Danielle Franzen Daoudy
Head of School
At Montgomery International School, most students come from abroad, speak two or three languages and add much to the character of the school. We also attract Belgian families and long term expats who are looking for an international education and quality teaching and learning.
EIM’s strengths:
· A welcoming family atmosphere, in which every child is able to fit in.
· EIM offers both a Primary and Secondary section with an IB education in an accessible, student-centred environment.
· EIM offers a choice between an Anglophone or a Bilingual English-French programme in the primary and secondary section.
· A dedicated, international staff who use inquiry-based pedagogy in small classrooms with an average of 15 students per group.
· A modern, equipped science lab and access to sports centres nearby, as well as a membership to university libraries for individual research and studies.
· A bilingual and fully renovated Library.
· Regular outings and school trips throughout the year, in Belgium and abroad.
· A school performance culture with shows every year in historic Brussels theatres.
· EIM is located in the heart of Brussels, close to the European Institutions and NATO, easy to reach by metro, tram or bus.
EIM also offers an anglophone programme in primary.
We have organised the information available for this school into 10 sections and 37 questions. Click or tap on the name of each section to read more.
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Number of students
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200
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Number of nationalities represented in the school
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40
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Most common nationality
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Most of our students are from European nationalities, but we also welcome students from a variety of other countries (India, Japan, Samoa, Fidji, Mauritus, China, and many more).
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Ratio of local students to international students
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30% of our students are local.
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Native English and French speaking teachers
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Yes
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Language support for students not fluent in English and French
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Yes, in the primary section students have pull-out lessons for support in French and/or English. In secondary, students are welcome to stay in supervised study after school for extra support. Moreover, the small class sizes allow for individualised attention.
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Additional language classes offered by the school
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At the Diploma Programme level, students can keep studying their mother tongue as part of the programme. We currently have students doing this Spanish, Dutch, Italian and Polish.
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Max. number of students per class
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18
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Average number of students per class
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15
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Does the school employ teaching assistants?
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Yes
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Use of technology in the classroom
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Our school has a BYOD policy. Technology is used to enhance the students' research skills.
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Is the school ready to use virtual classrooms when needed? (e.g. teaching lessons online if the school is closed, e.g. during COVID-19 closures)
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Yes, we are fully equipped with systems such as Google Classrooms and Managebac.
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Do students practice religion at the school? What religion?
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No
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External examinations or assessments available
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International Baccalaureate Diploma
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Results in these examinations
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We pride ourselves on our yearly 100% pass rate in the rigorous programme that is the IB Diploma. Our highest achiever was awarded the outstanding result of 45 points.
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Do teachers assign homework to their students?
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Yes, and we have a homework policy to clarify expectations and purpose of homework.
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Approximate hours of homework given
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Our Homework policy clarifies the amount of time that students need to complete homework. The duration is dependent on the grade level.
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Percentage of students who pursue further education post-graduation
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100%
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Dedicated staff/programs for students with special learning needs
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We do not have a support service per se, but our small class sizes allow for individualised teaching & learning, and we are an inclusive school with students who have various academic profiles.
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Entry evaluation for students
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For all primary & secondary, we ask for the report cards of the past two academic years. In the secondary section, we also set up placement tests for French and English as well as for Mathematics in the Diploma Programme.
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Brief description of entry evaluation required
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The purpose of the language placement tests in the secondary school is to assign the student to the appropriate language level (Language & Literature or Language Acquisition). The level assigned should not be too challening nor to easy. For Mathematics in the Diploma Programme it is to evalute whether the student should take the subject at Higher or Standard Level.
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Waiting list
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This depends on the demand and the grade level.
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Deadline for registration (new academic year)
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We cap each grade level at a maximum of 18 students, and when the class is full, we do not accept enrolements anymore. We therefore encourage families to enrol by January to be certain to have a place in the grade level(s) required.
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Students can join after academic year begins
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Yes
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School start time
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8:15
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School finish time
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15:30 every day for secondary.
For Primary school, 15:30 every day except Wednesdays (12:10)
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Supervised care before/after school
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Yes from 15:30 to 18:00
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School bus service available
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Yes, the price is 4,400€/year
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School provided lunches
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We do have a caterer who provides hot meals to families who wish to register for this. Otherwise, students can bring their lunch and heat it up in our cantine area.
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Food alternatives for special dietary needs (ie. vegan, kosher, halal etc)
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Yes, our caterer is flexible.
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Uniform required
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There is no required uniform, but we do have a dress code.
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Facilities at the school
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We have a black box theatre in which all students in primary and middle years have their drama lessons. We also have a primary and secondary library including fiction & non fiction in both English and French. We have a chemistry and a physics Lab including all the necessary resources as well as a 3D printer.
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Sports facilities at the school
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Being a city school, we collaborate with local sport centers, allowing our students to access a variety of facilities with excellent resources.
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Qualities and characteristics best defining the school
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A welcoming, friendly family atmosphere, in which every child is able to fit in.
EIM is a full school with both Primary and Secondary sections, offering an IB education in an accessible, student-centred environment.
EIM offers the choice between English language or bilingual English/French programmes.
A dedicated, international, experienced staff, with an average of 10 students per class.
A modern, equipped science lab, access to sports centres nearby, membership to university libraries for individual research and studies.
Regular activities and school trips throughout the year, in Belgium and abroad.
A lively theatre-performance culture with shows every year in historic Brussels theatres.
EIM is located in the heart of Brussels, close to the European Institutions and NATO, easy to reach by metro, tram or bus.
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Learning
The Primary Years Programme is for students aged 6 to 11. During these years they will develop a sense of creativity, curiosity about the world about them, care and respect for others as well as independence in thinking, study skills and time management.
The Middle Years Programme is a 5 year programme for students aged 11 to 16. Students have two choices:
• a programme entirely in English with French as a second language (beginner or intermediate level).
• a bilingual programme with French and English immersion courses in order to fully develop fluency in both languages.
The IB Diploma Programme for students aged 16-18. This is a rigorous high-school curriculum that prepares students for university. Students choose between the programme taught entirely in English, with French taught as a foreign language or the bilingual French/English programme.
Campus
We are located in the heart of Brussels nearby the European Institutions and NATO. We take full advantage of our location to visit international institutions, museums, galleries and theatres.
EIM is housed in a former double "hôtel de Maître", built-in 1907. In 2020, we acquired an additional facility to accommodate our growing student body. This 500 m2 venue is located 50 m away from the main building and provides students with a modern educational environment which includes a black box theatre, regular classrooms and a study space for our students.
Our infrastructure includes a modern, equipped science lab as well as a bilingual, complete and fully renovated Library. The PE classes take place at a close by university sport center, in a Fitness center , and when the weather allows, in the beautiful Parc du Cinquantenaire.
After School
The school life of our students is not limited to their academic programme. Indeed, our students participate in a wide range of activities both within and outside school.
EIM is a school community that really explores and enjoys the city of Brussels, which offers an infinite number of cultural activities in various fields. Many activities are accessible via public transport networks (metro, tram and bus).
This is an added benefit for our students who are also learning to move around the city more independently.
EIM also offers many extracurricular activities.
IB Results
These last years marked by Covid, have been challenging for our students. However, thanks to their incredible dedication and hard work, the investment of our teachers, and the support of our community, EIM’s class of 2022 did exceptionally well.
With an average score of 37 points (the international average historically ranges around 32 points), EIM now ranks as one of the top two IB schools in Brussels.
Our results in a few numbers:
· 100% pass rate
· Average: 37 points
· Lowest score: 30 points
· Top score: 45 points (achieved by less than 1% of the international IBDP graduates)
· 30% of graduates obtained a score of 40 points or higher
· 70% of EIM students graduated with the bilingual diploma (a differentiating factor when applying to universities)
