In Kruibeke, the directors of GO! Basisschool Reynaert, Marco Maes, and GO! Middenschool Stapsteen Reynaert, Kathleen Thomassen, officially laid the first stone of their brand-new school building. They were joined by the Aurora Scholen construction team, Alderman for Education Anke Heyrman, and Patrick Wittock, General Director of GO! Scholengroep Waasland. The core values behind the project: greenery, security and tailored education.
Today, the campus hosts nursery, primary and first-year secondary education. The current infrastructure, over 65 years old, is being replaced by a modern building with an open, flexible layout. At its heart will be a central courtyard, surrounded by landscape classrooms, movable partitions and project-based learning zones.
“We’re moving away from traditional layouts and building an open, flexible and sustainable school, designed around each individual child. A place where everyone feels welcome.”
— Patrick Wittock, GO! Scholengroep Waasland
“After a long preparation, construction on our dream school is finally starting. A building that makes collaboration between primary and secondary education feel natural. Our team is very proud.”
— Kathleen Thomassen, GO! Middenschool Stapsteen Reynaert
“This project brings a long-standing dream to life — not just for us, but also for the late Martine Goossens, whose vision lives on in every detail. We look forward to seeing our pupils thrive in a warm and professional environment.”
— Marco Maes, GO! Basisschool Reynaert
Green surroundings and multifunctional use
Construction will take around 20 months. The new building, designed for nursery, primary and secondary pupils, will span 2,500 m² over two floors. In a later phase, the current primary school building will be demolished and replaced with green space, complementing the existing trees and natural areas. In total, 3,000 m² will be de-paved.
Two playgrounds are planned — one with play sand, the other with a sports field and amphitheatre — as well as a ‘kiss & ride’ drop-off zone and covered bicycle parking.
“We translated the GO! educational vision into a flexible building that also accommodates after-school activities, adult education and community events.”
— Sarah Flebus, Hasa Architecten
Peace of mind for the school team
The design, construction, financing and long-term maintenance are being carried out by the Aurora Scholen consortium, which includes investors EPICo and Rebel, as well as contractors Democo and Van Roey. The Energy Circle, part of the Democo Group, is responsible for all technical systems and installations.
“We are extremely proud to build a project with such societal impact. Thanks to our consortium, we’ll also take care of maintaining the school buildings for the next 30 years — giving schools peace of mind. School boards and parent associations no longer have to worry about damage, upkeep or funding. They can focus entirely on education and pedagogy.”
— Jochen Willen, CEO of Democo
23 school projects across Flanders
The Reynaertschool project is just one of 23 schools currently being developed by Aurora Scholen across Flanders, in cities like Leopoldsburg, Lanaken, Ninove, Turnhout, Ertvelde, Ghent, Mechelen and Ronse. Each project is part of a public-private partnership initiated by the Flemish government. The aim: boost the much-needed renewal of school infrastructure and relieve school teams of practical burdens.
