This morning in Haaltert, students and principals from GO! Scholengroep Dender symbolically laid the first stone for what is being called the school of the future. Campus Groentopia will become a brand-new school building for both GO! primary school for special education De Brug and GO! primary school De Krekel. Green space and inclusion are central to the design, as this innovative new campus will serve as a leading example of a unified education system — with no separation between mainstream and special education. If all goes according to plan, the new school will open its doors in September 2026.
Preparatory works had already begun on the site, but with the laying of the first stone, construction has now officially started. Located on the Kattestraat in Haaltert, the site will merge De Brug — currently based in Aalst — with De Krekel, which already operates on the 2,700 m² plot.
Initial preparatory works on the school grounds had already begun recently, but with the laying of the first stone, the construction of the brand-new school building has now officially started. On the school site along Kattestraat in Haaltert, GO! primary school for special education De Brug from Aalst will be merged with GO! primary school De Krekel, which is already housed on the 2,700 m² site.
A School for everyone
A new building for both schools is more than welcome. The original De Brug school building was rated as inadequate by the education inspectorate, and the old pavilions of De Krekel are also in urgent need of replacement. But beyond infrastructure, this project carries a much larger vision: the evolution toward a school for everyone.
“If all goes well, by March 2026, we’ll have a school that meets every requirement for comfort and sustainability. A place full of inspiring learning environments, where mainstream and special education are fully integrated. This is incredibly valuable, because at GO! we strive for maximum inclusion. With the wide variety of learning spaces, every child will have the opportunity to learn at their own pace. We hope that this innovative campus, De Krekel, will soon serve as a model for the entire educational landscape,” - Koen Pelleriaux, CEO of GO!
This integration implies a different and new way of teaching. And that also affects the spatial layout of the school building.
“We want to create an inclusive school where every child, regardless of background or challenges, can truly live and learn together. This vision is clearly reflected in the layout of the new campus. For example, there will no longer be traditional classrooms, but islands within open-plan learning spaces. The green character of the site runs through the project like a red thread. We integrate nature through indoor and outdoor spaces for teaching, with which we aim to realise innovative education where exploratory learning is central, using a differentiated approach with challenges for every pupil. Children from mainstream education will learn and live together with children from special education type basic provision, using inclusion as a lever to achieve better education.” - Els Schockaert, general director of Scholengroep Dender
Greenery and open space
The architectural design of the new inclusive campus was carried out by HASA architecten, based in Mechelen. Greenery and open space are central to the concept.
“The buildings are brought together into one compact school building, leaving more open space. Inside, the various spaces — including open learning environments and a project room — are multifunctional. The green school park invites outdoor play. There will be an open-air theatre with a wooden grandstand, space for outdoor teaching, and a raised vegetable garden where children can get hands-on experience. Around the school, shade trees, shrubs, grass and a wadi will not only green the streetscape, but also provide cooling during future warm periods. They also buffer traffic noise, and vice versa, the sounds of children playing towards the neighbourhood. In short, the school environment is designed to radiate calm, freedom and vitality — while also being a place where children can play exuberantly.” - Sarah Flebus, HASA Architecten
Peace of mind
For Phaedra Van Keymolen, alderwoman for education in Haaltert, this new school is an absolute asset for Haaltert.
“With this beautiful project, we are not only strengthening education in our municipality, but also the social and cultural role of the school in our community. It will become a place where learning, playing and meeting go hand in hand, and that is of inestimable value for Haaltert. The new building is designed in such a way that it perfectly fits in with the surroundings of the school site. The focus on greenery also contributes to a pleasant and liveable municipality.” - Phaedra Van Keymolen, alderwoman for education in Haaltert
The design, construction, financing and maintenance of the new school is being handled by Aurora Scholen. This consortium consists of investors EPICo2 and Rebel, together with contractors Democo and Van Roey.
“We are extremely proud to be able to build a project with such a major societal impact. The fact that, through our consortium, we will also take on the maintenance of the school buildings for a period of 30 years is an extra asset and provides peace of mind for the school. School boards or parent committees no longer have to worry about damage, maintenance or its financing. From now on, they can fully focus on school operations and the pedagogical concept.” - Raf Houben, COO Democo Group
Due to the construction zone on the De Krekel campus, there are some practical changes, but because the construction is being carried out in phases, the current operation of the school is not being disrupted. If everything goes well, the first lessons in the new buildings will take place starting from September 2026.
Flemish school infrastructure
Campus De Krekel is not the only project of Aurora Scholen. The consortium is currently working on the design and construction of a total of 23 schools in Flanders, including in Turnhout, Ertvelde, Ghent, Mechelen, Ronse and Lanaken. All are public-private partnerships initiated by the Flemish government. Aurora Scholen aims to give a much-needed boost to the upgrading of school infrastructure in Flanders and to relieve school boards, parent committees and school groups of this burden.
