Klavertje Vier School Contract (2017-2023)

The 'Klavertje Vier' primary school forms a fairly closed block in the North Quarter of Brussels, between the canal and the railways. Despite the tall buildings and heavy traffic, the area contains many public spaces, but they lack cosiness, framing and activities.

The ambition of the School Contract is threefold:

Activating the existing infrastructure (sports facilities, green spaces,...)
Making the school more visible in the street and give it a more accessible and friendly image
Involving parents and local residents

More info:

External site Klavertje Vier School Contract (in French and Dutch, Perspective.brussels)

During the study and diagnosis phase, the school and its neighbourhood are analysed:

The relationship between the school and its neighbourhood is analysed, but also the communal space available, the possibilities for school infrastructure to be used by local residents, the state of street furniture and urban infrastructure,...
The school (teachers, pupils, parents) and the neighbourhood (local residents, municipality, associations, traders,...) are involved in the thought process

A participatory process is being held at the beginning of the study and diagnostic phase. This aims to define the needs and expectations of the different target groups of the school contract: students, teachers, organising authorities, residents and associations, shopkeepers and economic actors... The participatory approach makes it possible to organise the programming through a 'bottom-up dynamic' and pursues a co-production by the different actors.

External site Diagnosis of the Klavertje Vier School Contract (in French and Dutch, Perspective.brussels)

At the end of the diagnostic phase, an improvement programme and an investment and action plan are drawn up.

External site Klavertje Vier School Contract programme (in French and Dutch, Perspective.brussels)

Parents of the neighbourhood

Together with vzw Brusselleer and vzw Foyer, we provide various pathways for the school's parents. The aim here is to improve the relationship between the parents and the school, strengthen the parents and encourage them to take an active role in the school and neighbourhood.

From the school contract, the 'Salto' project started. A group of eight mums followed a training course at vzw Foyer to then supervise weekly after-school activities for families at the school. They do this in their mother tongue with the result that families who are more difficult to reach also participate.

There was also a series on language stimulation for parents of the neighbouring day-care centre and reception class, supervised by vzw Gekletter.

Soft roads

A network of playful and child-friendly signage links the school to fun public places/parks in the neighbourhood.

The artists Alice from Innis and The City is our Playground carried out this project. The children of Klavertje Vier went out in the neighbourhood and told what they think of their living environment. Similar workshops took place with the seniors of vzw Harmonie, the teenagers of 'La Maison des Enfants Symphonie', the temporary residents of the Maximilian Park and the visitors of the Millénaire Community Centre.

Creative workshops followed, resulting in a cheerfully painted school gate at Klavertje Vier, murals at the Millénaire Community Centre and more than 100 flags scattered around the neighbourhood. The results of the workshops are also shown on:

a subjective map (PDF, 6.34 MB)
the website External site Soft roads (in French and Dutch)

Forecourt and cycle route

The new forecourt, which will make the school environment more attractive, extends the school's limited outdoor space and makes it a place of gathering and tranquillity in the neighbourhood.

With the square, we aim to foster social cohesion in the neighbourhood and promote soft mobility. A large landscape staircase makes the connection to the opposite residential blocks. School and neighbourhood were involved in the creation.

Hélifarm workshops

Between the residential towers of the 'Lakense Haard' opposite the school lies a vast vegetable garden. Hélifarm is a project of the non-profit organisation 'Atelier Groot Eiland', which aims to stimulate and organise sustainability, social cohesion, integration and education in the neighbourhood. Third and fourth year children roll up their sleeves during a series of workshops supervised by VELT.

'Pop Up Neighbourhood Salon'

The Maximilian Farm built a 'Pop Up Neighbourhood Salon' to take into the neighbourhood, activating it and improving social cohesion. They provide a varied offer every fortnight on Wednesday afternoons in the Maximilian Park, but also during neighbourhood parties, for example.

Every child a plant

The school building of Klavertje Vier is sometimes perceived as a dreary concrete box. With this project, we want to offer the children a lively and green environment. Every school year, the children of the first year receive a houseplant that they take care of in the coming years. Thus, the school becomes ever greener.

Perimeter of the Klavertje Vier School Contract (PDF, 2.68 MB)