British School of Oxford (BSO) serves the educational needs of the international community in United Kingdom and now BSO campuses are starting in Pakistan and few other countries as well. We welcome children of all nationalities whose families are committed to an international educational curriculum in English for all nationalities with their National languages.
BSO is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in education and employment. The school does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational, admissions or employment policies. We may take into account factors including an applicant's prior educational and linguistic background for purposes of admission in order to fulfill the school's mission of providing education in the English language to the international community.
See below for further details regarding our admissions policy.
English is the language of instruction in all grades, and the ability to successfully access the curriculum within a reasonable time and to thrive in our English-language learning environment are the guiding principles for admission to the school. All BSO teachers are trained to support language acquisition and learning by non-native English speakers, and specialist English as an Additional Language (EAL) teachers provide additional support and instruction. We do not offer a separate ESL track within our academic program.
In the ELC and Elementary school children are admitted regardless of their level of English language proficiency, providing there are no other additional learning needs. However, we do not advise mid-year admission for Grade 5 students with minimal English ability. If we have some concerns regarding an applicant’s ability to access the curriculum, we may require the applicant to attend school on a trial basis without obligation.
Students entering grades 6 – 8 must generally have sufficient competency in English in order to benefit from our academic programs. If we have some concern regarding an applicant’s ability to access the curriculum, we may administer a test and/or ask the applicant to attend school on a trial basis without obligation. We may also ask parents to provide supplementary English tutoring at their own expense as a condition for admission.
We uphold the principles of a balanced education rooted in the firm belief in inclusion. Academic excellence is reflected in our philosophy of supporting and celebrating the diversity of learning needs within the school community. We endeavor to accommodate students with diverse learning needs to achieve their highest potential while celebrating their unique learning strengths and needs. Applicants with mild social/emotional issues, learning differences or other learning needs are referred to our learning support staff for review. Admissions decisions are made by the relevant principal based on the recommendation of the learning support staff. If we determine that we are unable to accommodate a candidate’s learning needs, we will endeavor to direct parents to more suitable options. Please note that any learning needs or social/emotional, physical or behavioral issues must be fully disclosed and described in detail in the application for admission. Reports of professional assessments, along with details of extra support the applicant is receiving, must also be provided at the time of application. Failure to fully disclose such information at this time may result in revocation of admission or, if discovered after enrollment, require withdrawal from school. Should significant social/emotional/behavioral issues or learning differences become apparent following enrollment in the school, we reserve the right to review a student’s progress and determine the appropriateness of his/her continued enrollment in the school within the context of our learning support resources and capabilities and in consideration of the overall classroom environment. This review will include close consultation with parents but may also involve requiring parents to obtain external assessments as described in our Learning Support Policy. If we determine that we are unable to accommodate a student's learning needs, or if parents are unwilling to obtain requested external assessments, the student will not be able to continue enrollment at BSO.
Children foreign nationals may be eligible for admission if the student has been educated exclusively or primarily at international where English is the primary language of instruction. A limited number of spaces for International Students are also available in our ELC. Parents should understand that BSO is not a 'language school' for learning English but rather an international school with a distinct pedagogy in which the language of instruction is English. Admission of International Students is also subject to our class balance policy.
BSO is a day school and does not have boarding facilities. Students must therefore reside with their parent(s), another adult family member, or a legal guardian in a location within commuting distance to the school.
As English is the language of instruction at BSO, it is also the primary language for communicating with parents. It is a requirement that at least one parent or guardian must be able to communicate comfortably orally in English with school personnel. In addition, parents must be able to access and understand electronic communications from the school (email and web-based platforms including the parent portal).
All ELC students must be able to use the toilet independently.
We strive to maintain a balance of genders, abilities and nationalities in each of our grade years and classes, and admissions decisions are made in accordance with this aim.
BSO students come from a wide variety of educational backgrounds, including international and national school systems from around the world, and a complex range of circumstances. Our grade placement policy is based on international educational standards, the need to ensure the quality and consistency of our academic programs, and the ultimate aim to place students in the most appropriate grade for their academic and social development. In almost all cases, placement is determined by age as of month 1st in the academic year of entry. However, in considering grade placement we may make rare exceptions to this age-based protocol to ensure there is a continuity of the student’s education and that they have completed a grade before entering the next grade. In all cases, the final decision on grade placement lies with the school.
Early Learning Center is a mixed-age program comprised of children who have turned between 2.5 & three years of age by Month 1st in the Academic year of entry and 4-year-old children who have turned four by Month 1st in the Academic year of entry. The 3-year-olds or below enroll initially for a half-day program, which can be extended to a full-day program after the 6 months with the teacher’s recommendation and on parents' request. The 4-year-old children generally come for the full-day program, depending on parental choice.
Placement in all grades is determined by age as of Month 1st in the academic year of entry as follows:
| Entering Grade | Age by September 1 |
|---|---|
| Kindergarten | |
| Grade 1 | 6 |
| Grade 2 | 7 |
| Grade 3 | 8 |
| Grade 4 | 9 |
| Grade 5 | 10 |
Our September 1st cutoff date and grade placement protocol reflect what we believe to be the most appropriate classification for the social, emotional and academic well-being of children attending the school. Therefore, to ensure the most appropriate learning environment for all students in the primary school, as noted earlier we rarely allow exceptions to the above grade placement protocol. The only exceptions that may be made are 1) when a student may be age appropriate for a certain grade level at BSO but has only completed a short term in the preceding grade, in which case the student will normally be expected to continue at that grade level, and 2) when a student may be age appropriate for a certain grade level at BSO but has already completed that grade level at another international school offering the Primary Years Program, in which case the student would not normally be expected to repeat that grade if his/her portfolio suggests success at that completed grade level and depending on the date of entry.
Grade placement for grades 6 – 12 is likewise made according to a September 1st cutoff date. The age and grade placement categories are as follows:
| Entering Grade | Age by September 1 |
|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 11 |
| Grade 7 | 12 |
| Grade 8 | 13 |
For the same reasons mentioned above, grade placement for middle school is almost always according to the above protocol. At the discretion of both the principal, exceptions may be made if a student is already established in an equivalent class in another school system and is considered able to access the relevant BSO curriculum for the grade.
Applicants should apply 2 Months before the entry academic year (see Application Timing) and after initial screening they may be invited to an interview as the next stage in the screening process. Both parents should attend this interview. Applications for children residing abroad will be screened and a preliminary offer of acceptance may then be made. The applicant is then asked to come in to the school for an informal play session and interview before formal acceptance can be offered. For those newly arriving in UK/Pakistan, we make every effort to schedule the play session/interview and to review and decide upon applications as quickly as possible. The play session/interview, which enables applicants and teachers to meet and interact with each other in the actual school environment, helps to identify any issues that may affect the applicant’s ability to comfortably access the program, while also serving as an informal orientation for the children who are accepted to the ELC (Pre-School).
Children applying for admission to grades K – 5 are also required to have a formal interview, and we encourage families to visit the school and meet the school principal and primary school head if possible. In reviewing an applicant’s eligibility we look at current/prior school records and a confidential recommendation from a classroom teacher countersigned by the principal/school head. Without obligation, we may also invite applicants to attend school on a trial basis to assess their ability to access the curriculum.
Children applying for admission to grades 6 – 8 are not normally required to have a formal interview, although we encourage families to visit the school and meet the secondary principal and/or the head of academics if possible. In reviewing an applicant’s eligibility we look at his/her school records as well as two confidential recommendations, one from a current English teacher, one from current Mathematics teacher and one from a faculty member who knows the student well and countersigned by a principal or head of school. In instances in which we have some question regarding the applicant’s ability to access the curriculum, we may also require the applicant to take an assessment test. Prior to or after completion of the test, the student will normally be interviewed.
We try to reserve a certain number of places at each grade level for children in those situations up until mid of every semester, if not already filled prior to the start of the school year. Provided that basic eligibility requirements are met, students newly arriving in UK / Pakistan are admitted on a first-come, first-served basis. When demand exceeds availability, students will be placed in a wait pool until space becomes available.
When the number of eligible applicants exceeds the availability of spaces for a particular grade year, students may be placed in a wait pool until space becomes available. Students with siblings already enrolled at BSO are given priority status within the wait pool, as are children of BSO staff and alumni, who have previously attended BSO, and dependents of organizations participating in our Corporate Contribution Program (CCP). We consider various other criteria in selecting students from the wait pool, including whether the student has other viable educational options, his/her level of English and general academic proficiency, and the gender and nationality balance of the class/grade.
When placing an applicant in a wait pool, we try to provide the candidate with a realistic assessment of the chances and possible timing for admittance. However, candidates should be aware that, like most international schools, the enrollment situation at BSO is dynamic and often unpredictable. We periodically contact parents of applicants in the wait pool to update them on enrollment status and to confirm whether they wish to remain in the wait pool.
Admissions staff, the head of academics and the principal of the school section for which the candidate is applying review all applications. Other school personnel, such as learning and language support staff, may also be involved in the review process. Admissions decisions are made by the relevant campus principal/school head and the head of academics.
Once the application is complete, including receipt of school records, confidential recommendations and payment of the application fee, we usually issue a decision within a week or two for applicants applying from overseas. Decisions for applicants already residing in UK / Pakistan are usually announced in 3-5 working days.
When the admissions decision is available, parents will be notified by email, Whatsapp message or by telephonic call.
Applicants accepted for admission are asked to accept or decline the offer within 3 working days of receiving notice of acceptance by contacting our admissions office. Once the offer has been accepted, parents will be sent an invoice for the one-time, non-refundable registration fee. They will also be sent a link to the online enrollment portal, where the enrollment process can be completed. In order to confirm enrollment and reserve a space for the accepted applicant, completion of the online enrollment process and payment of the registration fee is due within 1 day of receipt of invoice. These commitments must be made on a timely basis so that 1) we may ensure that places are held for accepted applicants who indeed wish to enroll and 2) in instances where accepted applicants choose other options, we may allocate places to other deserving candidates in the wait pool.