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Antwerp International School

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België
Antwerp
Antwerp International School

Enrichment at AIS includes a wide variety of extra-curricular activities in the arts, theater, sports and much more. and many other countries.

The Antwerp International School (AIS) was founded in 1967 and is located in the leafy, residential suburb of Ekeren, only ten kilometers north of the center of Antwerp in Flanders, Belgium. AIS offers a student-centered, comprehensive English language education (IPC, IGCSE, IB Diploma) to children from the age of 2½ years to 18 years old, where the development of critical thinking skills is emphasized. Our student body consists of 400 students from over 40 nationalities. A holistic and personalized approach in a small class setting allows students to build a friendly, yet respectful relationship with their teachers and with their peers. Upon graduation, over 95% of AIS students enter directly into a college or university in Belgium, the U.K., the Netherlands, the U.S. AIS is fully accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) as well as the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). AIS was the first school to be accredited by CIS and the first in the world to receive five consecutive accreditations from this organization. In addition to academic excellence, AIS also serves as a focus where students, families and teachers can socialize and embrace the extensive cultural experiences available to the school community. AIS is a school people call “home away from home”.

28/09/2026

Last Friday, our Primary Years came together to mark the International Day of Peace, turning a big idea into something children could see, create and practise together.

Across Primary, peace took many forms: flowers filled with words such as kindness, respect, fun, care and inclusion; colourful flags; doves; bunting and hands with the peace signs; thoughtful letters and a team-building activity. Each experience encouraged students to consider what peace looks like in everyday life, in the way we speak, listen, include others and work through differences.

☮️ The day ended on the Kasteel steps, where the Early Years students joined the Primary students to sing “I Wish for Peace” for their parents. It was a powerful reminder that peace is not just something we hope for. It is something we build, through small choices and actions, every day.

For our young learners, experiences like these help develop empathy, communication and a sense of responsibility towards the communities they are part of — qualities that reach far beyond the classroom.

22/09/2026

Reading between the lines.

In Grade 12 DP English Language and Literature, a cup of tea or hot chocolate is becoming part of the students’ novel study routine: slow down, open the novel, annotate, question and talk it through.

This year’s Novel Study centres on Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things. Set in Kerala, India, the novel moves back and forth between past and present and between childhood and adulthood rather than following a straightforward chronology. That complex structure has given students an interesting challenge: collaboratively reconstructing the timeline and looking closely at Roy’s distinctive authorial choices.

Putting the events in order is only the starting point. Through close reading and annotation, students look for literary devices, patterns, thematic development and the choices an author makes to shape a reader’s interpretation. They prepare questions, exchange perspectives and build meaning together.

It is a deliberately calm approach to preparing for the final DP examinations. Rather than rushing towards a “correct” interpretation, students practise reading critically, listening to different perspectives, supporting arguments with textual evidence and refining their thinking through discussion. These are the analytical and communication skills that will support them in the HL Essay and Paper 2 — but they also reach well beyond an examination.

Sometimes deeper thinking simply needs a complex novel, a good conversation and a warm drink.

20/09/2026

Happy retirement, Mrs Gommeren.

Some careers are measured in years. Others are remembered in stories, traditions and, apparently, a legendary performance of Alexandrie, Alexandra.

When Magda Gommeren joined AIS in the early 1990s, the school looked rather different. Every day began with homeroom, there was no New Gym, meetings were far less frequent, and — almost unimaginable today — both teachers and students had their own smokers’ corners.

Over more than three decades, Mrs Gommeren saw plenty of change. One thing remained remarkably constant: the positive, supportive atmosphere among colleagues and students. It is the vibrant buzz of AIS that she misses the most.

One memory deserves a special place in AIS history: a Soirée Française organised by the Language Department and French students. After short plays, songs and poetry came the finale: Mr Elst performing as Claude François, joined by Mrs Gommeren and other French teachers as Les Claudettes. A historical moment that surely would have gone viral if social media had existed.

Beyond the memorable performances, Mrs Gommeren hopes her students remember to read between the lines — spotting manipulation in fake news, misleading advertising and even an AI-written essay. She also hopes they discovered that reading stories is not “a punishment designed to ruin their weekends”, but almost as essential as food, water and a stable Wi-Fi connection.
Retirement now means no alarm clock, leisurely breakfasts and walks with the dog — and no Faculty Monday Morning Meetings. Those, she says, were “pure horror” to start the week with.

Thank you, Mrs Gommeren, for being part of the AIS story for so many years. We hope retirement brings plenty of good books, slow breakfasts and gloriously meeting-free Monday mornings.

18/09/2026

What do a would-be astronaut, fighter pilot, professional golfer, artist, veterinarian, reporter and Batman have in common? Somehow, they all ended up at AIS. 😍

We asked our staff a few questions to discover a little more about the people behind the classrooms, labs and offices of Antwerp International School.

And what a wonderfully international group they are. Our staff have called more than 60 countries home, from Canada and Argentina to Australia, Japan and the Philippines, from Malta to the mountain kingdom of Lesotho, Brunei, Trinidad and Tobago and many more. Some have crossed continents several times before finding their way to Antwerp, bringing more than 25 languages and a wealth of cultures, experiences and perspectives with them.

Then there are the things you won't find on a staff profile.

We have dancers, bakers, musicians and cooks, someone who can work with endangered crocodiles and someone who can drive an articulated lorry. One colleague can move their ears, another can juggle, and apparently we even have a teacher who can sneeze with their eyes open.

Their childhood dreams were just as varied: archaeologist, astronomer, race-car driver, flower-shop owner, airline employee, Beyoncé… and Batman. One particularly forward-thinking colleague simply dreamed of never having to work at all.

At school, you'll find more obsessive planners than “I’ll figure it out” people, a few paper-notebook loyalists, and a larger number of early birds than night owls. Their classrooms range from beautifully quiet to what we could describe as “productive chaos”. Coffee has a fairly convincing lead over tea.

These differences are part of what makes AIS such an interesting place to learn. The adults our students meet every day bring much more than expertise in their subject or role. They bring languages, cultures, passions, stories and different ways of seeing the world.

For our students, being part of an international community means encountering those perspectives every day.

16/09/2026

What does peace smell like?

Grade 5 began their inquiry with an unusual provocation: a collection of scents and one deceptively simple question: can a scent create peace or conflict?
When the teacher handed out small bags with different smells, students noticed how quickly a scent could trigger a feeling, memory or association. More importantly, they discovered that there was no single “right” response. A smell one person found comforting could create a completely different reaction for someone else.

That sensory experience opened the door to a much bigger PYP concept: perspective. Within their Who We Are inquiry, Grade 5 is considering identity, emotions and the ways our individual experiences influence how we understand ourselves and relate to others. Recognising that other people may have feelings and perspectives different from our own is an important part of developing self-awareness, empathy and healthy relationships.

A small bag of scent becomes much more than something to smell. It becomes a starting point for questioning assumptions, listening to others and considering why two people can experience exactly the same thing so differently.

And perhaps that is an important beginning for understanding conflict too: learning to recognise that our own perspective is only one of many.

15/09/2026

In their Maths inquiry, “Our Class in Numbers: How can we use Maths to tell the story of our class?” Grade 3 used numbers up to 100 as a way to tell the story of the people in the room. Students investigated questions about their class, from favourite colours and animals to how many siblings they have, making predictions before collecting the real data.

They followed the Inquiry Cycle, learning how a mathematical investigation develops step by step: asking a question, making a prediction, collecting and organising data, showing what they found and finally explaining what the maths tells them.

Before collecting the data, they made predictions. Would the answer be a low guess, a clever guess based on what they already knew, or a high guess? Then it was time to find out. Using tallies, students gathered and organised real information from their classmates, counted the results and compared them with their original predictions.

Through this hands-on investigation, numbers became meaningful. Grade 3 practised counting, recording and working confidently with numbers up to 100 while developing important thinking skills: estimating, collecting data, looking for patterns and drawing conclusions.

And along the way, the numbers revealed something else: a mathematical snapshot of the unique group of people who make up Grade 3.

13/09/2026

Sometimes a bake sale can lead all the way to a Biology lab.

Thanks to a generous donation from our Parent Teacher Organisation (PTO), Grade 12 Biology HL students are now able to investigate the microscopic world with greater resolution and clarity. They used the new microscope to explore slides of different types of muscle tissue, ligaments, tendons and cartilage, connecting what they could see through the lens to their current unit of Muscle and Motility.

The microscope also gave students an opportunity to revisit structures from previous learning. They examined xylem and phloem in roots and stems, root cells undergoing mitosis, and nerve cells, now able to observe these familiar structures in much greater detail. Moving between the slides encouraged careful observation, comparison and connection-making — important practical and inquiry skills in DP Biology.

Behind this new piece of equipment is our PTO community. Through bake sales, after school activities and sales of hoodies, our parent volunteers raise funds that flow directly back into school life. A sold cupcake or hoodie may seem like a small contribution, but together these sales can become a microscope that opens up an entirely new level of detail for our young scientists, supporting practical learning for years to come.

A lovely example of how community involvement can have a very real impact on learning. Thank you, PTO!

11/09/2026

How do cities grow, change and respond to the movement of people?

Grade 12 DP Geography students have been investigating urbanisation through two very different cities: Antwerp and Lagos. Working in teams, they brought their research together in detailed visual displays, using maps, images, data and geographical evidence to communicate how cities evolve over time.

Students had to select relevant evidence, identify patterns and connections, compare different urban contexts and decide how best to communicate complex geographical processes clearly. In doing so, they strengthened the research, critical-thinking and communication skills that sit at the heart of the IB Diploma Programme.

Comparing cities also encourages students to look beyond individual places and consider a bigger question: how do population, migration and urban growth interact to shape the places where people live?

Geography helps students read the changing world around them and recognise that every city tells a story about people, place and change.

08/09/2026

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT | MEET JEREMY

Three training sessions, a match every Saturday and plenty of challenging opponents. For Jeremy, hockey is a big part of the week — and has been part of his life since he first picked up a stick at the age of four. 🏑

Jeremy plays for the U14-1 boys at Koninklijke Hockey Club Dragons in Brasschaat, competing at national level. Playing against some of the strongest teams in Belgium is not always easy, but that challenge is also what keeps him learning. One moment he is particularly proud of? Scoring goals for his team.

Behind every match are hours of practice, encouragement from his dad and coach, and the discipline of preparing well — including a good breakfast and a proper warm-up before stepping onto the pitch. Jeremy also sees a connection between school and sport, with skills developed in PHE helping him become a stronger player.

But perhaps the most important lesson hockey has taught him can be summed up in three words: never give up. It is a mindset that reaches far beyond the hockey pitch. Resilience, commitment and the willingness to keep going when something is difficult are qualities we value in all learning at AIS. 💪

Our students bring so many talents, interests and passions to our community, and we would love to discover more of them.

💡 Do you have a sport, creative talent, unusual hobby, service project or special interest you would like to share? Leave a comment below 👇 or send us a DM and you might become our next Student Spotlight.

04/09/2026

Back-to-School Evening gives families the opportunity to step into their child’s learning environment, meet the people who will guide them throughout the year and begin building a strong connection between home and school.

Our Primary parents began the evening with a welcome from the Primary Principal and PYP Coordinator before joining their child’s teacher in the classroom. From routines and expectations to the PYP curriculum and the learning ahead, these conversations gave families a clearer picture of what their children’s school days will look like and how inquiry, agency and collaboration shape learning at AIS.

After these formal meetings, we brought the wider community together. Primary and Secondary parents, staff and teachers gathered in the STEMzone where conversations continued over a drink and nibbles. New introductions were made and familiar faces reconnected. Education works best when school and home are on familiar terms, talk to each other and work together.

Back-to-School Evening was a lovely way to begin a new school year, uniting us as one AIS community.

Adres

Veltwijcklaan 180
Antwerp
2180

Openingstijden

Maandag	08:00 - 16:00
Dinsdag	08:00 - 16:00
Woensdag	08:00 - 16:00
Donderdag	08:00 - 16:00
Vrijdag	08:00 - 16:00

Website

http://www.ais-antwerp.be/

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