Admission Policy

Our Vision

Advanced Learning Schools prepare global citizens to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world while honoring their own cultural heritage and identity.

Our Mission

Advanced Learning Schools offer a high-quality education in a safe and caring environment, with a commitment to life-long learning and digital citizenship, while inspiring students to become creative, compassionate, and analytical thinkers.

Our Core Values (CREM Framework)

An admission policy serves as a guide for schools and prospective parents, outlining the criteria, processes, and principles that govern student admissions, ensuring fairness, equity, and transparency. ALS’s Admission Policy reflects our values, mission, and commitment to providing a high-quality education to a diverse student body, and aims to enroll students who are naturally curious, motivated, and determined to succeed.

Statement of Intent

• ALS aims to enroll students who are naturally curious and who take risks and reflect on their learning.
• The school values parents committed to partnering in their children’s academic, personal, social, and emotional development.
• The school fosters a strong community representing diverse backgrounds, embodying the IB learner profile with high academic aspirations.
• The school is committed to inclusion and support for each student with excellent pastoral care.
• The school aims to make the admission process smooth and transparent.

Aim of Policy

• To inform prospective parents of the admission criteria and process, and to ensure fairness and equity in the admission procedure.
• To welcome families committed to actively participating in their child’s education and supporting the school’s mission and values.

5.1 General Admissions Criteria

• The Admissions Office makes all enrollments based on space availability, academic level, and suitability.
• Criteria include age, entrance assessment, previous school records, English proficiency, Arabic proficiency (Grades 6-12 only), learning achievement, and ability to make tuition and fee payments.
• ALS reserves the right to place the student at the most appropriate grade level.

5.2 Age Requirements (per Ministry of Education)

Age is calculated on the first MoE school day of the academic year. The child must meet the admissions requirements, including the entrance assessment, to ensure success at the grade level.

5.3 Admission Process

The interview ensures programme understanding (the nature, rigor and expectations of the MYP and DP), alignment with school values, and mutual fit and informed commitment. The Admissions Office notifies parents of the decision within 3-4 working days of the entrance assessment (PYP), and within 3-4 working days of both the assessment and the committee interview (MYP-DP).

• ALS is committed to an inclusive environment that supports the diverse needs of all students, while ensuring it can responsibly provide the necessary resources.
• ALS offers limited support for students with mild to moderate learning difficulties. Upon reviewing the Educational Psychologist report, the student — like all newly admitted students — is placed on a one-year probationary period.
• Families must inform the school of any previously identified special needs or educational support at the time of application.
• The Learning Support Coordinator evaluates students with diagnosed learning or behavioral issues; in some cases parents may be asked to provide extra in-class or out-of-school support.
• ALS reserves the right to deny admission to students whose needs cannot be adequately met with available resources, and may reassess support requirements if a student is diagnosed after admission.

Definitions

9.1 Home-School Partnership

• ALS values parents committed to partnering with the school for their children’s academic, personal, social, and emotional development, and expects parents to embrace the school’s guiding statements and expectations.
• Families are expected to attend informative presentations, workshops and three-way conferences, and to follow all communications and announcements on Toddle.
• ALS emphasizes open communication between school staff, parents/caregivers, and external safeguarding agencies to support vulnerable students.
• Choosing a school implies a long-term commitment between school, student, and family.

9.2 English Proficiency Requirement

An appropriate level of English proficiency is needed for students to access the curriculum, as English is the primary language of instruction. ALS assesses listening, speaking, reading, and writing in English, and proficiency may factor into prioritizing applicants on waiting lists.

9.3 Arabic Proficiency Requirement (Grades 6-12)

An appropriate level of Arabic proficiency is expected to access the Arabic Language, Islamic Studies, and National Identity components delivered in Arabic under national regulations. ALS may assess listening, speaking, reading and writing in Arabic for Grades 6-12, and proficiency may be a consideration when prioritizing applicants, particularly where meeting MoE requirements is a condition of enrollment.

9.4 Timeline

10. Acceptance of Offers

• Parents are given a limited number of days to respond and accept the place offered.
• To secure a PYP place: assessment fees and the first-semester payment of the registration deposit (to schedule the entrance appointment); for MYP-DP, the entrance fees.
• The school welcomes students of determination and complies with legal and moral responsibilities to accommodate needs; the Learning Support Coordinator determines the appropriate provision with parents/guardians.

11. Waitlist & Priority Placement

When a grade level or class is fully subscribed, ALS maintains a waiting list to manage additional qualified applicants fairly and transparently. Placement on the waiting list does not guarantee admission. Where two or more applicants meet requirements, priority is generally applied in this order:

ALS is an IB World School and expects a strong, values-driven partnership between home and school. Admission is not based on academic criteria alone; it also depends on whether the student and family are likely to thrive within — and actively support — our educational philosophy, community expectations, and ethical standards. Families joining ALS are expected to demonstrate the VALV expectations:

Best fit is assessed early in the process and may include a parent/guardian interview, a short family statement or questionnaire about values and expectations, review of student learning history, an age-appropriate student visit/readiness check, and confirmation that the family understands ALS policies and the nature of an IB education. Best fit is also an ongoing expectation: if a family acts in a manner materially inconsistent with ALS values, the school may, at its discretion, require withdrawal of the student in line with school procedures and applicable regulations. Where alignment is unclear, ALS may pause the application, request further conversation, or advise that another setting may better meet the family’s expectations. All admissions and placement decisions remain at the discretion of ALS.

12. Motives for Denying Admission

• Admission is at the discretion of the school and may be denied for any reason, including full enrollment or an evaluation that ALS cannot cater to the student’s learning or behavioral needs.
• Admission is automatically denied if the student has been expelled from their previous school.
• The school may decline an application where it considers the school is not the appropriate environment, where elements of the scholastic background could harm progress or the school cannot provide the needed support, or where required documentation is not provided or is considered falsified.

13. Registration & Re-Registration

• PYP new students must pay a first-semester fee to secure their place.
• Returning students must pay a re-registration fee to secure their place for the following academic year.

14. Withdrawal & Refund Guidelines

Guardians notify the registration office in writing of their intent to withdraw, using the withdrawal form, with a letter of acceptance from the receiving school, before the beginning of the school year. Financial clearance is delivered only upon full payment; only the student’s report card is provided regardless of payment status.

15. Acceptance of Policies

Parents/guardians who accept places agree to all school rules, policies, and expectations by signing the ALS admissions contract.