The Courtyard International School of Tervuren

In Brief

The Courtyard is the standout choice in Brussels if you want the full IB continuum - all four programmes - in a genuinely small school, with bilingual education in your choice of two languages from English, French, and Dutch. The Tervuren location is ideal for families near BSB, NATO east, or Leuven.

The Courtyard is one of the most unusual international schools in Belgium. It is the only school in the country offering all four IB programmes - PYP, MYP, Diploma, and the Career-related Programme - and the only school where students choose two languages from English, French, and Dutch as their bilingual instruction medium. With around 210 students from 53 nationalities and a hard cap of 16 per class (average 12 at primary, 15 at secondary), it operates at a scale where the head of school knows every family. The campus occupies two national heritage buildings in Tervuren: a restored 17th-century courtyard farm for primary, and the Robiano-Stolberg Castle for secondary.

The forest school and farm school programmes are integrated into the curriculum from nursery - not added on as optional enrichment, but built into the weekly timetable. Children in the early years engage with animals, gardens, and woodland on-site; the primary years continue with structured outdoor learning that connects to IB inquiry themes. This is particularly valued by families who want nature and sustainability embedded in their children's education rather than as a separate activity. A door-to-door bus service covers Tervuren, Brussels, Leuven, NATO, and Waterloo, which is more comprehensive than most schools of this size operate.

Fees are moderate by Brussels standards - EUR 12,210 at Nursery rising to EUR 23,400 for the IB Diploma - with an application fee of EUR 600. For context, that Diploma fee is about half of BSB's senior fee. The school was ranked third on ISD's 2025 most-popular Brussels list, above schools many times its size. The practical consideration is the Tervuren location: 15-20 minutes from the EU quarter and city centre, but well-placed for families in the eastern suburbs, Tervuren itself, or commuting from Leuven.