Reviewed by:
Previous Review: January 2022
Approved by the Board:
Aims
This Admissions Policy aims to set out the criteria that are used, and the procedures that are applied, in awarding places to prospective pupils.
This policy aims:
- • To have a fair and transparent policy for all parents.
- • To make the admission process easy for parents and students.
- • To ensure that the school gets the maximum admissions possible without making a compromise.
Guidance
Jewels Leading Lights International is a co-educational day school for children between the ages of 18 months and 18 years. Jewels Leading Lights International aims to develop excellence in academic achievement, social conduct and moral values and to ensure that this learning process is enjoyable and fulfilling for the individual child in a friendly family atmosphere.
Jewels Leading Lights International is split into four sections:
Creche - (3 months to 1+)
Early Years Foundation Stage - Playgroup to Reception (2+ to 4+ years old)
The Primary - Year 1 – Year 6 (5+ to 11+ years old)
The Secondary - Year 7 – Year 12 (11+ to 18 years old)
Creche-
Playgroup
Entry Procedure
Parents who are interested in their child(ren) attending Jewels Leading Lights International can collect an Application Pack from the Administrator which details the process to be followed in applying for a place and send it to us with the required supporting documents. These include the following:
- • Birth Certificate or current Passport
- • Up-to-date Immunization Certificate
- • Latest Report from current school for children joining in Y1 upwards.
Prospective parents collecting an Application Pack will find an Application Form, which must be completed and returned to the school, either in person or electronically, and be accompanied by the Application Fee, which is non-refundable.
When this is returned, a file is opened for the prospective pupil and all actions in respect of this admission are logged and dated on the tracker sheet contained therein.
Deciding on the right school for one’s child is very important, and we believe that a personal visit is invaluable. Prospective pupils are invited to visit the school with their parents to view the facilities and meet the Head of School and the other relevant staff.
Children are offered places in the school based on:
- • Results of an educational assessment visit.
- • Reference to the latest reports from the current school attended.
Where places are oversubscribed, priority is given on the following basis:
- • Prospective pupils with siblings who are already pupils in Jewels Leading Lights International or Jewels Leading Lights Academy.
- • Date of submission of application forms.
Pupils should normally be the correct age for the year group, based on the 1st September cut-off with a pupil expecting to attain the age of eleven in his/her last primary school year.
Children born after the 1st of September will be put into the year group below, so they go through as the oldest in their year, rather than the youngest.
Before an offer is made, parents or guardians must declare any specific learning support requirement, medical condition or disability so that we can ensure we can meet the pupil’s individual needs.
Entry Assessment
The prospective pupils will be invited to spend a day at school.
During the day, the child will work and play alongside the other children in the class, and through specific assessments and activities, the Head of Year/Department will be able to reach a judgement as to whether the child will be able to cope with the level of academic work at Jewels Leading Lights International.
Children applying for Years 3 to 6 and Secondary will spend some of their assessment day undertaking paper or online tests away from the classroom.
Children coming from abroad will be assessed by reference to their most recent school reports together with any other available information from their current school, for example, a confidential reference and samples of their work. In this way, a place can usually be offered, which can then be ratified by a formal assessment upon arrival in Abuja.
No specific preparation for an assessment is needed.
Children joining our Nursery classes and older must be toilet trained, clean and dry.
Result of Assessment
After the assessment visit, a recommendation will be made by the Class Teacher, the Head of Department, and the Head of School.
The Head of School will then decide whether or not to offer a place. This process will be completed within 48 hours.
Although the Head of School’s decision is final, he is always prepared to meet the parents of unsuccessful candidates to explain the reasons for not offering a place and to offer advice about other schooling options.
If the candidate is successful, a formal offer letter will be issued by the Administrator for the parents to sign and return, along with their payment of the Development Levy. This acts as a deposit to secure the school place.
Full payment of the first term’s fees must then be received before the child can start school.
Any place offer will have a limited validity period, (usually fourteen days), after which the offer will be automatically rescinded, and the place offered to another prospective pupil.
No offer is considered to have been accepted until all the administrative matters have been completed and all the necessary fees have been paid.
All communications between the Administrator and prospective parents will be in person, by phone or by e-mail. Text messages and WhatsApp are unreliable and will not be used at any point during the admissions process.
Information about fees and sibling discounts does not form part of this policy but is available from the Administrator.
Conclusion
This Policy Document guides and reflects current practice in Admissions at Jewels Leading Lights International. It is up-to-date and current at the time of writing (December 2023) and will be due for review in September 2024.
Applications for admission should be registered by January or February of the year of admission or earlier if desired.
Jewels Leading Lights International endeavours to make places available to siblings, subject to space being available in the relevant year group.
Equal Opportunities
There is no discrimination at entry on grounds of race, religion, disability, socio-economic background or gender and no preference is given to a particular parental occupation.
We aim to encourage applications from candidates with as diverse a range of backgrounds as possible.
This enriches our community and prepares our pupils for today’s world.
Children with Additional Needs
Jewels Leading Lights International does not discriminate in any way regarding entry. We welcome pupils with additional needs, provided that we are confident that we can offer the support they require. We welcome pupils with physical disabilities as long as our site can cope with them.
However, we advise parents of children with additional educational needs or physical disabilities to discuss their child’s requirements with the Head of School and Head of Additional Needs before registering their child.
Parents should provide a copy of an Educational Psychologist’s report or a medical report to support their request, for example for extra time or other special arrangements.
Jewels Leading Lights International reserves the right to withdraw or withhold a school place for any child displaying needs which cannot be adequately met, or if there are safety concerns, at the Head of School’s discretion.
Religious Beliefs
Jewels Leading Lights International does not select for entry based on religious belief. Jewels Leading Lights International is a Christian school and we celebrate diversity.
Jewels Leading Lights International’s Contractual Terms and Conditions
Jewels Leading Lights International reserves the right to refuse or terminate the place of any pupil on the grounds of non-observance of all school rules and policies by either the pupil or the parent, or whereby the school feels that the pupil’s needs cannot be met for any reason and alternative school position is required.