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local schools for 3-year-old (who has already attempted bilingualism)? which one? good neighbourhood to commute to Ostende...
Hi everyone. My husband, 3-year-old boy and soon newborn baby and I will be moving to Brussels in Jan-Feb from Denmark. We have just made the decision now and feel pressed for time as far as finding a good neighbourhood and school is concerned. Esp. since the 'good' schools need early registration (and i will be giving birth at Christmas so not much extra time to search after that...).
There are two areas i would like some advice on:
1. International or local kindergarten (my son just turned 3 in september)? According to the many blogs i have been reading most expats prefer local schools at this age esp. if one is likely to stay in brussels (which we are). The question is which school? There are so many to choose from. My son speaks Greek at home (we are a Greek family) and has been learning Danish the 2 years we have been living in Denmark. I would like to make this transition as easy as possible for him as he is already going through the challenging process of learning 2 languages at the same time (one - danish - not needed anymore..). I cannot seem to find where some greek children go to school (or where they live for that matter). At the same time as mixing with the locals, i would like to be around an expat community where we could better socialise as a family. Note that i grew up in Toronto , Canada, yet do not speak French (or Dutch) and my husband speaks a bit of French (though will be learning both languages quite soon).
2. The second area is the neighbourhood. How do i combine the two: good school option for my son and a neighbourhood that offers easy access to commuting from Brussels to Ostende (where my husband will be working) in addition to fulfilling the above-mentioned criteria.
I have been reading and reading the truly helpful blogs on this site and yet cannot find an answer to my personal questions...
I would be truly grateful for any useful advice!
Thanking you all in advance,
Pela
Is there a specific reason for living in Brussels if your husband will be working in Oostende?
It's 115 kms from central Bxl. It is extremely unlikely that he will be looking at less that 3 hours each day commuting.
There is a direct motorway connection from the Bxl ring road though you have to get to the ring from wherever you will be living.
There is a good hourly train service - 80 minutes from central Bxl - but you aren't going to live at the station at one end and your husband may not work conveniently to the station at the other end.
Frankly, I think you should be looking very seriously at Plan B!
