Admissions Handbook

Admissions Handbook

Table of Contents

RESIDENCY 3

NON-DISCRIMINATION 3

ADMISSIONS STANDARDS 3

PRIORITY SYSTEM 4

DIVERSITY CAPS 4

ADMISSIONS FOR GRADES 11 & 12 4

STUDENT ADMISSION PROCESS 4

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE POLICY (EAL) 6

AGE-APPROPRIATE GRADE PLACEMENT 6

EXCEPTIONS TO AGE-APPROPRIATE CLASS PLACEMENT 7

TIMELINE 7

LEARNING SUPPORT 8

ADDITIONAL LANGUAGES 9

SEAT AVAILIBILTY AND WAITLISTS 9

 Admissions Handbook

The International School of Belgrade (ISB) is an independent, co-educational international day school that
enrols students ages three to eighteen. As an authorized IB World School, ISB provides a high-quality,
college-preparatory education with an emphasis on internationalism and global responsibility. The
curriculum is designed to serve a multi-national student body using English as the language of instruction.
ISB seeks to admit students of expatriate families living in Belgrade, and Serbian students desiring an
international education. Students who enroll at ISB, as well as their families, are in agreement with the
school vision and mission, and are capable of benefitting from the types of programs offered.

Families wishing to apply for admission to ISB can gain information about the school and its programs via
the school’s website and/or through email and telephone contact with our Admissions Coordinator. When
requested, a pre-admissions meeting and school tour with our Admissions Coordinator can be arranged.

RESIDENCY

Students enrolled at ISB must reside with their parents or legal guardians in the country of Serbia.

NON-DISCRIMINATION

ISB does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, national or ethnic identity, sexual orientation or
religion.

ADMISSIONS STANDARDS

Admission in all cases is contingent upon a determination by the Admissions Coordinator and/or Director
that:

1. The student will be able to meet the school’s academic standards;

2. The student has exhibited acceptable behavior in his/her previous school;
3. The school will be able to meet any special needs of the student;
4. The student and the family will embrace the school’s vision and values, as well as our mission:
ISB is a collaborative learning community that inspires and empowers its members to
discover their passions to be global innovators.
5. The student will contribute to a school that envisions:
• An academically challenging, IB-based curriculum that incorporates multiple
perspectives, allowing students to achieve their individual potential.
• An environment that is safe, respectful, supportive, and inclusive.
• Life-long learners who display all aspects of the IB learner profile (IB Learners strive
to be: Inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded,
caring, risk-takers, balanced, reflective) and are inspired to fulfill their future roles and
responsibilities as compassionate local and global citizens.
• A community of students, teachers, and parents, who welcome diversity, share
responsibility and work together for student success.
• Highly qualified and dedicated faculty who use best practice to inspire and motivate
students.
Admissions Handbook

PRIORITY SYSTEM

Admissions to ISB shall be determined by the Director. In the event of a limited amount of classroom seats,
students will be admitted according to a priority system as follows:

1. Dependents of U.S. Government-sponsored and contract employees, dependents of faculty,

and current students.
2. Non-permanent residents of Serbia.
3. Permanent residents of Serbia.

Other admissions guidelines are:

1. Siblings of current students from Category 3 are automatically considered to be in Category 2.

2. In order to ensure that we are able to meet the learning needs of our students, an applicant’s
level of English fluency may be considered as a factor in an admissions decision.
3. In order to maintain the international nature of The International School of Belgrade, ISB has a
Diversity Caps policy. Category 1 students are exempt from this guideline, as are Scholarship
students.
4. The Director will request approval from the Board of Trustees for any exemption to this policy.

DIVERSITY CAPS

To preserve the international character of the school, it is the policy of the ISB Board of Trustees (BoT) that
enrollment of students of a single nationality is limited to 35% of the total enrollment at each grade level.
Students who are applying for entrance to grades that have reached their nationality maximum will be
offered a spot on the waitlist until a seat becomes available.

ADMISSIONS FOR GRADES 11 & 12

All students who graduate from ISB must meet the requirements to earn the ISB Diploma. In addition,
students enrolling in grades 11 and 12 have the option of enrolling in the International Baccalaureate
Diploma Program (IBDP). Students enrolling in grades 11 and 12 who wish to enroll in the Diploma Program
(either by taking Diploma classes or enrolling as a full Diploma student) must meet with the Diploma
Program Coordinator as part of the admissions process.

STUDENT ADMISSION PROCESS

Students may be considered for enrollment at ISB only after their application is complete.

The application pages are available on the school’s website to help ensure that all necessary forms and
transcripts are received by ISB in a timely manner. An official determination of admission will be made after
all the necessary documents have been received.

The following procedures are used to process the applications of prospective students:

Step One: Parent(s)/Guardian(s) indicate interest in enrolling their student at ISB by submitting initial pages
of the Application for Admission online: Student Information and Parent/Guardian Information forms (one
form per student).

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Step Two: The application is reviewed in light of: available places, nationality caps, and the school’s ability
to provide adequate EAL (English as an Additional Language) and/or Learning Support (LS). The school
is usually able to provide up to 150 minutes per week of additional support in either EAL or LS. If in the
opinion of the school, a student needs more support than this, an offer of enrolment may be dependent on
additional EAL or LS support being made available at an additional cost. The school will find and employ
the teacher, the cost will be passed on to the parents. The school will work with parents to personalize
the level and type of support to give the student the best access to the curriculum.Step Three: The non-
refundable application fee must be paid. The application moves to step four.

Step Four: The remainder of the application documents is submitted online. These include:

• Medical Form. Please note that all students must have a full and up to date vaccination
record to be enrolled at school. The school Doctor can provide the latest list of required
vaccinations.
• Student Physical Examination Form with doctor’s signature and stamp
• School records, officially translated into English, and official transcripts from previous schools,
for the past three academic years (both the original and a copy officially translated into
English, if in another language)
• Growth and Development Form (Grades Pre K-5)
• Student Record Request Form
• Student Reference Form (K-Grade 12)
• Math Teacher Recommendation Form (Grades 6-12)
• Acknowledgement of Risk & Insurance Statement
• Language Selection Form (Grades 1-12)
• Agreements Form
• Transportation Form
• Financial Responsibility Declaration
• Photocopy of the Student’s Passport(s)
• One Photograph of Applicant (passport size)

Step Five: When the student is in Belgrade, a ‘taster’ day or half day is organized by the Principal. The
student will be assigned a ‘buddy’ whom they shadow for the day. Various specialists may meet with the
students as needed such as EAL, Learning Support, IB Diploma Coordinator, IB MYP Coordinator, Counselor

At this time, course selections will be made, as appropriate.

At the end of the day, all feedback from the team will be shared with the Principal who is responsible for the
enrolment recommendation in liaison with the Admissions team, usually the same day.

If it is not possible for a student to spend a taster session with us, we will endeavor to organize online
cognitive testing where possible and as appropriate.

Additional testing may be required for students entering the IB Diploma Programme.

Any other testing, diagnostic or otherwise (DRA, EAL, MAP, CAT, ALIS), will be carried out either when the
student is actual in school, or on-line as appropriate.

Step Six: If there are any additional questions or concerns about a student, the family will be contacted to
provide additional information. In such cases, a review team will be formed with appropriate personnel,
which may include the divisional Principal, counselor, and teacher(s).

Step Seven: Once the application is complete, a final admissions decision is made.

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Step Eight: The non-refundable registration fee and the non-refundable capital fee, along with the tuition
fee for the admitted student must be paid.

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE POLICY (EAL)

Because the ability to learn English is essential for academic and social success at ISB, the school has
additional admissions criteria and procedures for the English as an Additional Language (EAL) program.
These admissions requirements are meant to assure that students are placed in an appropriate educational
program and to ensure reasonable progress for them through the school’s educational programs. A
student is placed in the EAL program when initial screenings and/or further language testing demonstrates
insufficient English language proficiency for the level of school work expected for that grade.

There are no English language proficiency requirements for students in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 5.

The school is usually able to provide up to 150 minutes per week of additional support in either EAL or
LS. If in the opinion of the school, a student needs more support than this, an offer of enrolment may be
dependent on additional EAL or LS support being made available at an additional cost. The school will find
and employ the teacher, the cost will be passed on to the parents. The school will work with parents to
personalize the level and type of support to give the student the best access to the curriculum.

AGE-APPROPRIATE GRADE PLACEMENT

We understand that enrolling families are coming from and going on to a variety of educational systems that
may or may not be similar to the grade name, curriculum and instruction they will encounter at ISB. Some
parents initially wonder if age-appropriate grade placement beyond a student’s chronological age might
be necessary to ensure sufficient and adequate academic rigor for their student. In fact, in choosing ISB and
the International Baccalaureate program, you have chosen to enroll your student in a program explicitly
committed to providing children with both a challenging academic curriculum and many comprehensive
opportunities for social, emotional, artistic and athletic development. In order to accomplish this, it is ISB
Board Policy that all enrolling students are placed into age-appropriate grade levels. Regardless of the
month of enrollment, the student must have reached the required age for his or her intended entry grade
before September 1st of the school calendar year.

The grades and normal age levels for the Lower and Middle School are:

Grade Age as of September 1st

Pre-Kindergarten 3 3 years old
Pre-Kindergarten 4 4 years old
Kindergarten 5 years old
1 6 years old
2 7 years old
3 8 years old
4 9 years old
5 10 years old
6 11 years old
7 12 years old
8 13 years old

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High school placement is determined by both the student’s age at the time of enrollment, and the number
of high school credits that may have been previously earned.

Exceptions to age-appropriate placement may be considered and approved by the Principal.

Students enrolling in Middle School or High School are also placed in grades which most nearly approach
the expected chronological age for the student. In addition, factors such as the previous national school
system, school calendar, maturity and English language ability of the student will be considered when
determining grade placement.

The school will not enroll a student who will be over the age of twenty-one at the time of his or her
graduation.

Verification of age, by copy of a passport or birth certificate, is required for all students. Final placement for
all students is determined by the Divisional Principal.

EXCEPTIONS TO AGE-APPROPRIATE CLASS PLACEMENT

In rare cases, age-appropriate class placement may not be in the best educational interest of a student. In
order to best meet the learning needs of a student, a two-week observation will be granted to determine
grade advancement if:

• The student demonstrates academic performance that is at least one full grade level above what is
typical for students of similar age across all subject areas.

• A letter supporting the need for grade advancement from an administrator at the student’s previous
school is submitted with the application materials.

• The student performs at least one standard deviation above the norm on an internationally
recognized standardized test of cognitive development (this can be administered by ISB school staff.)

During the two-week observation period, school staff will observe the student to ensure that he or she
demonstrates the social and emotional maturity typical of students at the higher grade. Additionally,
the Measures of Academic Progress™ (MAP) test will be administered by school staff to determine if the
student is a good candidate for acceleration. At the end of the two-week observation, there will be a
meeting convened at which the school’s findings will be presented. Participation in advanced placement
or gifted programs at prior schools does not satisfy the criteria for grade advancement.

TIMELINE

The ISB academic year starts in August and ends in June. Applicants for admission to ISB are strongly
encouraged to apply as early as possible. The following chart outlines the official intake dates for completed
applications according to projected enrollment dates:

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Projected Enrollment Date Intake for Completed Applications

Complete applications must be received between March 1 and June 1

Consideration for guaranteed (While the school will make every effort to process applications in time for
enrollment for the first day of the first day of school, students whose applications are received after June
school 1 cannot be guaranteed that the admissions process will be complete
before the first day of school).

Rolling (ongoing) intake. A complete application must be received three

Mid-year transfer
weeks prior to the desired enrollment date.
Complete application must be received between October 1 and December
January Enrollment
1.

The school needs a minimum of three weeks after receiving a complete application to make a final
admissions decision

Only complete applications are considered for admissions. Complete applications will be reviewed in the
order in which they are received by the admissions office. All applications are subject to seat availability.
This may mean that within a single family, ISB can accommodate one child and not have room for another.
For this reason, it is best to inquire about available seats at your child’s grade level in advance of application.

Students who are accepted to ISB may not matriculate until they complete the ISB placement examination.
After the placement exam is completed, the school requires three to five days to properly review the
materials before students may begin officially attending ISB.

LEARNING SUPPORT

If your student has learning differences, they must be disclosed to the school during the application
process. Failure to do so may result in a withdrawal of acceptance by ISB. Students manifesting mild
disabilities are served in the mainstream educational program and receive support services. If your child
has an Individualized Education Plan or a similar document, a copy of the plan should be submitted to the
school as part of the application materials.

The school is usually able to provide up to 150 minutes per week of additional support in either EAL or
LS. If in the opinion of the school, a student needs more support than this, an offer of enrolment may be
dependent on additional EAL or LS support being made available at an additional cost. The school will find
and employ the teacher, the cost will be passed on to the parents. The school will work with parents to
personalize the level and type of support to give the student the best access to the curriculum.

Due to accessibility issues with the school’s facilities, especially on the Lower School campus, applications
for students with limited mobility are difficult to accommodate, but will be considered on a case by case
basis.

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ADDITIONAL LANGUAGES

Beginning in grade 1, all students participate in an additional language program. Students with limited
English skill are automatically enrolled in the EAL program. Serbian Nationals are strongly encouraged to
participate in the Serbian Mother Tongue program. Once a language is selected, a student must stay in
that language for the remainder of the academic year.

At the DP level, students must take two language courses, one of which must be English.

• Language A1: All students take either English Language and Literature Course or a literature course
in their mother tongue (as a regular or a Self-Taught class). Self-Taught classes are subject to approval,
with part-time guidance by a High School teacher and requiring that the family procure a tutor to aid
the student in his/her studies.
• Language B, and Language Ab Initio:
• Language B for students who have studied a second language for at least two years
previously and can read, write and speak with some proficiency.
• Language ab initio is only for students new to a language, and is available only to students
who have not studied or earned proficiency beyond two months’ exposure.
 

Students may also opt for two language courses at the A1 level.

In accordance with the philosophy of the IB, students should be pursuing proficiency in language rather
than moving from one language to another. If the school offers a language in which students have studied
previously, it is desired that the student study that language at a more advanced level.

SEAT AVAILIBILTY AND WAITLISTS

Applicants who cannot be enrolled due to lack of seats in a grade or program shall be placed on a wait list
until a seat becomes available. The process of making assignments from the waitlist does not necessarily
take place in chronological order. ISB reserves the right to make assignment from the waitlist in a manner
that allows us to maintain the international character of the school.

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Notes

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Notes

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