Cities / Brussels / BEPS International School
BEPS International School
Founded in 1972 near the Bois de la Cambre and ULB, BEPS is a small IB World School (PYP, MYP, Diploma, and the unusual Career-related Programme) with around 300 students from 50+ nationalities, capped at 18 students per class. Annual…
In brief
BEPS sells itself on family scale and family feel, and parents who like it really like it. The honest concern is whether the small size meets your child's needs at the upper end.
Founded in 1972, BEPS runs a primary campus on Avenue Franklin Roosevelt in Ixelles and a secondary in Waterloo, around 300 students total. Curriculum is full IB continuum, PYP through Diploma. Class sizes are genuinely small and that is the point of the place.
Parents praise the warm atmosphere, responsive teachers, and how quickly new arrivals settle. Children are described as happy to go to school and well known by name. For families who found bigger Brussels options impersonal, BEPS is the relief.
The flip side of small is thin. Subject choice at Diploma is narrower than at ISB or BSB, and sports and extracurriculars cannot match the big campuses. A strong cohort year matters more here than at a 1,300-student school. Leadership has been in place a long time, and how much that suits depends on what you want from a head.
Fees
| Fee | Age | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Years 1-3 (ages 2.5-6) | 3 | Annual | €20,300 |
| Lower Primary Years 1-2 (ages 6-8) | 6 | Annual | €27,660 |
| Upper Primary Years 3-6 (ages 8-12) | 8 | Annual | €30,380 |
| Secondary MYP1-3 (ages 12-15) | 12 | Annual | €33,585 |
| Secondary MYP4-5 (ages 14-16) | 15 | Annual | €34,295 |
| IB Diploma / CP Years 1-2 (ages 16-18) | 16 | Annual | €36,590 |
| Registration Fee (non-refundable) | One-time | €600 | |
| School Development Fund | One-time | €600 | |
| Refundable Deposit (EY/Primary) | One-time | €800 |
Reviews
- Newer reviews on the main directory are split. One parent said "the teachers and staff are kind and truly care about knowing each child". Another, posting the next day, said "the management (all Belgians) has been there forever and do not adjust to new methods".
- The thematic curriculum draws specific praise. One parent said their ten-year-old "loves the teaching method (by theme), so different and more interesting".
- Where the value-for-money question comes up, parents flag teacher experience. One said most teachers "are not native speakers" and described BEPS as "good school for EY or lower primary but not worth the price" higher up the school.
- Older expat-forum discussion notes a high share of fee-paying Belgian families, meaning fewer anglophone parents and more French heard in the playground than at other English-medium schools.
- The school is praised for its small size, family feel and forest setting.
Head of school
Pascale Hertay
Pascale Hertay is the General Director of BEPS International School, having joined in 2014. She has extensive experience in international education, having worked in schools across Abu Dhabi, Cairo, and The Netherlands, including serving as Vice Principal at the International School of The Hague. She is a specialist in the International Primary Curriculum (IPC), acting as a trainer and member of the IPC accreditation team. Under her leadership, BEPS expanded from a primary school to offering a full secondary curriculum, including the IB Middle Years, Diploma, and Career-related Programmes. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the ECIS Board of Trustees and holds a postgraduate qualification from the University of Bath.
Accreditations
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges 01
Academic results
- Result IB DP and IB CP 100% pass rate 2024.