1. Foundation and Mission

In accordance with our Foundation, Dubai British School (DBS) is a British-style educational community open to English speaking students of all nationalities to whom a well - rounded education is offered. We welcome children of a wide range of abilities: our admissions philosophy is by nature inclusive, but contained by boundaries set by our language of instruction and our ability to support students who have learning difficulties or special educational needs. The school's admissions policy is aligned with the school's stated mission.

2. Principles

2.1 Prioritisation

As DBS is a school offering a British curriculum using English as the language of instruction, our first priority is to admit those students whose first or native language is English and who are capable of accessing our curriculum within the limits of the resources available at the school which maintain and support learning.

When the school receives applications, students are placed on waiting lists for admission according to priority groupings as described in Appendix 1. Offers are made to those on the waiting lists in each group at the times indicated in Article 2.3 of this policy and according to the numbers of places free in the appropriate year groups and prevailing class size policy at any one time.

2.2 Placement by age and Transfer Certificates

Year group placements are made according to the age norms that operate in the British system, and only very rarely will places be offered outside these ranges. Occasionally government regulations may require us to do so. Government regulation also requires a transfer certificate for all children from the child's current school in order to facilitate the correct placement. Cut off dates for any given year are; September 1 to August 31 inclusive. Therefore, placements are made according to the table shown in Appendix 3.

2.3 Timing of offers and maintenance of waiting lists

2.4 Assessments

Dubai British School is as inclusive as its resources and its English speaking environment allows. The school conducts assessments of all applicants in order to establish the level of English and to ensure that the child is able to access the school's programme within the levels of support that are available.

For Foundation 1 we assess children's readiness to start school before making offers to the following year's cohort.

2.5 Applications for students who speak English as an Additional Language (EAL)

DBS is committed to making its programme available to some students whose first language is not English. In order to do so, the school employs EAL support staff.

A student whose first language is not English can be admitted if he or she is judged able to access the curriculum with or without EAL support in a meaningful way upon admission. There will be an additional fee payable for any EAL support in so far as is permitted by the Dubai Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA). The school will advise as to whether an EAL course needs to continue, but a prime aim is to have students study without EAL support at the earliest opportunity.

The school will test all applicants whose first language is not English. Unsuccessful candidates who are not accepted after their initial assessment will be advised in a brief report what they can do to improve and when they might apply for another assessment. Students will be given a maximum of three assessments before their name is taken from the waiting list.

2.6 Applicants who need learning support

The School maintains an Extended Learning Department and offers extensive pastoral and counselling support. However, the school will only admit students when it has the capacity to support them without detracting from the education being offered to children who are already students at the school. Otherwise, the principles laid down in Appendix 1 determine offers to be made to students who need learning support.

Consideration may be given to applicants with a physical impairment or more severe learning difficulties if the following conditions apply:

• A sibling has already been offered a place
• The family are willing to pay for appropriate additional support deemed to be necessary
• in the opinion of the school it has the resources to offer an effective education without detriment to the education of other students
• in the opinion of the school the child, with this support, can function as a member of one of our mainstream classes
• the family are willing to withdraw the child if in the opinion of the school the child's needs can no longer be met without detriment to the education of other students and are willing to accept that entrance fees will be refunded in line with our normal refund policy

If a place is offered to a child with more severe learning support needs, the conditions of offer will be clearly indicated in a written document signed by parents and the Principal.

It is the responsibility of parents to offer full information in advance concerning a child's possible learning support needs. Failure to do so may result in the withdrawal of an offer or by requiring the child's withdrawal from school.

2.7 Admission to the Sixth Form (Years 12 & 13)

Placement on four Advanced Supplementary level courses requires a student to have passed six (6) GCSE courses at Grade C or above, two of which must be in Mathematics and English. The student must also hold a B Grade pass in the relevant subject area selected for sixth form study.  The school may admit students to AS courses conditionally; pending the result of Term 1 re-sits in GCSE courses.

Placement on Applied A Level courses requires a student to have passed four (4) GCSE courses at Grade C or above, and a commitment to achieve a C Grade Pass in Mathematics and English by the end of two years' study in the Sixth Form.

Students who have not taken GCSE courses will be admitted to AS and Applied A Level courses if their academic achievement is judged to be the equivalent of our GCSE entry requirements, based on validated documentary evidence from the previous school AND if the student has already satisfied or is likely to satisfy the matriculation requirements of the national system of higher education to which he or she will apply during Year 13.

2.8 Class and set sizes

Offers must be made in the context of the school's prevailing class size policy. Due to the transient and uncertain nature of the international community in Dubai, there must be some flexibility when making offers. This is provided by the way the class size policy is expressed. The school sets a target for ideal class numbers in each year group, with limits for long and short-term maxima, which should not be exceeded.

The class size policy is laid out in Appendix 4.

2.9 Conditional offers

The school reserves the right to make a conditional offer in rare circumstances. The nature of the condition and the financial consequences will be clearly stated in writing in advance and signed by the parents applying for admission, the relevant Headteacher, the Principal and the CFO of Taaleem.

2.10 Orientation of new students and families

New families are introduced to the school by the Admissions Officer (AO). All will have the opportunity to meet senior members of the academic staff as they make preliminary visits to the school.

The school takes the orientation of new students very seriously and is very experienced in making sure that they settle as quickly as possible. There is close liaison between the AO, Headteachers; Heads of Foundation, KS1 and KS2; KS3, KS4 and Sixth Form Leaders; class teachers and secondary form teachers. The school also organises briefing coffee mornings for families at the beginning of each new term.

2.11 Re-registration and withdrawal

Families have the right to reserve a place in the school for the following year by making a re-registration payment by the date specified by the school. Places not covered by this payment made by the specified time are not guaranteed.

Parents must inform the school in writing if intending to withdraw children. Leaving documents (Transfer Certificate) will be given on the last day of attendance if a minimum of ten ('10) clear working days' notice have been given. In order to comply with government rules the school must be informed of the country to which the child is being transferred. If the child is transferring to another school in Dubai or other part of the UAE, the school will prepare a transfer certificate in Arabic. In order to do so the Admissions Officer must be informed in writing of the school to which the student is transferring in order to prepare the correct documentation. Parents must also supply an acceptance letter in Arabic from the school that the child is transferring to only if the school is in Dubai.

If the child is transferring to another Arab Country, a Transfer certificate in English may be required, BUT only the Arabic Transfer certificate needs to be attested by the Ministry of Education, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and embassy of the destination country. Parents must undertake all attestation requirements.

2.12 Suspensions and Expulsions

Families are required to commit to the school's disciplinary code when enrolling students to the school. Particularly important is the need to support the school's behaviour policy for which a written commitment is required from all families who have children entering the Secondary School.

In the case of expulsion or suspensions, the school will respect all policy laid down by the Dubai Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).  The School will consider refunding fees on a case-by -case basis. Admission fees will be refunded in line with normal school policy.

3. Responsibilities

Admissions Officer

• To receive, respond to and co-ordinate all applications and admissions.
• To liaise with the Principal and Headteachers to ensure a smooth application, admission and orientation process
• To ensure that all documentation required by the school is present and in good order before an offer is made
• To maintain waiting lists for entry, prioritised by the principles laid down by the Admissions Policy.

Primary and Secondary Head teachers

• To ensure that students meet the academic admission requirements of the school
• To liaise with his / her staff as the admission is considered
• To make recommendations for year and class placement
• To liaise with the Admissions Officer and Principal to finalise an offer
• To ensure smooth orientation of student entry and settling
• To meet prospective families and to assist in school tour programme

Principal

• To review and then make all final offers
• To ensure that policy and procedures are reviewed and updated as necessary from time to time
• To meet prospective families and to assist in school tour programme

Heads of Key Stage, Key Stage Leaders and EAL coordinators

• To coordinate assessment at request of Admissions officer and Principal
• To advise on class placement and to liaise with Admissions Officer, class teachers and form tutors
• To ensure smooth start to school by new students
• To monitor the progress and orientation of newly admitted students

Head of Extended Learning

• To respond to requests for assessment and to comment on application
• To undertake assessments as required
• To monitor the progress and orientation of newly admitted students

Primary and Secondary Deputy Head teacher

• To meet prospective families and to assist in school tour programme
• To advise re. placement and ensure timely student orientation with Heads of Key Stage and Key stage leaders

Faculty Leaders

• To advise in the placement of sets, IGCSE Groups and A Level Groups

Class teachers and Form Tutors

• To welcome new students, ensuring a calm start to school
• to monitor early settling and to assign a buddy
• to ensure that the new student understands school systems and to answer parent and student questions

Appendix 1: Priority admission groups

All applicants in Admission Group 1 have priority over those in Groups 2, 3 and 4 at the times when offers are made. All applicants in Group 2 have priority over applicants in Group 3 and 4 at the times when offers are made. All applicants in Group 3 have priority over applicants in Group 4 at the times when offers are made.

All students are assessed to establish levels of English and to ensure that the school is able to meet their educational needs. A maximum of three tests for any one student will be administered.

NB: The Principal has the discretion to offer a place to the children of potential teachers while recruiting so long as the Chief Educational Officer is kept informed.

Appendix 2: The Process of application and the offer of a place at school.

1. General

1.1 Completion and circulation of the application form

Parents complete an application form and submit the form to the school's registration office with the appropriate fee and all appropriate supporting documentation, which must include reports from the current school being attended and the results of any assessments that have been undertaken. The school Admissions Officer (AO) then passes the completed form to the Primary or Secondary Headteacher who completes a summary tracking form (blue Primary; yellow Secondary),  in consultation with academic and pastoral staff, making a decision as to whether an EAL assessment is necessary or whether there may be issues arising from a need for Learning Support.

1.2 Documents in support of the application

Parents are asked to provide full documentation to support their child's application to school. This must include

• full passport and visa documentation for both parents and children
• a copy of the child's birth certificate or official adoption papers
• the child's academic records, normally from the previous two years
• for FS1 children, a completed proforma reference from the child's nursery school or play group
• outcomes of assessments and a report from the child's current school
• any documentation concerning needs for learning support
• proof of necessary immunisation and a school medical form completed and verified by a doctor at the latest within 15 working days of arriving at school.

Failure to produce any of these documents will delay admission and placement. In the case of any failure to produce proof of immunisation in the due time after admission will result in exclusion until such documentation is obtained.

If any part of the completed application and the supporting documentation is found to be false, misleading, or incomplete, the school reserves the right to withdraw the offer of place or to ask that the child is withdrawn from school having been admitted.

1.3 Assessment and tracking

All students who have applied and have been invited for an assessment to join FS2 - Y1 will be asked to meet the year team for an informal assessment, the outcome of which will be recorded on the tracking form. Year 2 students and above will complete an appropriate oral and written assessment. Applicants are invited for assessment in accordance to the priorities stipulated in Appendix 1.

If EAL assessment is required, the Admissions Officer will be informed and assessment arranged with EAL staff. The outcome of the assessment will be indicated on the tracking form.

If the Primary or Secondary Head teacher considers that Learning Support may be necessary for the child, further reports may be called for, using the appropriate proforma, If possible, a meeting with the Extended Learning team will be arranged for the child and recommendations will be made on the tracking forms. Further assessment may be asked for.

Once the Primary or Secondary Headteacher has completed the tracking form the file is returned to the Admissions officer who will pass to the Principal, complete with the appropriate letter prepared for parents for final signature. The Principal will comment on whether an offer can be made, but has the right to ask for further information before approving an offer, and has the responsibility of ensuring that the class size policy is respected.

The number of offers made at any one time will not normally exceed the maximum class number, taking into account the number of registered students on roll, in addition to the number of active offers made, minus the number of known leavers, except at the discretion of the Principal.

2. Applicants for places in FS1 to start in the following year

Special arrangements are in place for admitting and assessing students starting the following school year in FS1. Please see Section 2.3.1 of the main policy document.

Students are assessed according to the time frame described in Section 2.3.1 of this policy. Assessments consider 11 areas of readiness, which will be made known to the parents in advance. Children are judged to be:

A.   Most ready to start school in September of the following year

B.   Ready to start school or

C.   Less likely to be ready.

Those judged to be most ready are offered places in accordance with the principles described in Section 2.3.1 of the main policy and Appendix 1. If children are equally qualified, the earlier dates of application will give priority.

Remaining offers are made to those who are judged to be ready, again in accordance with the principles described in Section 2.3.1 of the main policy and Appendix 1. If children are equally qualified, the earlier dates of application will give priority.

Those judged less likely to be ready will be offered up to two reassessments at one month intervals, with a view to be placed on a waiting list or made an offer. The nature of subsequent assessments depends on the outcome of previous assessments. Parents will be advised in writing only as to why the child has been judged to be "less ready". The school will not enter into any subsequent dialogue about this judgement.

Offers will not generally be made to Group 4 applicants for a place in Foundation 1 if they are judged to be in need of Learning or EAL support.

3. Acceptance of offers

Where the number of places available is exceeded by the number of applicants on the prioritised waiting list for any year group, parents will be given five (5) working days in which to respond, and a further five (5) working days to secure the place by the payment of the suggested bond or deposit, which will be offset against the termly fees before an offer is made to another student.

Where the number of places available exceeds the waiting lists, parents will be given up to ten (10) working days in which to reply and a further five (5) to secure the place by the payment of the suggested bond or deposit, which will be offset against the termly fees.

Appendix 3: Placement in Year Group by age.

Placement is made in line with KHDA requirements. The DBS guidelines for placement are as follows:

Appendix 4: Class size policy

1. Primary classes and Secondary tutor groups

The following apply to classes in the Primary School (F1 - Year 6) and Tutor Groups in the Secondary School (Year 7 - Year 12/13)

If a class is at the maximum long term size, additional students accepted to the for a short-term period be first language or bi-lingual speakers of English

2. GCSE & A Level teaching sets: guidelines

Approved Level 1 Policy

Ziad Azam                             Samia Al Farra                                 Andrew Homden

CEO, Taaleem                      CEdO, Taaleem                                Principal

October 8, 2009

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