Admissions policy

At EtonHouse Kazakhstan International School applications are welcomed from all interested families, and each application shall be considered discretely, reflecting the classroom practice of each student being an individual.

In line with our belief that “…every child can be a brilliant student” the school welcomes students with every level of academic achievement. ‘Being a brilliant student’ can be epitomised by attitude as well as by academic results.

All enquiries should be made initially to the office manager and appointments can be made to speak to the principal in special circumstances.

It is preferred that all student admissions be made prior to the start of the academic year but consideration will be given to applications received at any time. For admission, the following information needs to be submitted:

Completed enrolment form, signed contract, child’s health record, copy and child’s birth certificate, 2 colour photographs of the child (3cmx4cm) and photographs (and names) of anyone with permission to pick up child from school, copies of parents’ ID/passports and copy of parent address record.

Should the student have special needs, admission depends upon available physical and human resources. If alterations or additional resources are needed, there may be an additional charge to parents.

It is worth remembering that the school program is designed to enable teachers to differentiate the curriculum according to student needs, and teachers are capable of directing work, as individualised as possible, to each student. In a single year level class there is often an achievement range of up to five years. Multi age classes are therefore common practice and are in no way detrimental to the students. All parent requests for a specific year level are considered and each case judged on its own merits. Decisions about admission are made with due consideration given to: the Kazakh Education Ministry resolution requiring students to be 5 years and 8 months to enter grade 1, developmental stage of student, size of class, native language and English proficiency. The final decision will be made by the school based on the best interests of the child. Should the school decide not to admit an applicant, the school is not obliged to provide an explanation. All cases of non-admission of applicants or exclusion of previously admitted students will be reported by the principal to the Board of Supervisors with an explanation for each case. The Board of Supervisors is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness and fairness of the admissions policy, its consistency with the guiding statements of the school, its processes, and its outcomes. Any appeals to admissions decisions must be made in writing and addressed to the chair of the Board of Supervisors. The application for appeal will be reviewed at the next Board of Supervisors meeting.

On acceptance of the application, all associated paperwork must be completed and fees paid prior to the student commencing studies. Fee schedules are detailed on the contract and are available from the school office. Pro rata fees are charged for students commencing after September 1^st of each year.

Changes of grade – Under certain conditions there is provision for students to be moved from one grade to another. This change can be either to a higher grade, or a lower grade, and in both situations the process is the same.

The initial inquiry about changing grades can come from parents or teachers if there is a cause for concern in the child’s current situation.

This concern may arise due to observed or assessment evidence that the student is struggling with academic expectations or exceeding them and/or showing signs of frustration and boredom. In these circumstances the teacher or parent writes an application to have the student’s situation considered.

On receipt of this application, a panel of teachers is to be convened to meet with the principal. Evidence from the class teacher is to be presented to the meeting. This evidence can be a grade appropriate assessment or a number of pieces of class work across all subjects. There will then be a robust and honest discussion regarding the student’s needs. This discussion should result in a unanimous decision, after which the school will respond with an order. 

In order to move to a higher grade, the student MUST either:

1.   Meet the minimum age requirement for that grade based on current legislation AND secure the recommendation of the teacher panel,

OR

2.  Have studied in EtonHouse for a minimum of one academic year AND secure the recommendation of the teacher panel AND score an excellent result on testing requested by the teacher panel, which is required to include the higher grade level’s foundational required content for language and maths at a minimum. The test requirement will be determined by the principal in consultation with the teacher panel.

Grade advancement and academic probation

Generally, students will be advanced to the next grade level at the end of the academic year provided that they demonstrate sufficient academic achievement in all core subjects by obtaining no less than a E- for each subject on their June report card. Exceptions to this policy are made on a case-by-case basis and in consultation with the parents. Provisions for exceptions exist in cases in which the child has special educational needs relating to a documented medical diagnosis. If a student is not advanced to the next grade level at the end of the academic year due to insufficient academic progress, the student may be passed conditionally, with additional work required in the summer and a test that must be passed before school commences in September. If the conditions are not met, the student will remain in the same grade level as the previous academic year until the conditions are met.

Some students may be passed to the next grade level but put on academic probation from the start of the next academic year, if they continue to attend EtonHouse. If a student is on the academic probation list, teachers will closely monitor the student’s progress and keep in contact with parents about any recommendations to improve the student’s outcomes. Students on academic probation have access to school resources intended to support their improvement at their teacher’s discretion and as available. These resources include tutoring/small group instruction, special services consultations and behavioural planning.

The school’s assessment schedule and the classroom teachers’ observations will be used to ensure close monitoring of the students’ achievements every 8 weeks.