Admissions Overview

1. Admissions Policy:

1.1. We welcome students of all abilities, nationalities and religions who, in the school’s opinion, will benefit from the rigorous academic, personal and social programmes on offer. We are proud of our visible commitment to diversity and international mindedness.

1.2We take our responsibility for your child’s academic, social and personal growth very seriously. In order to serve your child’s individual needs and to support his or her transition to our school, it is important that we have complete information regarding previous academic experience and pastoral welfare.

1.3 Our school actively seeks to nurture the holistic development of your child. Where your child has a gift or talent then this should be identified and recorded on the online application form.

1.4 The school provides a rigorous international English-language education. Although fluency in English is not a criterion for admission, assessments are set in the English language.

1.5 The school is inclusive and has an inclusion support programme that seeks to address the individual needs of all students including those experiencing special educational needs and disabilities, the gifted and talented and English language learners. Parents or guardians of any applicant having a specific known need must submit complete reports with their application. These might include Individualised Education Plans (IEPs) or other reports from health professionals. In the case where a child’s specific need has not been previously identified, the school reserves the right to review the situation in order to assess the capacity to address his/her needs within their existing level of provision.

1.6 The school adheres to UAE law and KHDA guidelines. Please refer to Parent School Contract, Section

2. Admissions Procedures :

2.1  Applications for admission are accepted at all times during the school year.  Applications must be completed online through the school website. If there are no places available at the time then the application is placed onto the school’s waiting list. Applications on the waiting list are not automatically moved to the next academic year and applicants are requested to re- apply for each year.

2.2  When a place becomes available then the school will contact the first eligible applicant and invite them to attend an assessment.

2.3  Selection Criteria

 Selection is based on multiple criteria. These are:-

• Performance in the entrance test. Pre-KG, KG1, KG2, FS2 and Year 1 applicants have assessments in English and Mathematics and all other grade/year levels have CAT4 digital testing.
•  Pre-KG, KG1, KG2, FS2 and Year 1 applicants are also assessed for school readiness. They must be toilet trained and have a level of independence. 
• Past school results and report.
• Face to face interview, if required, with the Admissions Officer /School Counsellor/ Academic Co-ordinator / School Principal / or other designated school staff.
• Age appropriateness for the year/grade level to which admission is sought.
• Transfer Certificate from the previous school.
• Priority will be given to siblings of those who have secured admission to the school.
• Priority will be given to siblings of students of determination who have secured admission to the school.
• Priority will be given to applicants from Raffles Nurseries and Raffles Starters.
• Students requiring EAL support to access the curriculum may be admitted FS2/KG1 to Year 9/Grade 8. EAL students applying to Year 10/Grade 9 will be entering and exam syllabus and their application would be discussed with the Head of Secondary and parents advised accordingly. Students who are new to English or have not been schooled with English as the primary medium of instruction can avail of this support. The admissions team is able to decide if further assessment or support is required, based on initial assessment. Parents will be advised accordingly.
• The child’s previous curriculum is taken into consideration as well as limitations with regards to transfer dates for local transfers as defined by the KHDA.  

2.4  Procedures for Assessment

2.4.1  All invited applicants will undergo assessment. The specific nature of this assessment is the responsibility of the school, and the relevant details are as mentioned below.

2.4.2  For applicants based locally, assessments will be undertaken at the school premises. If this is not possible then the assessment will be undertaken online under the supervision of a qualified teacher, where applicable. For applicants currently outside UAE abroad assessments can be arranged. The evaluation and year placement will be done by the School. Assessment fee is applicable for both onsite and abroad assessments.

2.4.3  For KG1, KG2 /FS2, Year1/Grade1, Year2, the test is general in English and Number work and non- verbal clues may be used.

 For Grade2/Year3 and above CAT4 digital testing is conducted via an online platform (the fourth edition of GL Assessment’s Cognitive Abilities Test that assesses a pupil’s ability to reason with and manipulate different types of material through a series of Verbal, Non-Verbal, Quantitative and Spatial Ability tasks).

2.4.4  Where appropriate a face-to-face interview may also be undertaken with the relevant school authority.

2.4.5  The following documents are required at the time of assessment:

•     2 photocopies of birth certificate, passport, visa, and Emirates ID of student & parents
•     latest 2 years full school reports or transcripts

Transfer Certificate:

• For Overseas Transfers: copy of the Transfer Certificate from the previous school, attested as per the requirements of the KHDA.
• For Local Transfers: Transfer Certificate from the previous school attested by the KHDA.
•     Photocopy of Immunisation records
•     2 Passport photos
• It is mandated by the regulatory authorities of the UAE that on enrolment, the Emirates IDs of student & parent be electronically swiped at the admission’s office in order to be registered with the regulatory body KHDA. Once this registration is approved by the KHDA, parents will be invited by the school to electronically sign the Parent School Contract as the final step of the student’s official registration.

2.4.6  Parent School Contract (PSC):  (applicable for new admissions only) it is mandatory for Parents to sign the Parent School Contract once the student’s admission has been approved and registered in the KHDA systems.  This remains valid until the student leaves the school.

2.5  Service Standards

The admission process for each child needs to be completed within 5 working days of the assessment if the student is based in Dubai. To achieve this goal, the following process and service standards have been defined:-

• Responding to parents after receiving the application                 1-2 working days
• Receiving test results from admissions/teachers                          3 working days
• Communicating the outcome to parents                                       5 working days

                                                                                                                 (From the date of the test)

2.6  Assessment  Fees

 All applicants who are invited for assessment are required to pay a non-refundable assessment fee of AED 500/-

2.7  Selection process

• Following assessment the school management will decide upon whether a place is to be offered or not, based upon all of the information from assessment and provided in the application.
• The decision taken by the school is final, and all admissions follow the guidelines and regulations set by the KHDA.
• Parents / guardians must respond to an offer within 7 days of receipt, in order to secure the place.
• Prior to admission a Transfer Certificate (attested where required) is to be submitted.

2.8  Admissions Policy for Students with Additional Needs:

Our policy is in line with Federal Law 29 (2006) and the aims of the Dubai Inclusive Policy Framework 2017, regarding the education and outcomes of students experiencing special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). 

Students of Determination experiencing Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND):

All placements are subject to availability of spaces. Admissions for students of determination is not conditional on a medical diagnosis. Any new applicant with identified specific educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will be referred to the Leader of Provision for Inclusion. The department of Inclusion Support will go through the reports and arrange to observe and assess the child, making appropriate recommendations to the admissions department thereafter.

The final decision regarding admission will be taken collaboratively between the Principal, Leader of Provision for Inclusion and other members of the school leadership team. This team will evaluate if the school is adequately equipped to meet the needs of the child and recommend whether the admission offer should be full or partial (in partnership with another specialist school or provider) or if the school is unable to provide a place currently. 

2.9  Policy Review

This policy is to be reviewed annually, though; any deficiencies or weakness in admissions will be remedied without delay. The Principal and CEO (on behalf of the Board) will undertake an annual review of the Admissions policies and procedures and of the efficiency with which the related duties have been discharged

Appendix 1            Admissions Process Chart

The processes outlined below are managed and administered by the central Admissions office, in collaboration and consultation with school Principals.

• Confidential School Report | PDF 184KB
• Leaving Student Survey | PDF 159KB
• Welcome pack.pdf