Admission Policy

Aim: This policy reflects the school's vision and mission statement as an educational foundation when recruiting international and local students to the school.

Entry to the British School of Bucharest is open to any member of the community from anywhere in the world. From time to time however, prospective students may find themselves on a waiting list. We are always pleased to meet parents and discuss the admission of children to the British School of Bucharest, it is important that parents can see our facilities and ask questions about the education that is available.

After initial contact with the school an appointment will be made to tour the school and to meet with the Head of School.

Enrolling a new pupil at the beginning of an academic year.

A child's name can be placed on a waiting list during the preceding year. Waiting lists are opened in March each year. Proof of the child's date of birth, such as a birth certificate, passport or visa, is required for full enrolment. Priority is given to families with siblings already in school. Each year a deadline date is set for the reregistration of current pupils. Once this has passed children from our waiting lists will be enrolled. Parents considering BSB for their child can reduce their chances of being placed on a waiting list after April by acting early. Students enrolled later are often able to gain a place, but at the popular entry points this can not be guaranteed. It is always preferable for a new student to start at the beginning of an academic year, however we understand that this is not always possible, and in these instances an appropriate assessment will take place.

• Creche: Children must be two years old by the 31st August of the year of entry.
• Preschool & Reception: For Pre-school children must be three years old by the 31st August of the year of entry. Reception children must be four years old by the 31st August of the year of entry.
• Primary: To be enrolled in Year 1 in January, children must be five years old by 31st August of the year of entry.
• Secondary: Students are eligible to enter the first year of secondary school, Year 7, after completing at least five years of primary education. Students must be 11 years old by the 31st August of the year of entry. For students who have not come directly from a British School IGCSE examinations can only be taken if the complete course is followed at the British School of Bucharest. Year 10 entry is open to students aged 14 by the 31st August of the year of entry.

Considerations when enrolling new students

The British School of Bucharest has a range of policies which have been adopted for the benefit of all students in the School. Two of these policies have a direct bearing on enrolment availability. In almost all cases class sizes at BSB are restricted to 20 in primary and secondary classes. For the Foundation Stage, class sizes are limited to 18 and for some classes the maximum class size is less than this. This places a restriction on the availability of places, particularly in the popular entry points to the school.

The School is very concerned that large nationality imbalances do not occur to the detriment of the smaller groups. Part of the academic success of BSB can be attributed to the happy balance of nationalities throughout the School and the steps taken to reduce the potential for one nationality to dominate others. Our academic performance indicates that this policy is important in maintaining a good educational outcome in an international school. At any time no nationality will have more than a 40% within the school body.

Transferring from another school

A transfer certificate detailing the child's attendance should be obtained if a student transfers to BSB. When a student is transferring from overseas, the previous school will be contacted directly.

Any additional information, such as school reports or samples of written work, can help staff assign the student to the most appropriate class.