Admissions policy
The aim of this document is to present and explain the conditions necessary for enrolment of a student in our school. The BIS admissions team aims to make the transition to a new school as easy as possible, for both students and families.
Mission Statement
Bogaerts International School aims to combine passionate, student-centred approaches to teaching and learning with shared community values, in order to stimulate student agency, a love of inquiry and a dedication to positive action around the world.
1. Admissions Team and Decision-making process
The Admissions team comprises the Pedagogical Director, the Head of Admissions and the Programme Coordinators.
Systems are in place for all members of the Admissions team to review application documents, ensuring alignment with Bogaerts International School mission and principles.
The Admissions team’s collective contributions are taken under consideration before a decision is made for every applicant, considering the school’s Inclusion Policy. The Admissions team reserves the right to consider applications for enrollment depending on the documentation submitted and evaluation conducted and reserves the right to decline any application. Enquiries concerning the reasons for the declining of an application may be directed towards the Admissions department (south@bischool.com).
From the time an application is completed, the Admissions department aims to
return a decision within ten working days, pending any further follow-up that may
be required.
2. Criteria for Admission
2. 1. Student Profile
We seek for candidates who:
● Are motivated/determined, and committed to the School vision, mission and philosophy
● Have a growth mindset
● Are internationally-minded
● Contribute to the School community
● Respect and recognise the importance of all parts of the BIS community
equally
● Demonstrate academic and personal integrity.
● Are willing to collaborate
2.2 Family engagement
As a family oriented institution Bogaerts International School believes in fostering a sense of safety and trust within the learning community. Family engagement contributes to positive student outcomes, including improved child and student achievement, decreased disciplinary issues, improved parent-teacher and teacher-student relationships, and improved school environmentWe therefore encourage parents, caregivers and guardians to be actively engaged in their children’s learning journey by:
● Contributing to the Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
● Attending Parent Teachers conferences
● Volunteering in school activities
● Chaperon school trips
● Support student at home
3. Grade placement
In general, students will be placed, according to their age, on the 1st of September of their year of entry. Where it is considered by the Admissions department to be of benefit to the student, he/she/they may be placed in a lower grade than requested. Under exceptional circumstances a student could be placed in a higher grade than his/her/their age group. Such decisions remain entirely at the discretion of the Admissions department.
4. Candidates with Special Education Needs
The School has a deep commitment to offering an equal education to all learners.
To that end, the School has a qualified and dedicated Learning Support Team that accommodates students with both learning and physical disabilities. The overarching goal of such accommodation efforts is a fully inclusive educational experience in mainstream education classes for all students, whenever possible.
Should a student require specialised accommodation or individual care (diagnosis, therapy, counselling, individual assistance or tutoring, etc.), these costs will be defrayed by the student’s family. The School maintains contacts with specialists and tutors and will readily make recommendations for the parents and families on a case-by-case basis. Please refer to our Financial Regulations for the costs of these services.
The school unfortunately cannot accept students who are deemed unable to function in a mainstream classroom environment even with professionally prescribed educational accommodations.
5. Procedures
Applications for admission are accepted throughout the year. No official decision on an application is given until all the relevant documents have been received. Families seeking admission for their child(ren) are advised to apply as early as possible as certain classes fill up quickly. All are encouraged to visit the School Admissions Website to start the admissions process (Appendix).
5.1. Documentation Required for Admission
Before a student may be admitted to the School, all of the following documents
must be submitted to the Admissions department:
● Online Student Application Form. This should be completed and signed by the parent or legal guardian.
● School records for the previous two years and all available records for the current year, as available.
● The results of any and all standardised testing, including educational evaluations or psychological and any other medical reports. School reports/transcripts must be in English or in French or Dutch, with official translations provided when originals are written in another language.
● Completed Teacher Reference Form.
● Completed Student Questionnaire (applicants for Grade 4 and above).
● A letter from the existing school stating what year has been fully completed and what is the year a child is being promoted to.
● Copies of the applicant’s passport and visa if applicable.
● Confirmation of payment of the school application fee
5.2. The International Baccalaureate Diploma
Students in Grade 11/DP1 and 12/DP2 at BIS South Campus, study the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme; a challenging and enriching curriculum that requires an advanced level of academic English. It is ou recommendation that applicants in Grade 11 and 12 demonstrate a B2 English level or higher in order to access the IBDP confidently. Non-native English speaking applicants, or those who have not attended an international English speaking school, must provide documented evidence of B1 English level, with at least B1 achievement for all test sections (speaking, reading, writing, and listening) as part of their application in order to be considered. We recommend international English assessments such as Cambridge B2 First for Schools, TOEFL, IELTS, etc.
BIS offers a series of subjects based on students' choices and staffing. Subjects
that are offered in other IB schools may not be offered at BIS.
5.3. The High School Diploma
BIS has been accredited by NEASC, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (https://www.neasc.org/),. This accreditation enables the school to offer a US style High School Diploma, covering the final FOUR years of a student’s school career, i.e. Grades 9 - 12. Students earn the High School Diploma by gaining credits for each of the courses passed in an academic year, and these grades will be included on the student’s transcript at the end of Grade 12.
For students entering BIS later than Grade 9, past school reports will be used to determine whether a credit may be awarded for courses of study at the previous school.
More details on the High School Diploma are available on request.
5.4. Entry to the Early Years
It is expected that students joining Early Years (2,5 years old) are fully toilet trained and able to feed and dress themselves with a reasonable level of Independence.
5.5. Post-Review Procedure
From the time an application is completed, the Admissions department aims to return a decision within ten working days, pending any further follow up that may be required.
Acceptance: If a candidate is accepted, an acceptance email will be sent. An official confirmation must be returned within 10 days of receipt, along with the Admission fee for each child, in order to officially reserve the space(s). If the offer of a place has not been accepted by the 10-day deadline, it can be offered to another candidate.
Denial: If a candidate is denied a place, an official confirmation of the denial will be sent by mail.
Waiting lists: If a candidate is accepted but no space is available in the appropriate year, he/she will be placed on a waiting list and the parents will be sent an official communication when space becomes available. When a place does become available in the appropriate year, it will be offered to a candidate on the waiting list.
5.6. New students arriving during the course of the year
General
The Admissions department informs primary or secondary coordinators staff as appropriate, as well as all administrative staff, of the arrival of new students with an e-mail providing the student’s grade, entry date, and any relevant background details.
Secondary school students
New students who arrive during the year will be given an orientation by the Pedagogical Director Head of School, or the MYP coordinator., or one of the Admissions Coordinators.
Primary School students
Each classroom teacher ensures a smooth transition for all new children.
6. Interviews and School Visits
While it is not always possible for overseas families to arrange a visit to the School, it is always preferable to organise an interview with the candidate and his parents and a visit to the School. A compulsory interview may be required incases where it is deemed necessary to discuss a candidate’s application in more depth in order for a decision to be made.
7. BIS Alignment with Belgian Law
All school-age children are bound by legal educational obligations and therefore all school students and their families are required to observe the official start and end dates for school holidays as displayed on the school’s website. With this in mind, no absences prior to the start or following the end of these official holiday dates will be authorised.
8. Assessment policy review cycle
This assessment policy will be set for review once every two school years. However, the procedural information may be reviewed on a yearly basis. Review will occur first with selected SLT members and then continue into collaborative sessions with all staff as needed.
