Breda Travel Forum

I have just been asked for second interview with a firm in Breda. My family and I have been travelling to Holland for the past couple of years and loved it! My wife and I are in our early forties and 3 boys aged 5,7,and 8. I am interested in knowing if there are primary schools that speak in english and also what is the housing market in Breda and surrounding areas?

Since this is the first time I have used a site like this, there will be allot more questions in the future.

Thanks
Rob-nyc

At http://076.pagina.nl/ there is a section called "bassisscholen". I am afraid that none of the schools in this list have lessons in English.

Download this information brochure from the education ministerie:
www.minocw.nl/download/pdf/pogids2001en.pdf

For houses; get an impression at:
http://www.nieuwbouw-woningen.nl/index.php?provincie=7&plaats=2755&prijsklasse=all&action=Zoeken

PJ

PJ,

thank for the information. I will check through it and see what I can findout.

Thanks,
Rob-nyc

Hi Rob,

As far as I know the nearest school you’ll find in Rotterdam/Holland or in Antwerp-Ekeren/Belgium. The distance from Breda to both of the mentioned places is ca 50km( 40min by car). These schools have also a kindergarten division ( thinking of your youngest son, as the elementary schools starts from 6 y )

American International School Rotterdam
http://www.aisr.nl/future_families/future_families.htm

Antwerp International School
http://www.ais-antwerp.be

I personally know the school in Antwerp-Ekeren, it has very good reputation. Maybe it’d be interesting to ask the schools if there are children coming from Breda and if they do use car-pooling.
Best regards,
Bozena

If a company recruits you, they usually able to give you contacts for searching for housing to rent or buy in the region. It is not even have to be in Breda city, it can be in the suburbs, near by town or one of the smaller nice villages around which are very nice for a family. About a school for the kids, it depends how long you are planning to stay, to my experience, as the kids are still at young age, will be the best to send them to local school, they will catch up with the local language very quick and still keep English as their main language as you speak it at home. My son 9 years old already manages 3 languages.

Thanks for the information. I will try and contact this school and the one in Rotterdam as well.

Cheers,
Rob

I'm wondering how long you will live in The Netherlands. If you are staying several years, you could consider sending your boys to an ordinary school as they will pick up the language in no time at their age. You might also like to know that English is taught at Dutch primary schools (I'm not sure from which class, I think from about age 8).
You will also get into local life much quicker (meet people) if you have kids at a local school.

It's in Dutch but www.funda.nl is one of the housing websites with many real estate agents connected.
Breda is a lovely city. Great shopping and culture. The area is very nice to live too.

Just my 2p :-)
Good luck.

Hi Rob i had to write to you to let you know i have been here 12 months now with my family of boys 11 10 7 they have settled very well and there is a special school to teach non-speaking dutch children the language the school is :-
Prot.Chr.Basisscholl "De Fontein"
Kangoeroestraat 5
4817 GA Breda 076 5211916

they spend about 12-18th months here then go back to a normal dutch basic school. If you only want english speaking schools then i understand that you have to go Rotherdam. I take it that you will want to rent a property which can be expensive we have just succeed in buying our own house.
This is also my first time of using this site but hope i have been of some help.
I also have an english friend here now with her children at the same school and would like to know how you have a job without speaking dutch as she is looking for work also.

Hi Rob again i have just re-read your replies that you already have and i can tell you that they start to learn english in group 7 as my eldest son is just going into that group on Feb 14th when he leaves De Fontein......
If you are planning on living here for some time as we are then the school i have already recommend is very good.

my normal email address is Mallettseurope@hotmail.com if you would like to get in touch for anymore information about things as when we moved here 12 months ago we knew no-one and we have learnt alot since being here and perhaps we could be of some help to you all.

good luck with the job interview. My husband works in Dordercht but love living in Breda.....

We found our place through Meeus, which is near the VVV (thats the tourist i point to us)
They were pretty good and even replaced all the toilets and sinks (which were pretty skanky) when we rented off them.