Admission Procedure

Admission Policy

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 admission form.
  • Submit required documents, including passport copies, Emirates ID, previous school reports, and vaccination records.
• Entrance Assessments:
  • Students applying for admission are required to sit for an entrance exam in (English & Math) 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.

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.

SOD Parents are expected to

• Provide the school with copies of all medical, psychological or educational assessments or reports before finalising enrolment in the school.
• Notify the school in writing if they are aware or suspect that their child has a learning difficulty.
• 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.

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).

IGCSE /AS & AL

• 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 3 and above: CAT4 results.

Registration and Refund Policy

General Definitions

Application fees:

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

Registration fees:

DCS 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.

• 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 3^rd week of October, the school can charge tuition fees from the beginning of October).

Re-registration fees:

DCS 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.

General conditions

• DCS 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.
• 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.

School Bus

Non-Refundable: School bus fees cannot be refunded under any circumstances, regardless of when the payment was made.

Payment Schedule: Parents may pay either annually upfront or on a term-by-term basis.

Two-Way Service Only: Bus service is offered exclusively as a round trip; one-way transportation is not available.

Address Changes: If you relocate, your remaining balance will be adjusted to reflect the rate for your new location.

Out-of-Route Delay: For students residing outside standard bus routes, the school is not responsible for any delays or tardiness that may occur.

DCS Behaviour Policy

Aims and Objectives of the Policy

At Dubai Carmel school, our main aim is that every member of the school community feels valued and respected, and that each person is treated fairly. The school’s behaviour policy is therefore designed to support the way in which all members of the school can work together in a supportive way.

Staff Responsibility

Behaviour Management is the responsibility of all staff.

Role of the Counselor and Health and safety officer

It is the responsibility of the counselor/head and safety officer to implement the school behaviour policy consistently throughout the school, and to report to governors, when requested, on the effectiveness of the policy. It is also the responsibility to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all children in the school.

The Counselor keeps records of all reported serious incidents of mis-behaviour including bullying and racism.

The counselor has the responsibility to give detentions to students for serious acts of misbehaviour. These actions are taken only after the school SLT and Governors have been notified.

The Role of the Teacher

It is the responsibility of class teachers to ensure that the school rules are enforced in their classes and that their classes behave in a responsible manner during lesson.

The teacher makes sure that the parents are aware of the low level behaviour of their children. Such as disturbing the class, shouting and calling out names.

Each Students progress is reported to parents in line with the whole school policy.

The Role of Parents and Carers

The school collaborates actively with parents and carers, so that children receive consistent messages about how to behave at home and at school. We expect parents and carers to support their child’s learning, and to cooperate with the school.

Transition Policy

FS2 to Year 1  •  Year 6 to Year 7  •  Year 9 to Year 10  •  Year 11 to Year 12

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.

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.