Thank you for your interest in The International School of Azerbaijan. We hope that you choose to enroll your child here. The procedures for doing this are outlined below, and the required forms can be accessed by clicking on the links. We are always happy to show visitors and prospective students around our school so you may wish to visit us before starting a formal application process.

Please note that the application procedure for our Early Years, Primary Years and Secondary Years programs may differ slightly.

Application process:

If you are making a formal application for a place at the school, please complete and submit the attached Student Application Form. Along with the application, it is required that you submit the following documents:

• A copy of the student’s passport or birth certificate
• One passport size photograph
• Official school records or transcripts from a previous school in English*
• Student health record and immunization records
• A confidential letter of recommendation, completed by the applicant’s current school.
• Non-refundable application fee of $100 for students who are currently residing in, and will be transferring from a school within Azerbaijan.

Admissions Assessments:

If the supporting documents are in order, students applying to enter the Secondary School may be invited to write assessments in the following subjects:

• Math
• English
• French/Spanish/Russian (if not a beginner)
• Biology/Chemistry/Physics (as applicable for IB 1)

Students in need of English Language Support will be assessed by the coordinator of the program for placement purposes.

Admissions Timeline:

The TISA school year starts in August and ends in June. Applicants for admission are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible as the school may be full at certain class levels. Students applying from within Azerbaijan and those wanting to transfer from a school within Baku need to apply before May 1st, for the new school year.

The expected process time of an application is approximately 2 weeks. Applications made over the summer holiday will only be processed 2 weeks after the official start of the new school year. For all applications, the process time may be extended if additional testing or diagnosis is deemed necessary.

Applications to the IB Diploma Program will only be considered if made before the start of the academic year or if a student is transferring from an equivalent IB Diploma Program.

Admissions Decision:

After reviewing the results of the assessments and the school records received, an admissions decision will be made in accordance with the school’s admissions criteria. Some of the factors taken into account are:

• Age of applicant
• Class size and availability
• English Language proficiency
• Previous School records and recommendations
• IB Program experience if student is applying for the Post-16 program.
• Admissions test/academic ability, where applicable.

TISA reserves the right to refuse admission based on inadequate, incomplete or inappropriate school records or application forms. TISA also reserves the right to refuse admission if it is our opinion that our program will not benefit the applicant.

Admission to TISA does not guarantee student enrollment beyond the initial year, which will be dependent on maintaining acceptable levels of academic progress, school attendance and behavior.

Admissions guidelines for students needing English Language Support:

English Language proficiency is essential for academic success at TISA. TISA endeavors to provide support, insofar as school resources allow.

Admission of students who are in need of ELS depends on the following factors:

• Number of places available in the ELS program.
• Grade level of applicant

Students are expected to be able to cope with the language demands made in mainstream classes in all subjects at the beginning of M4 (grade 9).

Admissions guidelines for students with Special Educational Needs:

The school has no special provision for children with significant learning or physical disabilities, but is able to offer support for those with minor learning difficulties through differentiation and in class support. The school has a full time Learning Support Coordinator who is supported by a team of Learning Support Assistants.

If a child requires full time (1:1) learning support then the parents will be expected to cover the full cost of a Learning Support Assistant selected and supported by the school.

Please provide any assessments or reports that will help our Admissions Officer and Learning Support Coordinator decide if or how we can meet the individual needs of your child.

Your child’s health at TISA

At TISA, we have the services of a full-time nurse to look after the needs of our students. In addition, TISA also provides first aid training to the staff and assistants.

TISA strives to support the healthcare needs of our students and in order to be effective parents are required to submit relevant information regarding their children’s healthcare nee.