More and more Belgian families are making a bold decision: offering their children a world-class international education rather than conforming to the uncertainties of the national school system. This choice is motivated by an undeniable reality: concerns about the quality of education in Belgium, and the lack of parental choice due to the lottery system.

At BJAB (The British Junior Academy of Brussels), we offer them an alternative: a school where educational excellence goes hand in hand with flexibility, where every family can choose a school that matches their expectations.

Choosing BJAB is much more than opting for exceptional academic teaching. Founded in 1992 by the Belgian De Maertelaere family, BJAB was born out of a passion for education. Today, the school is led by Mrs. De Maertelaere and her daughter, who share a common vision: to offer a quality education that truly prepares children for a future where interpersonal skills and character are just as important as knowledge. At BJAB, good manners, self-confidence, and eloquence are cultivated from an early age, as we know these qualities open doors to the best opportunities worldwide.
Beyond mastering English, we offer Belgian students the opportunity to progress in French, including preparation for the CEB and other national exams.

The level of French courses is comparable — if not superior — to that offered in Belgian schools.

According to a parent of a Year 8 student.

This “pathway” is vitally important for them — the owners’ vision focuses especially on creating “competent global citizens” who master both English and their mother tongue, opening up endless possibilities.

For English speakers and international families, we offer 4 hours per week of French lessons, as well as opportunities to achieve DELF qualifications beyond the renowned British exams. This has increased local Brussels and international applications. It’s not just the Flemish Minister of Education looking overseas for inspiration…

After several months of experience, we are fully convinced we made the right choice: the combination of academic excellence, a warm environment, and an education based on kindness makes BJAB a demanding yet delightful place to be.

Parent of a Year 8 student.

The words of Kurt Hahn perfectly reflect our approach to every aspect of school life at BJAB. Many education experts today seem obsessed with developing either skills or knowledge — a false dichotomy missing the obvious: both are essential! Our aim at BJAB is to develop students’ values and a mindset blending agility and action, enabling them to become competent global citizens.

Too often, school leaders talk about “twenty-first century skills” as if they were preparing for a distant future, forgetting that nearly a quarter of the century has already passed…

Naturally, a school with high standards must attach great importance to its academic programme — and at BJAB, there truly is “no ceiling” for any child. We assess our students with standardised primary testing, Cambridge Checkpoint exams at 13–14 years old, Cambridge IGCSE courses (started in September), and soon, the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) from 2026.

Meanwhile, BJAB embraces the rich traditions of Anglo-Saxon private education — genuine traditions and innovation — without the astronomical costs of boarding in the UK, especially now that private schools there face VAT from 2025… something Belgian families at BJAB avoid!

Nevertheless, we are proud of our strong links with traditional UK schools like Radley, Stowe, and Harrow, strengthened by our membership in influential organisations such as IAPS (Independent Association of Prep Schools) and COBIS (Council of British International Schools). As a BSO-inspected school (British Schools Overseas), BJAB ensures outstanding education and teaching quality — with inspections every three years and reports published on our website.

From Year 7, we add Spanish as a new foreign language (optional for IGCSE exams) and introduce Latin. Flemish/Dutch courses will soon be available through an after-school club, reinforcing multilingualism — because, as Kipling and Billy Bragg remind us: ‘What do they know of England, who only England know?’.

At BJAB, our French “native speaker” team achieves remarkable progress with both native and non-native French-speaking students, using fun, effective English methods. Long live languages at BJAB!

On the pastoral side, class teachers from Nursery to Year 6 do a wonderful job nurturing and supporting young learners. In lower secondary, “vertical tutors” — each mentoring a mixed-age group from Years 7 to 9 — foster cross-year collaboration on assemblies, charity initiatives, and more. From Year 10 onwards, a horizontal tutoring system supports whole-year groups towards public examinations.

The teachers cultivate a genuine love of learning. The academic level is demanding yet encouraging; our daughters made outstanding progress without stress or exhaustion.

Parent of a Year 8 student.

Life at BJAB is founded on 20 core values such as respect, joy, tolerance, and kindness, giving students a vital foundation for life in community. Excellence and high standards — academic and pastoral — are essential. But what excites us most at BJAB is our evolving co-curriculum, expanding from pre-nursery (2.5 years old) up to senior secondary students aged 17–18 by 2027.

We are proud to be a candidate member of Round Square, a network of over 260 schools worldwide, from South America to Australia, Africa, India, and Europe — BJAB remains the only Round Square school in the Benelux countries.

Round Square schools focus strongly on character education through the IDEALS: Internationalism, Democracy, Environment, Adventure, Leadership, and Service. While Round Square started in secondary schools, it has now expanded into primary, and BJAB was among the first to adopt it. Our youngest pupils enthusiastically engage with the “Heroes of Discovery,” embodying these ideals in an accessible, impactful way.

Our students from Years 7 to 10 benefit from “Geography Labs,” “History Labs,” and “Language Labs,” connecting regularly with students worldwide. Imagine Year 10 historians comparing views on WWII with peers from Munich, Japan, the USA, and India! Or studying sustainable tourism through comparisons between Belgium, India, the Bahamas, or Colombia. The possibilities are endless…

The highlight for Year 11 will be a 10-day trip to Dubai with Round Square students worldwide, participating in baraza discussions, meeting inspiring people, and tackling key issues like sustainability, biodiversity, renewable energy, urban farming, and more — plus iconic visits like the Burj Khalifa and the Museum of the Future.

Duke of Edinburgh Award

All Year 9 students follow the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh programme, with opportunities to continue to Silver and Gold levels — enhancing their CVs and life skills. Our first Bronze cohort celebrated at the British Residence in Brussels with over 470 other participants. Their practical expeditions included hiking the Ardennes, advancing to Luxembourg for Silver, and French Alps adventures for Gold.

These initiatives complement BJAB’s proud tradition of vibrant extracurricular clubs — Scottish dancing, embroidery, coding, robotics, debating, drama, and sports.

Field trips also play a key role — from nursery autumn walks to Year 9 and 10 trips to Madrid and Paris. Future post-IGCSE and post-IB trips are already being envisioned — NASA, Guadeloupe, Vietnam… limitless opportunities!

As Goethe said:
“Zwei Dinge sollen Kinder von ihren Eltern bekommen: Wurzeln und Flügel” (Children need two things from their parents: roots and wings).

At BJAB, we give our students strong roots — and powerful wings to fly… and often, wings to return home again.

We would be delighted to welcome you to BJAB and show you what a true “BJAB Education for Life” looks like — do get in contact for a personal tour!

Francis Retter, Headteacher