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What is St. John's International School?
St. John's International School is a private international school in Waterloo, near Brussels, Belgium, teaching students from expatriate and local families. It was founded in 1964 and is best known for offering the full International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum. The school describes itself as academically rigorous but also nurturing, with a strong emphasis on knowing each student individually.
What it offers
- Full IB pathway, which the school presents as one of the few complete IB offerings in the Brussels area.
- Academic results: for 2025, an average IBDP score of 36, a top score of 43, and 40% of students scoring 38 or above.
- Facilities and enrichment: a performing arts centre, competitive sports programmes, and extracurricular activities.
- Community: an international student body combined with ties to the local area.
Who it suits
Families relocating to Brussels who want an internationally recognised curriculum and university preparation, and who value a school that positions itself as personalised rather than large and anonymous.
Trade-off to weigh
The full IB is demanding and suits students who want that structure and global university pathway. Families seeking a different curriculum, or a school closer to central Brussels, may prefer to compare alternatives. Waterloo is outside the city centre, so commute times matter.
Next step
Book a tour or attend a discovery day and ask specifically about class sizes, university counselling, and how the IB options are chosen. You can start at St. John's International School.
How does St. John's International School compare to other international schools in Brussels?
St. John's positions itself as a full-IB, internationally minded school in Waterloo, with a long history (since 1964) and a strong 2025 IBDP result claim. Compared with other international schools in Brussels, its main differentiators are the full IB continuum, a personalised "know your child" approach, and a broad arts/sports enrichment programme. The trade-offs are location (Waterloo is outside central Brussels) and the fact that it is IB-only, so families wanting A-levels, AP, or a British-style curriculum may prefer alternatives.
H3 What actually differs
| Dimension | St. John's (as described) | Typical Brussels international school |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | Full IB path only | Often IB, British, American, or mixed |
| Location | Waterloo, south of Brussels | Many in or near central Brussels |
| Class/cohort feel | Emphasises personalised, inclusive community | Varies; larger schools can feel less personal |
| Results | Claims 2025 IBDP average 36, top 43, 40% at 38+ | Ranges widely; check each school's own data |
| Enrichment | Performing arts centre, competitive sports, extracurriculars | Common, but depth and facilities vary |
H3 Who it suits
- Expat families committed to the IB diploma and global university admission.
- Local families wanting an international peer group without leaving Belgium.
- Students who want strong arts or sports alongside academics.
H3 Practical comparison step
Shortlist two or three schools, then compare on the factors that matter most: curriculum fit, commute from your home, class sizes, language support, and university destinations. St. John's publishes IBDP results, so ask other schools for equivalent, year-by-year data rather than marketing averages.
For reference, you can also look at International School of Brussels and British School of Brussels to see how curriculum and location options differ.
What are the admission requirements and application process for St. John's International School?
Admission to St. John's International School in Waterloo is designed around an inquiry-first process: families make contact, visit the campus, and then complete an application for review. The school presents itself as selective but personalised, with placement decisions tied to whether its full International Baccalaureate pathway suits the student.
What the process looks like from the family side
- Get in touch. The school's main calls to action are "Get in Touch," "Book a Tour," and "Discovery Days." These are the entry points for asking about availability, curriculum fit and the right year group.
- Visit or attend a discovery event. A tour or discovery day lets you see facilities, meet staff and judge whether the school's international-but-locally-connected culture matches your family.
- Submit an application. Expect the school to request school records, reports or transcripts from the current or previous school, plus identification and contact details for the family.
- Provide academic and language information. Because the school teaches the full IB curriculum in English, it will want evidence that your child can access that programme, often through previous school reports, teacher references or an assessment.
- Receive a placement decision. The school decides the appropriate year group and whether it can meet the student's needs, then issues an offer and enrolment steps.
Requirements to expect
- Age-appropriate year placement, based on the student's date of birth and school history.
- Previous school records, usually the last two years of reports, and transfer or leaving certificates where applicable.
- English proficiency sufficient for the IB, particularly at Diploma Programme level, though the school's personalised approach suggests support is considered case by case.
- A family interview or student meeting, common at international schools, to assess motivation and fit.
- Learning-support information, if your child has diagnosed needs, so the school can confirm it can provide the right support.
A practical decision criterion
The strongest signal on the page is academic ambition: a 2025 IBDP average of 36 points, a top score of 43, and 40% of students scoring 38 or above. That profile suits families targeting selective universities worldwide, and it means the admissions conversation will likely focus on whether your child can thrive in a rigorous IB environment. If your child needs a different pathway, such as A-levels or a national curriculum, this is worth raising before applying.
Next step: book a tour or attend a Discovery Day, and bring your child's last two school reports plus any learning-support documentation so the admissions team can give you a realistic view of placement and fit. For broader context on IB schools in the region, you can also compare with the International Baccalaureate and ECIS.
How much does it cost to attend St. John's International School?
St. John's International School does not publish tuition figures on the page used for this introduction, so no reliable cost can be quoted here. The page instead directs families to "Get in Touch," "Book a Tour," and "Discovery Days" — which is where fee information is normally shared, usually alongside an application.
A practical next step is to request the current fee schedule directly, and ask for it broken down by grade level rather than as a single figure. At international schools in Belgium, the headline tuition is rarely the whole cost.
What to ask about when you request fees
- Grade-specific tuition, since early years, primary and secondary (IB Diploma) are typically priced differently.
- One-off costs: application or registration fees, assessment fees, and an enrolment or capital levy.
- Recurring extras: bus transport, school lunches, uniforms, technology or device charges.
- IB-specific costs: examination and subject fees in the Diploma years, plus any university counselling or trip costs.
- Language support, if your child would need English as an additional language provision.
- Sibling or employer arrangements, which matter to many expatriate families in the Brussels area.
A useful comparison approach
If you are weighing St. John's against other international schools near Brussels, build a simple table with rows for each cost item above and columns for each school. Ask every school for the same list in writing and for the same grade level. That makes the real annual total comparable, instead of comparing one school's all-in figure with another's tuition-only number.
You can start the request through St. John's International School. Because the school describes itself as offering the full International Baccalaureate path with a strong IB Diploma results profile, it is worth asking whether fees differ between the IB Career-related or Diploma tracks and the earlier years — a detail schools often explain only on enquiry.
What extracurricular activities and sports programs does St. John's International School offer?
St. John's International School describes its extracurricular side in broad terms rather than a full activity list: a "top performing arts centre," competitive sports programmes, and a diverse range of extracurricular activities, framed as part of a holistic education alongside the IB curriculum. See St. John's International School.
H3 What the school actually states
- Performing arts: a dedicated performing arts centre, positioned as a strength of the school.
- Sports: competitive sports programmes, i.e. teams and fixtures rather than only recreational PE.
- Other activities: described as "diverse extracurricular activities" that let students explore passions and express talents.
H3 What is not specified The page evidence does not name individual sports, performing arts disciplines, clubs, or schedules, and it does not say whether activities carry extra fees. Treat any specific list you see elsewhere as something to verify directly.
H3 How to decide if this fits your child Use the breadth of the offer as a question, not an assumption. A useful test is whether your child's main interest sits in the arts or in competitive sport, since those are the two areas the school highlights. If your child's passion is something narrower — a specific instrument, a niche sport, robotics, debate — ask whether it exists as a programme or as a student-led club.
H3 Next step Book a tour or attend a discovery day and ask three concrete things: the full current activity list by age group, which sports compete in leagues and at what level, and how rehearsals or fixtures are scheduled around IB coursework. That last point matters most for Diploma Programme students, where time management is the real constraint.
How does St. John's International School support students with diverse learning needs or English as a second language?
St. John's describes its approach as personalised and "globally minded," with teachers who "know each student personally" and learning tailored to individual needs. The school lists English as a second language among the areas where families commonly need support, and its IB pathway gives students a recognised framework that can be adapted to different starting points. The page does not detail specific programmes or staffing for learning support or ESL, so the practical answer is to ask directly during a visit or admissions conversation.
What the school says it offers
- Individualised learning: the school positions itself around knowing each child and tailoring the learning experience.
- A full IB curriculum, which is often chosen by mobile families because it travels well between countries.
- Strong academic outcomes: a 2025 IBDP average of 36 points, a top score of 43, and 40% of students scoring 38 or above — useful context if university admission is the goal.
- A "joyful and inclusive" community with arts, sports and extracurricular activities, which matters for students who need confidence and belonging alongside academics.
What to ask before applying
- How does the school identify a student who needs learning support, and what happens in the first term?
- Which support is delivered in class, in small groups, or one-to-one, and is there an additional cost?
- How does ESL/EAL support work for a beginner versus an advanced speaker, and how is progress reviewed?
- What is the process if a student needs an Individual Education Plan or exam access arrangements for IB assessments?
A useful next step
Book a tour and bring your child's most recent school reports, any educational psychologist assessment, and a short written summary of what has worked so far. Ask to speak with the staff member responsible for learning support and, separately, for English language support. Concrete questions about staffing, class sizes and how progress is tracked will tell you more than general descriptions of inclusiveness.
For comparison, other international schools in Belgium publish their own learning-support and language policies — for example International School of Brussels and The British School of Brussels — which can help you judge how detailed and transparent each school's provision is.
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