Author: Jinli Wei, Jingxiao Chen, Yanjun Liu      

Date of publication: May, 2022

Target audience: Students and parents who aims to participate in IB program in Chongqing No.1 Secondary School      

Date for next review: May, 2025      

Chongqing No. 1 Secondary School

Admission Policy

1. Mission and Structure of the Admissions Office

   It is the mission of the Admissions office to recruit, inform and admit new, qualified students to Chongqing No.1 Secondary School in a professional and forthright manner, while maintaining the integrity of the school, the students and their families.

    

   We aim to ensure that prospective families understand the school mission, philosophy and community. We also strive to give them a good initial understanding of the IB programs.

    

   The Admissions Office comprises the Admissions Coordinators, who report to the Head of School and are assisted by the Admissions Assistant.

    

   Admissions decisions are made by the Admissions Committee (see 2,2 below).

    

2. Admissions Policy and Procedures

    

   General

   Applications for admission are accepted throughout the year. No official decision on an application is given until all the relevant documents have been received (except in exceptional circumstances, see 2.3.). 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's website to learn more about the school, and to contact admission officers to join the admission process.

    

   Admissions Committee and decision-making process

   • Stage One: Application

   There are two ways of application procedure for external students.

   - On-line application system: The new students will be required to complete an on-line application form and upload required application documents.

   - Face to face application system: The new students can come to the Admission Office of our school directly. A hard-copy application forms and relevant application documents are required as well.

    

   • Stage Two: Entry Test

   The Admissions Office will hold two written entry tests twice a school year (June). The written test is to mainly identify students' abilities in Chinese (mandarin). Math and English. An admitted student must obtain a minimum of 60% marks in the tests.

   All students that take part in written tests are required to have oral interviews conducted by a panel that is constituted of Language examiners, subject teachers, homeroom teacher, and the DP Coordinator.

    

   Stage Three: Decision to be made

   The admission of new students will firstly be reviewed by the Admissions Office based on a comprehensive consideration of candidates' entry test results, interview performance and their background of previous educations. The Admissions Office will propose an admitted student list to the Head of School.

    

   Stage Four: Offer Letter

   Offer letter of admission will be sent out to students/parents no later than August 15. each year.

   Students/Parents are expected to fulfill the school's enrollment requirements, and ensure to pay tuition and other relevant fees according to the registration information.

   A spot in the DP will be saved for the student who completes the above- mentioned procedures.

    

   Stage Five: Congratulations & Welcome

   -In late August, the Admissions Office will complete the intake work for each year, and will finalize a list of enrolled students. Students' records will be properly documented and maintained.

   Admitted students by the DP are expected to start his/her education journey in Chongqing No.1 Secondary School.

    

   2.3 Grade Level Placement Guidelines

In general, students will be placed according to their age on September 1st of their year of entry. Where it is considered to be of benefit to the student, he/she may be placed in a lower grade than requested. Only under exceptional circumstances will a student be placed in a higher grade than his/her age group, (please refer to the school SEN policy) In these cases, the cut-off date may be extended to December 31st. Factors to be considered for such a placement include:

■The cut-off date in the child's country of origin (No.1 Secondary School aims to avoid situations in which children will be penalized on return to their home country, where possible):

■The child's successful completion of the equivalent grade elsewhere:

■A transcript or report cards from the previous year demonstrating exceptional academic performance and social skills.

If a student is placed in a grade higher than his/her age-group, the parents are clearly informed that this initial placement is tentative, and that the school may advise a change of grade after the student's abilities have been thoroughly observed.

Any change of grade would normally take place within the first two months after the student's entry into the school.

2.4 Eligible Students

•Students of Chinese Nationality

•Students from Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan

•Students of foreign passport holders

•Students with foreign residency

2.5Reauired application materials

Before a student may be admitted to No.1 Secondary School. all of the following must be submitted:

a.Application fee (non-refundable).

b.Student Application Form. This should be completed and signed by the parent or legal guardian and accompanied by one passport-sized photograph.

c.Parent Statement. This should be completed and signed by the parent or legal guardian.

d.Applicant Statement. This should be handwritten and signed by the applicant (Grades 10 to 12) - in English and Chinese if possible and without assistance.

e.Two full years of school transcripts or reports. These should cover two complete years (the most recently completed academic year and the previous one) as v/ell as the year in progress, if applicable.

f.School reports/transcripts must be in Chinese or English, with official translations provided when originals are written in another language.

g.A photocopy of the applicant's Chinese ID or passport. It is the parents' responsibility to ensure that their child(ren) have the appropriate visa(s) to allow them to study at No.1 Secondary School.

h.Medical Form

•Part 1 - completed by the parents (includes the Learning Support Form).

•Part 2 - completed by a doctor upon examination of the applicant.

For students with specific needs, see Applicants with specific needs (section 2.8 ).

In cases where it is impossible to obtain a given application document, the Admissions Committee will make a collective decision as to whether or not they have sufficient information in the documents presently available to make an informed decision on the candidate's admission. Information from other sources may be requested in such instances (for example: work samples, obligatory interview).

No.1 Secondary School staff members wishing to enroll their children at the school must follow the usual application procedure. Further information, including details of fee arrangements for staff members, can be found in the Staff Handbook.

2.6 Criteria for admission

Each candidate's application materials are carefully studied in order to assess suitability for admission. We look for candidates:

■who are motivated/determined

■whose academic performance is average to excellent

■whose conduct is good overall, and who are respectful to others

■who are. and whose parents are, committed to the No.1 Secondary School vision, mission and philosophy

■who are internationally-minded

■who would benefit from the No.1 Secondary School curriculum

■whose qualities would enrich the No.1 Secondary School community and be a positive contribution to it.

Previous experience with the IB programs can also be an advantage, but is not a pre-requisite for admission.

If a student broadly corresponds to No.1 Secondary School's admissions criteria, but is currently having difficulty reaching his or her full potential, the student may be admitted, in certain cases, pending his or her (and his or her parents ) agreement to engage in a program of additional support. This may include, for example: Individualized Personal and Social Education, Counseling, Learning Mentoring, and/or other kinds of learning support as appropriate. Such decisions remain, however, entirely at the direction of the Admissions Committee.

2.7 Requirements for specific trades

Certain specific requirements apply to three categories of students:

1. Grades 11 and 12

   To successfully transfer into Grade 11 or 12, students must coordinate their choice of subjects with the IB Coordinator and/or School Principal, as they have an overall picture of the courses offered and the space available in each class.

    

   2.8Applicants with Special Educational Needs

   The development stage of the student is considered to confirm that the school can offer an appropriate curriculum and facilities for the student. For example, the school is not currently staffed or has the facilities for students who are not properly trained. Parents are asked to declare if their child has any Special Educational Needs (SEN). This may be something identified by the parent; such as a concern that their child can only concentrate for a short period of time. It may have been identified by a previous placement (school or pre-school), or by a specialist (medical, educational psychologist). The school will consider whether adaptations to the school are required in future, fitments, materials or alterations to the organization of the class or timetable.

    

   Requests for the student to be admitted outside of their year group will be considered depending on the students educational needs and the nature of the class.

    

   No.1 Secondary School may not currently be able to provide for specialized staff to meet the needs of exceptional learners while maintaining challenging grade level academic and behavioral standards. At the time of application, parents must supply all materials related to the unique needs of their children. All tests should be done in the home country in the child's native language and then translated into English. Appropriate materials should also include previous teachers’ and counselor comments regarding the ability and potential of the student.

    

   No.1 Secondary School reserves the right to request any additional testing and evaluations necessary during the academic year for any student. These tests are at the expense of the family and could influence that child's enrolment at No.1 Secondary School.

    

   2.9 Post-review procedure

   When a decision has been taken on a candidate s application, parents will be notified of the decision by email or telephone within 48 hours. Subsequently, the action taken varies depending on the decision taken regarding the student:

    

   ■ Acceptance: If an applicant is accepted, this will be followed by a formal email of acceptance accompanied by the Registration Contract and the Parent Permission and Authorization Sheet. The Registration Contract must be completed and returned to the Admissions Office, within 10 days of receipt, along with a Registration Deposit for each child, in order to officially reserve the space(s). The Parent Permission and Authorization Sheet must be completed and returned before the applicant begins school. There may also be additional subject choice forms to complete, depending on the grade level. If the offer of a place has not been accepted by the 10-day deadline, it can be offered to another family.

    

   ■ Denial: If an applicant is denied a place, a formal letter or email is sent to confirm this.

    

   ■ Waiting lists: If an applicant is accepted but no space is available in the appropriate class, he/she will be placed on a waiting list, and the parents will be sent a letter or email to confirm this. When a place becomes available in the appropriate class, it will be offered to a student on the waiting list.

    

   Criteria used to decide which student on the waiting list is offered the place include:

   Siblings already attending, accepted in or applying to the school

   The existing gender balance of the class

   The existing language balance of the class

   Background/experience in an IB program

   A family's planned length of stay may also be taken into account in such cases, although we appreciate that this is difficult to predict accurately given the largely transient nature of our population.

   The above criteria may also be applied in cases where several applicants are competing for a limited number of remaining spaces in a given grade.

    

   Registration

   An accepted applicant's place in the school is guaranteed only after a completed Registration Contract (signed by the parents) and Registration Deposit have been received by the school, and after the Registration Contract has been signed by the Head of School. The Finance department then sends an invoice to the family for the remainder of the tuition fees (see section I.). At this point, responsibility for maintaining and updating the student's records (changes of contact details, etc.) passes to the appropriate School administrative assistant.

    

   Re-registration process

   Every January the Admissions Department gathers preliminary information about parents, intentions for the following year through an electronic survey and, where appropriate, follow-up telephone calls. This information is used as an initial basis for enrolment planning for the following year, but the answers provided during the survey are not binding on the part of the parents.

    

   Formal re-registration takes place in late March, once the fees and calendar have been approved, and have been published. At this time, a Registration Contract and fee schedule are sent to all families. Parents intending to re-register their children at No.1 Secondary School for the following academic year must sign and return the Registration Contract, along with the Registration Deposit, by the given deadline (usually around the end of the month). Failure to do so may result in the place being given to another candidate. In certain cases, where there is a financial, academic or behavioral issue with a student, parents may not be invited to re-register their child(ren) until the situation has been resolved, and in some cases will be refused re-registration. The Principals and/or Finance department are responsible for coordinating any necessary communication with the families concerned with the resolution of such issues.

    

   As soon as the completed Registration Contract and Deposit are received by the Admissions Office, and the Contract is signed by the Head of School, the student(s) are reregistered for the following academic year. The Registration Contract and Deposit, are then passed on to the Finance department who invoice for the remainder of the coming year's fees.

    

   2.10Fees

   ■General The application, entry and tuition fees are set out in the Fee Schedule each year. Tuition fees are payable once a year before August 20, although parents paying the tuition fees themselves may make special arrangements with the Finance department to pay the tuition in instalments.

    

   ■Financial Assistance

   - Financial aid: scholarship

   Currently the school has limited financial aid, v/hich is decided upon each year during budget time. The school distributes aid packages from 10 to 50% of the total annual tuition cost. The decision on who receives this assistance is made by a committee comprised of the Head of School, one of the Admissions Coordinators, the Finance Director and the Director of External Affairs, in cooperation with the relevant school Principal where appropriate, The decision is based on demonstrated financial need as evidenced by an application and documented proof of revenue.

    

   The deadline for application for financial aid from current families is the end of February. For new students, a full financial aid application must be submitted at the same time as the application for admission.

    

   2.11 Follow-up procedures

   ■ For new students at the start of the school year

   -General

   Just prior to the start of the academic year, all new student files are handed over to the relevant School administrative assistant(s). At that time, class teachers and grade heads are invited to consult the files, and can contact Admissions for specific information about any new student at any mutually convenient time.

    

   -Secondary School students There will be a special orientation day for all new Secondary School students (and parents) just prior to the first day of full classes. The Principal and the grade heads will introduce the students to the school, its rules and regulations, and the various buildings, and will orient the students to life at No.1 Secondary School in order to prepare them for a smooth transition into their new school. Students may also have placement testing in certain subjects during this period.

    

   ■ For new students arriving during the course of the year

   -General

   The Admissions department informs primary or secondary 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. The Admissions Office will also inform the PTA President and appropriate PTA class representative(s).

    

   -Secondary School students

   New students who arrive during the year will be given an orientation by the Secondary School Principal, the relevant curriculum coordinator (Diploma).

   one of the Vice Principals, and one of the Admissions Coordinators.

    

   - Primary School students

   There is no specific orientation program for new Primary School students arriving mid-year. Rather, each classroom teacher ensures a smooth transition for all new children.

    

   Academic Probation

   Where a student is accepted into the full IB Diploma Programme when they have not met the above requirements they will have to complete a period of academic probation at the end of which the Head of School, in consultation with the IB Co-ordinator and Deputy Head of Section will approve their status as either a full Diploma candidate or a Courses candidate.

    

   Some students may achieve all of the requirements for entry into the full Diploma bar one subject. In these cases students will have to complete a period of academic probation in that subject at the end of which the IB Co-ordinator, in consultation with the Head of Department will approve their registration in thal subject or make a recommendation that they adopt a different subject/level or they move to a Courses certification programme.

    

   Admission Policy Review

   This policy will be reviewed annually by the Head of Admissions and the Head of School.