Admissions

Admission to AISCT will be granted to a student when the requirements of application, in accordance with the Admissions Policy, have been fulfilled and space allows for his enrollment. Those requirements include the following:

• Completion and delivery of the AISCT application with the non-refundable R850 application fee. An application form is available on this website.
• Delivery of copies of the student’s passport or other identification documents.
• Demonstration of probable success in the AISCT program as indicated by previous school records and reports.
• Completion of a personal interview. This can be conducted in person, via e-mail, telephone or Skype with the parents and student.
• Completion of AISCT health forms and record of immunizations.

AISCT Admissions Policy

AISCT admission is open for and granted to students of any nationality, expatriate and local students, who have a reasonable expectation of academic and personal success within the AISCT program.

AISCT will admit students who are complete beginners in English but show evidence of being able to adapt to the language and program even if this will require a considerable period of transition. As the ability to learn English is essential for academic and social success at AISCT, the school reserves the right to restrict the admission of non-English-speaking children in a given class or grade if it is felt that additional non-English-speaking children at this grade level would be difficult to accommodate effectively. However, due to the nature of the school and its student population, all teachers at AISCT are expected to modify their programs to accommodate those students who are still learning to speak English.

AISCT will in practice deny admission to those students who can be determined, on the basis of the above criteria and other information which may be available, to have learning difficulties which are beyond the scope of the school’s educational program or who have not performed adequately at previous school(s), regardless of the reason. The school expects all teachers to cater to the students’ individual needs. Of course, with the range of language proficiencies at a school like AISCT, each teacher is called upon to develop individualized programs and expectations.

AISCT hopes to continue to admit students who have a desire and motivation to succeed but who have had difficulties which can be addressed within the normal framework of its classroom program. If the expectations and performance of these students are significantly different than those of the other students in the classes, the school’s progress reports will so indicate this as a "modified program" to ensure clear communication with parents and other educational institutions.

If, however, the requirements or individual needs of a student are so great as to demand an inordinate amount of time and attention from teachers, to the detriment of the other students in the classes, then admission will not be offered to that child. In older grades particularly, poor past performance, whether due to learning differences or other problems, can result in denial of admission to AISCT.

After a child has been enrolled and the school becomes aware of learning differences outside of the range described above, the school reserves the right to withdraw the offer of enrollment. This admission revocation is particularly applicable if the parents have not been completely honest in the presentation of information at the time of application.

Sometimes learning difficulties are obscured by language difficulties and do not become evident for several months or a student who is achieving at first and second grade level within the range described above is not able to achieve in the third grade for developmental or other reasons. In cases of students already enrolled at AISCT who subsequently evidence learning differences, the criterion for continued enrollment becomes this: "Are we doing this child or the other children in the class a disservice by continuing to enroll him?" The first half of this question is often complicated by the subsequent consideration, "What will the parents do if the child is asked to withdraw?" However, the school must make its determination on the basis of what the parent should do in the child’s best interest, which in some cases means leaving South Africa. In such cases thus far, the school administration and teachers involved have been able to work with the parents to pursue alternative programs at least several months prior to withdrawal from AISCT, and the children in question have usually been able to complete the school year at AISCT.

AISCT does not employ a school psychologist or psychiatrist and has no program specifically for children with significant learning differences. As such, the students at AISCT are expected to be able to succeed to some degree within the existing program with only the sort of support routinely expected of an international school teacher. (To succeed means to learn and show academic and social progress. Routinely means the same level of extra support which a teacher might be expected to provide a beginning English student.)

AISCT will continue to refer children to qualified educational psychologists when testing can provide information which will help with an admissions decision or in cases when testing will help the school to work more effectively with students already enrolled. Students with emotional or behavioral problems beyond the range which the school is qualified to address may be required to arrange counseling as a condition of continued enrollment.