International Montessori Schools of Brussels vs St. John's International School
🇧🇪 Brussels · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
Reviewed by Priscilla Han
Which should you choose?
Both run IB, so the difference is inspection rating, boarding, and fees rather than the curriculum itself; St. John's International School offers boarding while the other is day-only. The choice comes down to target curriculum, whether you need boarding, and budget — verify fees against each school's own figures.
Neither International Montessori Schools of Brussels nor St. John's International School sits in a market with a public inspectorate, so both are assessed on verifiable accreditation, curriculum authorisation, and published data rather than an official quality rating. One practical difference: St. John's International School offers boarding while the other is day-only — decisive for families who need a residential option. Verify current fees against each school's own figures (see the table below).
Key Facts
| International Montessori Schools of Brussels | St. John's International School | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | Montessori / IB | IB |
| Ages | 1-18 | 1–18 |
| Languages of instruction | English, French | English, French |
| Annual fees | Not published | EUR 14,750–46,500 |
| Boarding | Day only | Yes |
| Accreditations | Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) | Council of International Schools (CIS), Middle States Association (MSA), International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), Boarding Schools' Association (BSA) |
Strengths
- ✓Uninterrupted Montessori continuity from age 1 through the IB Diploma at age 18
- ✓Authentic bilingual English-French immersion with two-language staffing in the early and primary years
- ✓IB World School status for both the Middle Years Programme and the Diploma Programme
- ✓Additional Dutch, German, and Spanish language options in the IB secondary section
- ✓AMI-affiliated Montessori teacher training on site, signalling fidelity to the Montessori method
- ✓Full IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP) explicitly authorized and delivered from age 3 to 18
- ✓Strong published academic outcomes: 2025 IB Diploma average of 36 points (school-reported as best in Belgium), top score 43
- ✓Both day and boarding options (boarding for ages 11–17)
- ✓Highly international community with 65+ nationalities
- ✓Multiple recognitions displayed (IBO, CIS, MSA, BSA)
Trade-offs
- !Tuition figures are not published on the website; fees are only available via downloadable PDF schedules
- !Founding year, enrollment size, and formal EAL provision are not published
- !Belgium's lack of a graded public inspectorate for international schools limits independent, comparable quality verification
- !Only the IB pathway is offered, with no British or American curriculum track for families seeking those systems
- !High tuition, rising to EUR 46,500 for upper grades
- !Detailed language-support and EAL structure is only partially published on the public site
Best Fit For
- • Families seeking a genuine long-run Montessori education rather than a single-stage programme
- • English-French bilingual households or families wanting authentic dual-language immersion
- • Internationally mobile families who value the IB Diploma as a university-entry credential
- • Expatriate and mobile families wanting a single IB continuum from early years to Grade 12
- • Families needing day or boarding places near Brussels
- • Students targeting the IB Diploma with strong measured results
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
University-destination and exam-outcome data are not published on the school's site (school-reported, unverified); the IB Diploma is the exit credential of the secondary section.
IB Diploma results are school-reported: a 2025 average of 36 points (described by the school as the best in Belgium), a top score of 43, and 40% of students scoring 38 or more. Individual university placement destinations are not published in verified detail on the public site (school-reported, unverified).
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose International Montessori Schools of Brussels or St. John's International School?
International Montessori Schools of Brussels is best for: Families seeking a genuine long-run Montessori education rather than a single-stage programme. St. John's International School is best for: Expatriate and mobile families wanting a single IB continuum from early years to Grade 12. The right choice depends on target curriculum, budget, and family priorities — the two are not linearly comparable.
How do fees compare between International Montessori Schools of Brussels and St. John's International School?
International Montessori Schools of Brussels: Not published. St. John's International School: EUR 14,750–46,500. Verify against each school's own published fees; some figures are sourced from third-party aggregators.
What curricula do International Montessori Schools of Brussels and St. John's International School offer?
International Montessori Schools of Brussels: Montessori, IB. St. John's International School: IB.
Do International Montessori Schools of Brussels or St. John's International School offer boarding?
International Montessori Schools of Brussels: day school only. St. John's International School: offers boarding.
Questions parents ask
This comparison is BrightKey's independent assessment using verifiable public data only. University-placement figures are school-reported and not independently verified. BrightKey takes no payments from schools. Our method →