Admission Criteria
The BIS admissions criteria reflect the school's Mission Statement:
The British International School is committed to providing a British-style international education of the highest quality, primarily for British and Commonwealth nationals but also, space permitting, for other families interested in this type of education. We address the diverse needs of our students, offering a strong foundation in all aspects of learning, to challenge and prepare them for a successful future.
The British International School fosters a spirit of international awareness and understanding within the whole school community, encouraging mutual respect by actively supporting internationalism and inter-culturalism and positively influencing the lives of our students.
The British International School recognises and nurtures each child as a unique individual and is dedicated to developing in our students the qualities and skills necessary to become confident, self-motivated and independent people.
The British International School actively promotes the qualities of respect and tolerance, as well as environmental and social awareness. Our students are encouraged to contribute and become committed and valued members of the school, so that ultimately they become responsible citizens of the world.
To be eligible for admission to BIS, a student must:
1. either:
be the legal child of a parent, or a legal guardian, who is temporarily employed and resides in Indonesia and who possesses a work permit and a limited stay permit ( KITAS). The applicant must have a foreign passport and possess, or be in the process of obtaining, a stay permit;
or:
obtain a special letter of permission from the Education Department if the father is an Indonesian citizen or is a permanent resident of Indonesia (KITAP holder).
and:
2. demonstrate acceptable skills at the appropriate academic level for admission. Students’ skills will be determined by a review of previous school records (where the student is old enough to possess them) and adequate performance in the BIS English language placement evaluation (for non-native speakers of English or applicants from schools whose language of instruction is not English).
3. have reached his/her third birthday to enter Pre-School;
4. be under 18 years of age at the beginning of his/her graduating year.
Students who meet the above criteria may apply for entry at any time during the school year. Admissions will depend on space availability in the year group for which the student is applying. Successful students will be placed in the year group matching their age. Only in very exceptional cases will a student be placed above or below his/her chronological age group and this will be determined by the Principal.
Priority of Applications
Applications are given priority for admission according to the following categories:
Category I
• applicants who hold a British or Commonwealth passport
• applicants with a sibling currently on the school roll (for at least 12 months)
Category II
• applicants who hold a diplomatic visa for Indonesia
Category III
• other applicants
Fulfilling the Mission of the School
In order to fulfill its Mission and purpose, the School reserves the right to determine the balance of nationalities through the admissions procedure.
Individual Needs
• Individual Needs include Gifted and Talented students, those with learning or behavioural issues and students for whom English is an additional language (EAL).
• Given its staffing and resources, the School can only accommodate a limited number of Individual Needs students.
• Where there is a significant Individual Need that cannot be met by the School, the School will
refuse entry.
• The School may conduct an entry evaluation to judge the abilities and needs of a student.
EAL Applicants
Proficiency in English is essential for academic and social success at BIS. Therefore, the school has additional admissions criteria and procedures for entry into the EAL (English as an Additional Language) programme. These admissions procedures are to ensure that the applicants are placed in an appropriate educational programme in which they can thrive and make progress.
EAL Guidelines
• The number of places in the EAL programme is limited. .
• EAL applicants must have positive performance records from their previous school.
• Applicants for the EAL places in Pre-School and Reception may be beginner English speakers. However it is required that they have language and literacy skills in their first language appropriate to their age.
• EAL applicants beyond Reception must have acceptable English language proficiency in the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening, which allow them to thrive independently within a reasonable period of arriving at school.
• An EAL placement test will be required for a student applying from a school where the medium of instruction is in a language other than English.
• An EAL placement test may be required for a student who is a non-native speaker of English.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Admissions process
Once an application is received
1. the Admissions Office will establish if the school has a place available to the applicant;
2. the Admissions Office will review applicant’s reports and documentation;
3. the school might request additional diagnostic testing or a full evaluation;
4. a placement evaluation for eligible candidates is conducted by the Heads of Primary and Secondary Schools;
5. on 1 March, 1 June and 1 December, admissions decisions are made: Accept, Wait Pool, or Deny;
6. the Admissions Office communicates the applicant's status.
Accept
If your child is accepted into BIS, you will receive a formal letter of acceptance from Admissions with information pertinent to the section of the school. Each year a few students are accepted on conditional status. The school's expectations of students on conditional status are clearly stated in writing upon admission.
Wait Pool
If an applicant meets admissions requirements but is applying for enrollment in a year group that is full or the school already has reached its limit for the applicant’s Individual Needs, then that applicant will be placed in a wait pool for that particular school year. Because of the school's priority system, an applicant's position in the wait pool may change if there are subsequent applications from families with higher priority, based on the factors considered for an admissions decision. Once it is determined that space will not be available during the requested school year, parents are notified. If a candidate is interested in applying for the following year then the application must be up¬dated.
Deny
An applicant may be denied admission when there are concerns about the applicant's academic and/or behavioural record, when the applicant's English lan¬guage proficiency is not commensurate with the year group to which he/she is applying or when BIS is unable to offer a programme to meet the applicant's indi¬vidual needs.
Conditional Places
Occasionally, if there is a lack of clarity or certainty over the application, the school may offer a Conditional Place at the school. A Conditional Place will have very specific criteria for entry for a certain amount of time. The Parents and School must enter into an agreement of terms of the Conditional Place on the understanding that at the end of the period, the school has full authority to continue or discontinue to offer the place based on the success of the agreement.
Appeals
Parents may appeal against Admission decisions made by the school to the Principal. The Principal’s decision is final.
Placement Evaluation
All new students from Years 10 to 13 must have an interview with the Head of Secondary School or the IB Coordinator. A placement evaluation may be conducted in some circumstances. Students will be scheduled for interview and placement evaluation only after the application for admission is complete.
ADMISSIONS TIME LINE
Applicants for admission to BIS are strongly encouraged to apply as early as possible, as the school may be full in certain year groups. The BIS school year starts in September and ends in June (approximately). An application for admission will not be processed until the Admissions Office has received all the necessary documents, as outlined below in Application Requirements.
Where a year group is full, a wait pool will be established and places offered as and when they become available.
For specific information regarding the application procedures, or for a school tour, interested applicants should make an appointment with the Admissions Office. Appointments can be made between 8:00 am - 1:00 pm, Monday to Friday.
An appointment for more specific curriculum information may be made through the Admissions Office.
Applications should be submitted directly to the Admissions Office or may be sent by registered mail to:
Admissions Office THE BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
Jaya Sektor IX, JI. Raya Jombang Ciledug, Pondok Aren, Tangerang 15224, Indonesia
Tel: (62-21) 745 1670 ext. 106 Fax: (62-21) 745 1671 email: enquiries@bis.or.id
We are pleased that you are considering BIS for your child's education, and we look forward to working with you closely as part of our community. For further explanation of the admissions guidelines, criteria for admissions, or admissions procedures, please contact the BIS Admissions Office.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
DOCUMENTS
Candidates for admission must supply all of the following:
Application Form A completed Application Form
Health Record
A completed Student Health Record card that includes current TB testing
results (or confirmation of BCG series), immunization records, medical information, and a physical examination record. The signatures of parents and a doctor are required on this form.
Passports and Visas Photocopies of passports (cover page, picture page, vital information page, expiration date and current visa page) of student and parents; the original must be presented at the time of submission of the application or upon arrival prior to admission.
A photocopy of the Limited Stay Permit (KITAS) for student and both parents; the original must be presented for verification. If the KITAS is in process, a letter from the sponsoring company (employer) is required stating this and then the original KITAS must be presented within 30 days of enrollment. Diplomatic and Dinas visa holders must provide photocopies of the passports and the current visa pages.
School Records
School records for the past two years (where the student is old enough to possess them), showing courses taken and results. Secondary School applicants must provide transcripts of all terms completed and all work in progress at the time of application.
Standardized achievement tests and/or psychological-educational evaluations.
Photos Three (3) photographs of the student (3 x 4 cm).
Indonesian Applicants For Indonesian citizens and permanent residents, in accordance with Indonesian Government regulations, a letter of permission from the Department of Education (Depdiknas), to apply to BIS for the relevant year.
Application Fee A US$150 non-refundable application fee per student, paid upon submission of the application. This may be paid in cash (US or Rupiah), bank transfer or draft.
An application is complete when the Admissions Office receives all of the above-mentioned supporting documents.
POLICY ON REFUND
School Fees
No refund of Term Fees if the student has attended school at any time during the term.
Refundable Deposit
A US$ 500 deposit is payable for each student as soon as the admission of the child is confirmed by the school, to secure his / her place. This deposit will be refunded when the student graduates in Year 13 or leaves the school, provided thirty (30) days’ notice in writing must be given prior to the end of a term for withdrawal of a pupil. Failure to give such notice will result in forfeiture of the US$ 500 Refundable Deposit paid on admission. The deposit is also forfeited if the student’s application is subsequently withdrawn before the start of the Term. The School will refund the deposits when all textbooks and other items borrowed are returned and all accounts have been settled.
