citation Under the Patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Mathilde

Learning Difficulties: What can you do?

Finding the right school in Belgium

If you need to find a new school for your child, use the EC-OC schools checklist (see below). Look at the list of English-language international schools in Belgium (see section ‘English-language International Schools in Belgium’, on this website) and select some that you think would be suitable. Make appointments to see them, taking a fresh copy of the Schools Checklist with you to each school you visit.

Once you have selected a school, there are several important points that you should remember :

The teachers need to know from the beginning that your child needs a special approach. Check that they will all be informed, and if possible, talk to them all individually about your child.

Ensure that any reports from educational psychologists, the previous school, doctors etc. are passed on to the school and are read by the relevant people.

Find out who coordinates the extra support that your child will receive. Who can you talk to ? Who can be approached by the parents, the child, social workers outside the school, the teachers, if there is a problem ?

Ensure that at the transition of one school year into another the new teachers will be informed about your child’s needs.

If you feel you would prefer to send your child to a school specialising in dyslexia in the UK, you can obtain details of these schools from the Council for the Registration of Schools Teaching Dyslexic Pupils ( known as the CReSTeD List).

This list includes local education authority schools and is “the only list of schools visited and accredited for dyslexia care, free; updated twice a year and includes many independent, day and boarding schools.”

It is available from :