exams scoring 3 or higher, 103 students taking AP Exams, 19 AP subjects taught, and 44% achieving a perfect score of 5. BTEC results show a 100% pass rate with 2 pathways offered and 33 students taking BTEC, with 27 students working towards external BTEC qualifications.

Higher Education Progression
ISB offers five graduation pathways, including IB Diploma, AP, BTEC, US Diploma, and another pathway. Universities worldwide offered ISB students places in 2024-25, demonstrating strong progression to higher education globally.

Gifted and Talented
The Inclusion & Challenge Department provides High-Ability Programmes for advanced learners.
Wellbeing
The school has not added this information
Parent Experience
The school has not added this information
Facilities
The school has not added this information
Extra-Curricular Activities
The school has not added this information
Languages
The school has not added this information
Reputation
The school has not added this information
Admissions

Admissions
1. Submit the ISB admissions application with the required application fee. The application form must be accompanied by the application fee, and applications will not be processed until the full application fee is paid. If the application is withdrawn, 50% of the fee is refunded; if a Financial Aid application is denied or the family does not accept the offer and withdraws, 75% is refunded; if a completed application is placed in a waiting pool for 60 days and the family cancels, a full refund is available. 2. After the completed application is received, an admission decision is typically issued within 7 to 10 working days. A decision may be delayed if additional information is needed or during school-holiday periods. 3. Students can join ISB at any point during the school year, typically before 1 May. A suitable start date is determined in collaboration with the family and approved by the Head of School. IB Diploma students cannot begin after the beginning of October if their courses are not transferable to ISB. 4. Grade-level placement is based on the prior educational experience and the student's age. In some cases, a placement test may be given to accurately place a student. 5. The ISB Bus Service is the most popular transport for commuting to and from school. Some students may use public transportation, ride a bike, or be dropped off and picked up by their parents. 6. ISB runs waiting lists when necessary. When classes are full, a waiting pool for the affected class is opened, and the Admissions Team explains how waiting pools are managed. 7. ISB offers a limited number of financial aid opportunities each year based on eligibility criteria. ISB also provides an English Language Development Programme at all levels to support non-English-speaking students. 8. ISB has an Inclusion and Challenge Programme to meet learning needs and ensure appropriate placement. 9. The school day hours vary by section: ECC Preschool 08:40–15:30 (Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri) and 08:40–12:30 (Wed); ECC Pre-Kindergarten 08:40–15:30 (Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri) and 08:40–12:30 (Wed); ECC Kindergarten–Grade 2 08:40–15:35; Elementary School 08:40–15:35; Middle School 08:35–15:40; High School 08:35–15:40.

Scholarships
ISB offers a Financial Aid Programme to assist families experiencing temporary financial hardship; the aid is primarily designed for existing families and is available for a maximum of two consecutive years. Applications for Financial Aid must be submitted with the regular ISB application and supporting materials, and are considered up to March 31 until the budget is exhausted. ISB also offers a Scholarship Programme for merit-based scholarships open to students of all nationalities; these scholarships are offered for two consecutive years for Grades 7–12 and are designed to provide access to ISB for students not currently in the ISB community; scholarship criteria include English skills, high achievement in English, alignment with ISB's values and mission, overall academic achievement, and demonstrated talents. All scholarship applicants must complete the Scholarship Programme Form and attach supporting materials. Applications for the next school year should be received by March 31. The Scholarship Committee includes the School Director, the Director of Advancement, the Director of Finance and Operations, the Finance Manager, and an Academic Panel. For further questions about scholarships, contact the Admissions Office.

Waitlist
Yes, ISB runs waiting lists when classes are full. A waiting pool is opened for the affected class, and the Admissions Team explains how waiting pools are managed. Waiting lists help accommodate students when space becomes available.
School Events
The school has not added events
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