BIST Admissions Policy

BIST Admissions Policy

Admissions Policy

Introduction

This policy applies to applicants for entry to both the Primary (including EYFS) and the Secondary school settings.

All parents/guardians are required to complete a registration form, available on the website, and agree to pay a non-refundable registration fee to cover administration expenses, in order to start the process of admission.

Admission

Criteria

Children are accepted into the school at all ages subject to:

• a successful assessment,
• the school’s ability to meet their needs,
• their ability to access the curriculum,
• the availability of a place, and
• parents/carers’ acceptance of the School Fees.

The school seeks to maintain its international flavour and the primacy of English as the main language of communication not only with pupils, but also between them. Careful attention is paid to ensure that there is an appropriate balance between the number and origin of national and international students.

Class sizes

The school reserves the right to organise classes and limit class sizes on a flexible basis in order to:

• maximise the number of places available at any one time
• to make effective and efficient use of teaching staff
• to ensure an acceptable gender balance is maintained within each class
• to ensure that the demands of children with English as an Additional Language can be supported appropriately
• to ensure that pupils with special educational needs can be supported appropriately
• to facilitate class sizes, that are advantageous to the academic and social development of all pupils.

The school aims to maintain average class sizes of twenty pupils, but is able to admit up to twenty five pupils per class. If a particular year group is likely to exceed these numbers, a decision will be taken as to whether to split the year group into smaller classes, or to employ a teaching assistant to support the class teacher.

Registration

The completion and signing of a registration form does not guarantee admission by the Principal nor does it in any way bind parents. The registration fee is non-refundable. Further details of registration, assessment and other fees and charges will be found in the School Fees document.

Joining the school

Once a place has been offered by the school an acceptance form should be completed and a deposit paid to guarantee the place. Parents should confirm the decision for their child/ren to join the school a term before the date of entry.

Leaving the school

A full term's notice is required before the withdrawal of a pupil from school after acceptance of a place, or for removal at any time during the pupil's education at the school. A full term’s fees become payable in the absence of the notice given above.

The Principal may require a pupil summarily to leave the school as set out in the School’s Behaviour Policy (See Rewards and Consequences in the Behaviour Policy) or if otherwise he considers that it is the best interests of the pupil or the school so to do. No claim for repayment of fees in advance shall then arise. Upon a term's notice by the Principal, a pupil's attendance may be terminated following a failure to maintain the academic or general standards required.

Meeting Educational Needs

English as an Additional Language (EAL)

Applicants with little or no previous experience of English will be considered for admission. Students will be assessed to ascertain the level of support they require. Students who are admitted with little or no English will receive English as an Additional Language support, subject to the school’s ability to deliver this.

Special Educational Needs (SEND)

The school is mindful of a child’s special educational needs and/or disability and wishes to be as inclusive as possible within the bounds of what it is possible for the school to support and deliver, both with respect to that child and other pupils in the class and school.

At the time of application and prior to offering a place, all parents will be asked to give a comprehensive statement with regards to any known special educational needs and/ or disability that a prospective pupil may have and, if necessary, to undertake appropriate assessments to diagnose conditions and the requirements to manage identified needs.

Once a special educational need and/or disability has been declared the school’s Disability, Special, Specific and Additional Educational Needs Policy will become part of the admission process. Parents can be assured that the school will be sensitive to the details and requests for confidentiality.

A failure to declare a known special educational need and/or disability at the time of application and prior to a place being offered, may result in the place being withdrawn.

Oversubscription

In the event that a class is [more than 75% full /] oversubscribed, a points based system will be used to evaluate priority.

Waiting list

Providing that a child has been assessed successfully, if the school is oversubscribed during the normal admissions process the child may be placed on a waiting list.

Page 1 of 2