Bogaerts International School

Bogaerts International School is an, independent, English language international school that provides education to students aged 3 to 18 from over 45 different nationalities. The school is situated in Le Domaine de Freins surrounded by a park of 9 hectares in the Uccle commune in Brussels, Belgium. The school offers day school and full boarding facilities.

Bogaerts International School
Location
Brussels

Belgium
Coordinates50°46′41″N 4°21′04″E
Information
TypePrivate school
Established2012 (2012)
PrincipalDavid Bogaerts
Websitehttp://www.bischool.com/

History

Stemming from Bogaerts Education, founded in 1970 by Rodolphe Bogaerts, Bogaerts International School was founded in 2012, by his son David Bogaerts with an aim to offer international education. In the early days the school was situated in Argenteuil area of Waterloo, Belgium. It initially offered both English and French courses throughout the primary and secondary years and followed both the International Baccalaureate Organization and Cambridge International Examinations. As the number of students enrolling in the IB programme grew rapidly over the years, a need for a larger space to accommodate more students lead the school to its current location at Le Domaine de Freins in Uccle in the year 2017. BIS got its first authorization by the IB in 2015 to offer the IB Middle Years Program for Grades 6 to 10. The following year, BIS was authorized by the IB to offer the IB Diploma Program for grades 11 and 12. In the year 2019, BIS was authorized by the IB to offer the IB Primary Years Program for Grades Pre-primary up till year 5, thus becoming the only fully accredited IB school in Brussels.

Premise

The school is situated on the Domaine Latour de Freins in Brussels. The building was erected by the architect Henri Maquet in 1890. The U shaped building takes full advantage of the available sunlight and the Flemish neo-renaissance shape, typical for the period, allies brick masonry with white and blue stone bonds, and a natural slated roofing. The property comprises a wooded park with a surface area of 62,800m2. The school consists of a large parking area, an outdoor tennis court, a backyard play area, an indoor gymnasium and a large indoor cafeteria. Currently, the school also hosts students in its boarding facility located within the campus.

Academics

Currently, B.I.S. is the only fully accredited IB world school in Brussels, offering a continuum of three programmes of education: IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the IB Diploma Programme (DP). B.I.S. also offers an early years programme which is a part of the PYP for the tiny tots aged between 3 and 6 years.

Early Years

During the early years, the four-unit curriculum is based upon transdisciplinary and inquiry methods, but is primarily based upon play-learning, life-skills learning, and social-skills learning. This is a programme inspired by the Montessori method of education, and that influences the day-to-day and big-picture activities within the learning environment. Literacy skills that include basic reading and handwriting skills are also developed by the end of Early Years 3 class aged 5 years.


Primary Years Programme

Transdisciplinary approach: A unified learning goal which includes language, mathematics, social studies, art, and/or science principles, is set out for the students in way where they can approach one topic through various subjects at once thus, helping them build a strong foundation.

Inquiry based approach: In all parts of the curriculum, B.I.S. focuses on the asking and answering of questions. These questions, the natural curiosity of our students, are thus used to drive the direction of education.

Conceptual approach: Approaching learning as a conceptual process, rather than an information recitation process. B.I.S. develops a student's ability to think critically and creatively using challenging and relative ideas, and these ideas are used to help students understand their own decision-making power in the world.

Knowledge based approach: On the more practical side of the curriculum, and in order to encourage a rigorous and competitive academic standard within the school, B.I.S. also utilizes content maps to ensure the students succeed to their fullest potential.


Middle Years Programme

Contextual approach: Learning approach based on connections between [students’] studies and the real world, as well as striving towards the development of skills for communication, intercultural understanding, and global engagement is what the MYP focuses on. Thus, curriculum in the MYP is developed with the learner and his or her needs and goals.

Service based approach: Students, as part of the curriculum and their extra-curricular time, will be responsible for not just learning more about what it means to be a member of a community, but to act on that understanding for the betterment of others.

Conceptual approach: The MYP approaches learning from a conceptual perspective – “big ideas that have relevance within specific disciplines and across subject areas". Learning without the restrictions of strict subject study is encouraged and learning through reinforcement and revision is supported.

Knowledge based approach: Specific subject study is equally encouraged at the secondary level, and students will find themselves focusing on languages, mathematics, sciences, humanities, current affairs, digital design, art, and performing arts within the structure of the programme.


Diploma Programme

Contextual approach: Students are required to study one subject from each of the five subject groups (Language & Literature, Language Acquisition, Individuals and Societies, Experimental Sciences and Mathematics), along with an arts subject from group 6, or a second subjects from groups 1 to 5. All DP students must choose three courses at Higher Level (HL) and three courses at Standard Level (SL).

Knowledge based approach: In addition to disciplinary and interdisciplinary study, the Diploma Programme features three core elements that broaden students’ educational experience and challenge them to apply their knowledge and skills: the Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge and Creativity, Action, Service (CAS).

Besides the IB programme the school also offers language courses from beginner to advanced levels for students in languages like French, Spanish and Italian.

Sports & Extra-curricular Activities

B.I.S. offers a multitude of sports and extra-curricular activities like music, hip-hop dance, zumba classes, tennis, classes to enhance logical and critical thinking through robotics, boxing classes, coding classes etc. to name a few.

References
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