Admission Procedure

Dubai Carmel School Admission Policy for Lower Secondary and Secondary School

This admission policy outlines the criteria and procedures for admission to the lower secondary and secondary stages at Dubai Carmel School, which follows the U.K curriculum in compliance with the regulatory requirements of the KHDA and the UAE Ministry of Education (MoE).

Statutory Framework

This policy is designed in accordance with:

• The guidelines of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).
• The statutory requirements of the UAE Ministry of Education (MoE).
• CAIE curriculum aligned with U.K national curriculum in conjunction with AQA and Edexcel board requirement for subject options in higher secondary.

Previous Schooling

• Students must have completed the relevant educational stage (i.e., primary or lower secondary) from a recognized institution.

Transfer Certificate

• A valid transfer certificate from the student’s previous school, endorsed by the UAE Ministry of Education (for students transferring from outside the UAE) or attested by the relevant local authorities (for students within the UAE).

Age Guidelines for Admission

Age Requirement: The UAE mandates that students must be the correct age for the year group based on the cut-off date (typically December 31st).

Admissions Procedure

The admissions process consists of the following steps:

• Application Submission:
  • Complete the online or in-person admission form.
  • Submit required documents, including passport copies, Emirates ID, previous school reports, and vaccination records.
• Entrance Assessments:
  • Students applying for entry into Year 7 and above may be required to sit for an entrance exam in core subjects (English, Mathematics, and Science) to assess their academic standing.
• Interview: An interview with the school leadership team may be conducted to assess the student’s readiness, attitude, and alignment with the school’s values.
• KHDA Registration: Once accepted, School will complete the registration process with the KHDA to obtain the mandatory Student Registration Number (SRN). A contract by KHDA should be signed by parents and school.

6. Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

Dubai Carmel School is committed to providing inclusive education. Students with identified Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) are welcome to apply. An individualized assessment will be conducted to determine the appropriate level of support needed, in line with KHDA and MoE guidelines.

Student Special Support

To create a successful learning experience for all students, including those with special needs, schools and families must collaborate and set clear expectations for student identification and support.

Schools are expected to

Schools have a responsibility to create an inclusive and supportive environment for students of determination. By upholding these responsibilities, schools can contribute to the personal growth and academic success of all students, regardless of ability. Schools are expected to:

• Publish their full inclusion policy on their website.
• Request a medical assessment or report to identify the type and degree of need in students with any form of disability.
• Ensure that procedures and criteria for early identification of disabilities in pre-school and school align with the standards set in Directives and Guidelines for Inclusive Education via KHDA website.
• Ensure that students of determination have equal access to educational facilities, resources, and opportunities.
• Work with parents, special educators, and support staff to create Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) for students of determination. These plans outline specific goals, accommodations, and services tailored to each student's unique needs.
• Adapt and diversify their curriculum to meet the diverse learning needs of all students. This may involve modifying teaching methods, using assistive technology, or providing additional support in the classroom.
• Regularly assess students' progress and adapt their support accordingly.

Parents are expected to

• Provide the school with copies of all medical, psychological or educational assessments or reports before finalising enrolment in the school. Schools must have this information to better assess children and plan for and meet the student’s educational needs. Failure to disclose this information, including the deliberate withholding of information, does not allow schools to formulate specific learning plans for the student and may result in inadequate progress in school.
• Notify the school in writing if they are aware or suspect that their child has a learning difficulty. If, following engagement with parents and student, the principal and the child's teachers judge that essential information about a student of determination has been intentionally withheld, parents will be asked to withdraw their child. This action will be taken only after obtaining approval from KHDA.
• Provide the school with relevant medical, psychological, or educational assessments or reports upon request at any point during the academic year.
• Refer to the school's inclusion policy, available on its website.

Registration and Refund Policy

General Definitions

Application fees: Schools may charge up to AED 500/ to process the application of new students. This fee includes standard assessment fees. The application fee is not deductible from the tuition fees.

Registration fees: Schools may ask parents to pay a deposit to confirm new enrollment. This deposit is payable after the student has been offered a place and parents have accepted the offer. The registration deposit cannot be more than 10% of the total tuition fees, and is deductible from the total tuition fees for the academic year.

Re-registration fees: Schools may ask parents to pay a re-registration deposit to guarantee a place for their children for the following academic year. This deposit cannot be more than 5% of the total tuition fees, or AED 500/ (whichever is higher) and is deductible from the total tuition fees for the academic year.

Registration and Admission Fees (applicable to all Dubai private schools)

As well as the conditions mentioned in the parent-school contract, the regulations for fees and deposits for admission and registration are as follows:

Existing students

• The school may open re-registration anytime during the academic year.
• The re-registration deposit should not exceed 5% of the annual tuition fees or AED500 (whichever is higher).
• The re-registration deposit is deductible from the first term’s fees.
• The school cannot ask for payment of any additional fees or deposits other than the re-registration mentioned above.
• Schools that begin the academic year in September can only collect re-registration deposit after the end of the Spring break.
• Schools that begin the academic year in April can only collect re-registration deposit after the end of the Winter break.

New students

• Schools can register new students at any time during the academic year.
• New schools must have KHDA pre-approval prior to registering students.
• The registration deposit for new students should not exceed 10% of the annual tuition fees.
• This registration deposit is deductible from the first term’s tuition fees.
• If new students enroll at a school during the course of the academic year, the school can charge tuition fees starting from the month of enrolment. (For example, if a student enrolls in a new school in the 3rd week of October, the school can charge tuition fees from the beginning of October).
• Schools cannot ask for payment of registration deposit until they have made a formal offer of enrolment. Prior to this, schools can only charge an application fee of AED 500/ maximum.
• The application fee of AED 500/ is:
  • refundable if the school does not offer the student a place.
  • non-refundable if the school offers the student a place but the student chooses not to take it.
  • not deductible from the total tuition fees to be paid if the student is offered and accepts a place.

General conditions

• Apart from the Registration or Re-registration deposits, schools cannot ask for any additional payment to guarantee student enrollment and re-enrollment.
• Schools can only collect annual tuition fees in three installments, due at the beginning of each term. The first term’s payment should not exceed 40% of the annual tuition fees; the second term payment not more than 30% of annual tuition fees; and the third term not more than 30% of annual tuition fees.
• Schools can also choose to collect annual tuition fees as 10 equal monthly installments. The monthly repayment amount is calculated by dividing the total tuition fees by 10.
• Schools may ask for payment of registration deposit only when students have been offered a place.
• The school forfeits the right to collect registration/re-registration fees if these fees were not collected at the time of registration/re-registration, and the student decides to leave the school prior to the start of the academic year.

Tuition fees Refund

In the cases of both existing and new students, the registration/re-registration deposit will not be refunded unless there are extenuating circumstances. These circumstances include, but are not limited to, evidence of family/student relocation to another country/emirate or any other unforeseen circumstances. Such cases may be submitted to KHDA for review.

In the case of refund, the school fees will be calculated as follows:

• Tuition fees paid prior to the beginning of the academic year are refundable and only the registration/ re-registration fees will be deducted.
• If the student was enrolled in the school for two weeks or less, a month’s fees will be deducted.
• If the student was enrolled in the school for a period ranging between two weeks and one month, two months’ fees will be deducted.
• If the student was enrolled in the school for more than a month, the full term’s fees will be deducted.

General conditions

• The above refund policy is applicable per term depending on the date of the withdrawal request.
• The refund will be calculated from the start of the term and the date of the official request by the parent stating the intent of withdrawal and not from the date when the student was absent. Being on the school registrar counts as days in school.
• Registration or Re-registration deposits are refundable in cases where a school’s quality rating has dropped and students wish to move to a school with a better rating, as stated in the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau report.
• Book fees are refundable if the student decides to leave the school prior to the beginning of the academic year.
• Any provisions in any other policies or approvals will be repealed in the event that they contradict this policy.

When fees are not paid in any mode of learning, the school reserves the right to:

1. Suspend students from learning for a maximum of 3 days per term, excluding exam days.
2. Not re-enroll students for the following academic year. This will be documented by the school through the issuance of dated warning letters.
3. Withhold students’ progress reports and to refer the issue to the KHDA.
4. Not issue the Transfer Certificate.

Admission Priority

Priority for admission will be given in the following order:

1. Siblings of current students.
2. Children of alumni or staff.
3. Applicants who meet the academic criteria set by the school.

Document Requirements

The following documents must be submitted for the admission process to be complete:

• Completed application form.
• Passport copy (student and parents).
• Emirates ID copy (student and parents).
• 2 passport-size photographs of the student.
• Previous school reports (last 2 years).
• Transfer certificate (attested as required).
• Original vaccination card or photo copy (Mandatory)
• Health insurance copy.

IGCSE

• Previous school academic report.
• Entry for As level, IGCSE results.
• Behaviour certificate from previous school (when required).

SEN Department

• Medical report.
• Speech Therapy, occupational Therapy (if required).
• Year 4 and above CAT4 results.

Data Protection

The school is committed to safeguarding the personal data of students and parents. All information collected during the admission process will be handled in compliance with UAE Data Protection Law.

12. Review and Compliance

This policy will be reviewed annually or as required by changes in KHDA or MoE regulations. The school ensures full compliance with local and federal regulations regarding admission.