Focus

Broadening minds and horizons

Day fees 2024/25

$20,200–$45,900

Pupils

1,350

Ages

1–18

Spear’s Review

Established in 1969, BSB is an international school with 1,350 students from 70 nationalities aged 1 to 18. For older pupils, the school offers A-Levels, the IB and vocational courses in business, sports and hospitality.

The primary curriculum is a skills-based, inquiry-driven approach adapted from the UK national curriculum. According to its website, it is the only school in Belgium that offers students the choice of IB or A-Levels. The school aims to ‘develop confident, caring and courageous people who engage actively, ethically and purposefully with the world’.

The British School’s campus boasts an impressive 25m swimming pool, gym and dance studio alongside a theatre and recording studio, meaning each child can explore their individual passions.

Academics

57 per cent of GCSE results are grades 7–9.

34 per cent of results at A-Level are A* or A.

Average IB score is 35.

School Profile

The British School of Brussels is an all-through, inclusive international school comprising approximately 1,400 students from 70 nationalities aged 1-18 years. The school meets the needs of internationally mobile and expatriate families in Belgium as well as local families who want an international education for their children. Our students are exposed every day to a multitude of languages and cultures and within which they thrive. 

All students follow a British-based curriculum up to age 16, which is adapted to our European context and international cohort. BSB is the only school in Belgium to offer three pre-university routes: A Levels, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma and BTEC vocational courses. We are immensely proud of our consistently outstanding academic results, which are among the best in the world. Our diverse pathways provide all our students with an opportunity to excel. 

While academic results are important, one of our main aims is to create a values-driven community which promotes a healthy, vibrant and progressive culture of care, collaboration and respect. We are proud to develop active global citizens. We want to inspire and motivate responsible, engaged students who have respect for themselves and each other and engage actively, ethically and purposefully with the world around us. Our governance, leadership, staff, curriculum and facilities all work in support of this philosophy. 

We offer a diverse and extensive range of extra-curricular activities through a world-leading enrichment programme, offering around 200 extra-curricular activities.

Ultimately, BSB is a family; a community which offers support and care for each other while helping each person achieve their goals to the best of their ability and become the best possible version of themself.

University and college destinations

Graduates of BSB have taken up places at UK universities such as Oxford, Imperial College London, Edinburgh and University College London; European universities including Erasmus University Rotterdam, the University of Amsterdam and Eindhoven University of Technology; and in North America at Boston University, the New School in New York City and McGill in Toronto, Canada.

Head teacher

James Penstone joined BSB as principal in early 2025, taking over from Melanie Warnes, who spent eight years in the role. According to the school, Penstone’s appointment is a ‘strategic continuation of our school’s mission to nurture confident, compassionate and globally minded learners’. He most recently served as secondary principal at the Inter-Community School Zurich and has also held roles at Bangkok Patana School and Hazelwick School in West Sussex.

Admissions

BSB requires an online application form, previous school reports from the past 12 months, a passport scan and a student recommendation form. In cases of additional educational needs, the school says, relevant diagnostic reports are needed. The second stage of the application process is an online pre-joining interview; the school seeks students who demonstrate ‘a positive attitude to learning and a commitment to the values and ethos of BSB’ – with expectations dependent on the age of the student. 

Accessibility

Brussels Airport: 30 minutes

Location

Click for more information about the research process and expert insight behind the Spear’s Schools Index.