This year, The British International School of Brussels (BISB) celebrates its 25th Birthday as a school for children from all around the world, following the British National Curriculum in the heart of Europe.
As I sit here listening to the happy sounds of children going about their day in school, I reflect on how the British International School of Brussels has grown and developed in the last 25 years. We first opened our doors on September 11th 2000 with 32 children of many different nationalities. We were very lucky to have found a very beautiful Art Deco building midway between NATO and the European Commission with excellent public transport links.
I clearly remember those first few days when we were still waiting for our school furniture to be delivered, and we had to make-do with coffee tables and garden furniture. It was very exciting, as we had set out on an adventure with an idea of where we wanted to go but not quite sure how it was going to unfold. I suppose we could call it a “calculated risk”. We had a lot of very committed parents and teachers who were prepared to work hard together and we had a lot of fun.
Of course, central to everything at the school were the children and this philosophy continues to dominate at BISB today. There was, and still is, a very welcoming and happy feeling at our school and our children thrive on this. As Head of the school, I feel that the children’s happiness is the most significant factor of all, as a happy child will learn and grow. We have seen this in former pupils from all over the world who have returned and told us how their time here has stayed with them and created a foundation for their personal success.
Our motto is “Mighty Oaks from Little Acorns Grow” and as the school has grown it has many things to be proud of (and yes, I am happy to say we do now have school furniture!). We have expanded into two school buildings that are called Acorn and Oak. As an inner-city school, we are fortunate to have a beautiful garden as our playground, and we are able to take full advantage of our proximity to local museums, parks and forests to enrich our curriculum. BISB children are often seen out and around orienteering and exploring places of interest.
BISB is unique in Brussels as a Global School, and we are proud to have achieved Advocate status from the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network following a six-month intensive course. Our very active children’s School Council and Eco Champions have links with international schools in Austria and with the Jane Goodall Institute in Belgium who are running workshops on pollinators, food and trees with our students this term.
Our pupils feel empowered to change the world around them for the better and it gives them hope and confidence for the future. We never doubt that “A small group of people can change the world …indeed it is the only thing that ever has” as Margret Mead said.
We feel that our small friendly school in Brussels is indeed the perfect place where our young acorns begin their journey to take their place as successful citizens in a rapidly changing world.
