Admission Policy

All students are eligible for admission to GEMS Metropole School if it is believed that the school can meet
their particular needs. We do not discriminate on the grounds of nationality, race, gender, religion, social
class or special educational needs and seek to accept all qualified students who apply. All applicants for
places are required to provide a recent report from the previous school. If there is no school report, they will
undertake a placement test which will be marked by staff in school and the Principal will review the placement.
In the event of an admissions request for a child with Additional Needs, the Inclusion Department will
undertake a holistic assessment to determine the child’s requirements.

Placement in all classes will be made by the Principal on the basis of the child's previous educational record,
the assessment of the school and meeting the MOE requirements regarding age and year group/KHDA
requirements.

GEMS Metropole values working in partnerships with parents and in the interest of providing high quality
education appropriate to the need of the child, requires parents to provide all relevant documentation prior
to the enrolment to support effective placement of the child. Applications for admission can only be accepted
when all documentation required is made available to the school.

Responsibilities
 GEMS Management are responsible for ensuring a clear Admissions Policy is in place in all GEMS
schools
 The Principal is responsible for ensuring the Admissions Policy and procedures are implemented
and monitored in school and that every member of the staff is aware of the contents of the policy.
 Designated staff are responsible for implementing the Admissions Policy on a day to day basis, and
for ensuring correct procedure is followed.

The Admission Process

Admission policies and procedures have been established to make certain that students are appropriately
placed at GEMS Metropole School, while maintaining the integrity and consistency of school policies and the
application process. A student’s admission is not conditional on a medical diagnosis. Accurate placement
will ensure that those students admitted benefit fully from the educational programming offered and that they
will have a higher probability of a successful learning experience. The Admissions team is committed to
working together with families to determine the educational placement that is best for each student.

An Enquiry is the initial contact between a parent and school. Enquiries are generated directly into GEMS
CRM through various channels, including but not limited to the school’s website contact forms, Facebook,
external landing pages (used for external marketing) and Live Chat.
Upon receipt of an Enquiry, GEMS CRM sends automated communication to the parent thanking them for
their interest and encouraging them to pursue next steps such as booking a school tour or starting their
online application. If there is no action within 3 days, an additional communication is sent.
Each Enquiry requires personalised contact, where staff resources permit, and this is an important
reflection on the level of customer service and care provided by a school’s front of house team. Each
interaction is logged as an “activity” against the Enquiry record within GEMS CRM so that follow up can be
tracked and a conversation log exists.
Please note, students must be placed in the correct age groups as per the cut-off dates stipulated by
KHDA, ADEC, MOE, SEZ, and FEZ for all curriculums or transfer certificates with no exception.
Furthermore, schools must not refuse students enquiries within the specified cut-off dates.

1. Admissions / Promotional Instruments

 Website
 GEMS online Student Inquiry Form
 Facebook
 Brochure and application folders with complete information
 Registration forms requesting additional documentation will be sent out to families once a completed
application has been received.

2. School Tours for Prospective Families

 Appointments will be scheduled through the school reception.
 Interested parents are encouraged to visit and tour the school.
 Prospective families will be welcomed / treated as members of the school community.

The focus of visits will include:

 Introduction to the school (mission, vision, unique qualities)

 Tour of campus (focus on how we utilize our resources for education)
 Application procedures (to be fully completed during visit if interest exists)
 Questions specific to the family or student

3. Phone, Fax, Mail, Web, and Email Enquiries

Brochures and application materials will be sent to prospective families from the Admissions Office by email,
fax, or post. The Admissions Office will acknowledge, all email inquiries regarding admissions by reply within
24hrs of receipt, with full follow-up within 48 hours.

4. Submission of Previous School Records

Families are responsible for submitting official documents copy of sponsors passports and or Emirates ID,
copy of child’s passport, previous schools transcripts, report cards and individual education plan pertaining
to the applicant’s previous three years of school experience (as applicable). The Admissions Team is
empowered to delay or halt the admission process if such documentation is not provided within a four-week
time frame.
5. Placement Assessment
A school may undertake screening and assessments to determine the right placement of an applicant. The
school determines the educational enrolment criteria, and is in line with any government, ministry, or
oversight entity of the country they are licensed in. This includes age requirements, school complete
documents, academic standards, and being able to rightfully remain in the country.

Screening and assessment standards and process for students are determined by the admission
committee, and are necessary to complete the registration process for the school.

An assessment specific to students with Additional Needs and English Language Learners may be
conducted by the Head of Inclusion or a member of the English as an Additional Language Team.
Students entering Foundation Stage will be invited for an interview and assessment undertaken to
determine school readiness. All students looking to enter Years 3-11 should complete a CAT4 assessment

For incoming students of determination, the following measures are used to help assess the level of individual
need and to ensure that appropriate provisions can be made for each student.

- Parent/Carers are asked to disclose any Special Educational Need that has been previously
identified.
- Student’s application needs to be accompanied by previous academic reports, previous provision
plans, individual Education Plans and any previous medical/psychological assessments that are
relevant to the application.
- Foundation Phase students are assessed in a group environment in order to take into account social
abilities and school readiness.
Within 24 hours of completing this step, student may be offered a seat, placed on the waitlist, or denied a
place in the school.
All assessment outcomes including standardized scores, feedback and the date/time of the assessment
must be recorded in the GEMS CRM before the application can be processed further.

6. Sixth Form

Entry to sixth form is conditional to meeting the following:

• the minimum requirement of 5 (i)GCSEs at grade 4 or above
• individual subject requirements as per the course choice information
• completion of a CAT4 assessment with A-Level predicted grades taken into account
• reports for the past 2 years from previous schools (external candidates)
• successful interview with the Sixth Form team (all candidates)
Offers made will be conditional to attaining the relevant grades. A Sign-Up day will be held in August, prior
to the start of term and after GCSE results are released. Students who do not meet the minimum
requirements will be dealt with on an individual basis, with predicted grades and attitude to learning taken
into account.

Students applying to GEMS Metropole Sixth Form from curriculums other than the National Curriculum of
England are welcome to apply and offers will be made based on their curriculums.

7. Registration / Acceptance Qualifications

A parent submits an application for their children through the school’s website by clicking on “Enrol Now”.
In order to complete their registration, a parent must supply all required information including names, dates
of birth and grade/year of application. Where required, the parent is also asked to pay the Registration or
Assessment fee online to complete the registration.
If a parent does not pay the Registration fee or leaves the page, then the application is recorded as a
“Draft” and automated communication is sent to the parent encouraging them to complete the application
with a continuation link. These applications are recorded as Enquiries with the status “Registration in
Progress”.

If a parent pays the Registration fee, or completes the application where no fee is applicable, then they
receive an automated communication for each child containing a receipt, the service request number and
confirmation of the application that includes the academic year, grade/year and child’s name. The parent
also receives a “Complete File” link which allows them to upload documents and enter more information
about their child. This link is also presented to the parent after the payment step on the school’s website.

Document upload is not mandatory at this time, but encouraged to ensure speed and accuracy during the
admissions process.

Student acceptance is based on space availability and the following minimum criteria:

 Age appropriate for the requested year level as per placement policy
 Successful completion of the previous school year
 Admission/placement assessment results
 Previous school records (transcript, transfer certificate, recommendation letters, therapist
letters, doctors letters and standardized assessment results as applicable
When there is available space in the requested grade/year, an applicant should be offered a seat within 72
hours of registration. In the case where all admissions requirements have not been met, a conditional offer
containing these requirements must be sent.

Where there is a high demand for available seats, places will be offered in the following order of priority:

1. Emirati National students

2. Clients who have purchased ARP seats.
3. Staff children whom are working at the school and priority students.
4. Students who have siblings attending the same school.
5. Students from other GEMS schools in Dubai, including students from Little GEMS International.
(Please see addendum.)
6. Students from other GEMS schools globally.
7. Offers according to individual school criteria.
For the admission of students who are siblings of Students of Determination, GEMS Metropole operates a
priority policy for placement.

Offers must be accepted and secured with a payment (where applicable) within 7 days. This is done
online, via the offer email and letter sent to the parent. Where circumstances permit, a payment may also
be taken at the school’s finance counter and the offer manually “accepted” by the admissions office with a
signed paper offer letter used.

8. Waitlisted applicants
When there is no seat available in the requested grade or year level, an applicant is placed on the waitlist.

Students will only be placed on the waitlist once full documentation is received; payment of the registration
fee made and successfully completed the assessment process. Students will remain on the school’s
waitlist for up to two academic years based on the date of enquiry. This is done by changing the
“Registration Type” on the Service Request from “Current” to “Waitlist” and indicating whether the child is
assessed or not assessed.
Monthly notifications with placement details are not shared. A parent, who phones a school to enquire
about their child’s placement on the waitlist, will not be given a waitlist number.

When a seat is available, students who are on the waitlist will be extended an offer following the priority
listed below:

1.
Emirati National Students
2.
Clients who have purchased ARP seats.
3.
Staff children whom are working at the school and priority students.
4.
Students who have siblings attending the same school.
5.
Students from other GEMS schools in Dubai, including students from Little GEMS International.
(Please see addendum.)
6. Students from other GEMS schools globally.
7. Waiting list according to school criteria.
Students who are siblings of Students of Determination, GEMS Metropole operates a priority policy for
placement.

Registrars will communicate to parents the option to remain on the waitlist for the next academic year in
October. A parent will need to respond to the Registrar, their intent to remain on the waitlist for the next
year. After two years on a waitlist, a parent can only remain on the waitlist by reapplying and resubmitting
the required documents.

9. Non-Acceptance for Enrollment

Applicants, who have not met the minimum educational criteria set by the school, will be denied a place in
the school, and are notified by a letter from the Registrar. For applicants who have gone through the
admission process and are unsuccessful, the registration fee still remains nonrefundable.
The school reserves the right to limit student enrollment and/or withdraw student participation at any time.
Non-acceptance of students may occur during the Enquiry Phase or Assessment and Registration Phase,
prior to the Enrollment Phase. Student candidacy or membership can be withdrawn any time before / after
enrollment is complete. GEMS Metropole will make every effort to ensure that the enrolment of Students is
open, fair and in the best interests of the student at all times.

We recognise the importance of identification as early as possible for potential students with Additional Needs
in order to identify whether suitable, individualised intervention can be supplied within an Inclusive
mainstream school.

Should GEMS Metropole feel that a student may benefit from placement within the Small Steps Autism Unit,
a referral will be made by the Head of Inclusion to the Small Steps BCBA with the parents’ agreement and a
meeting with the parents will occur.

10. Notification of Acceptance

Once an offer has been accepted by the parent, all pending paperwork and payment of applicable tuition
fees must be submitted before the child’s date of join. The terms and conditions attached to the offer letter
provide the expectations and requirements from the parent and the school.
No students should be registered in the school without completing their transfer paperwork and all other
documentation.

Families will be notified (call or email) in cases of acceptance or non-acceptance within 72 hours of taking
a placement assessment provided that complete applications and all required documentation have been
submitted. If sibling considerations exist, calls or email will be coordinated across the three school
divisions. All acceptances falling out of school session will be considered conditional pending a placement
assessment.

11. Enrollment Disclaimer

The school makes every effort to enroll qualified students who have fully completed the application process
and who have met the academic acceptance requirements. The Governance Team reserves the rights to
limit enrollment as well as to exclude students at any time and without notice. The Governance Team also
reserves the right to supersede the enrollment policies and may do so, as it sees fit and/or deems
necessary.

12. Re-enrollment
To secure a place for the next academic year, a re-enrolment process is held each year at the beginning of
2nd term or semester. Re-enrolment is managed through GEMS CRM (Salesforce) and automated
communication is sent to parents as reminders. Changes this year, in line with the KHDA announcement
as of 25 September 2018;

• Schools may open re-registration at any time during the year, however the below measures are now
in place in regards to the collection of re-enrolment fees:
• For schools starting the academic year in September, re-registration fees can only be collected after
the end of spring break.
• For schools starting the academic year in April, re-registration fees can only be collected after the
end of Winter break.
• The above is applicable from the current academic year onwards.

At the time of collecting the re-enrolment fees for all students:

• This amount is adjustable against the 1st term or semester tuition fees, and is not an additional fee.
• The fee is non-refundable should the student not take up the seat in the next academic year.
• A family whose circumstances have changed after payment of the re-enrolment fee may be eligible
for a refund, if the request is submitted with proper evidence to the Principal/Head of School.

Students who are not in compliance with local government regulations or have unpaid school fees, will not
be eligible to re-enroll and continue at the school the next academic year.

13. Year Placement

The year placement practice is in place to allow students to continue in the year in which they are currently
enrolled or have most recently completed rather than advancing to a higher year. A conservative
placement is used in order to best serve the educational needs of the student. The school reserves the
right to place a student at the year level that best serves the educational needs of the child regardless of
the previous year completed or age of the child. If the school feels that year retention is in the best interest
of the child, parents will be asked to sign a Retention Form to confirm support of the decision.

14. Class Placement

The goal of the class placements is to create homogenous sections within each year level. Each of the
sections will be as balanced and diverse as possible considering the following student characteristics:
  English language fluency
 Educational needs
 Ability level
 Cultural background
 Mother tongue language
 Additional Needs
 Gender
 Other

15. Tuition Fee Payment

Fees are payable in advance at the beginning of each term, i.e. in September, January, April, or by the 5th
of each month for monthly payments. If a student joins in the middle of a term or semester, the tuition fee
applicable will be based on the number of full weeks (commencing from the week of joining) remaining
unexpired in the term.

16. Tuition Refunds

Notice of student withdrawal and application for a tuition refund at the request of the parent/guardian must
be made in writing to the School Principal or Registrar thirty (30) in advance.

The school’s tuition refund policies follow the Ministry of Education regulations outlined below for term
paying students:

Student withdrawal prior to the start of the academic year

• A student withdrawal initiated by the parent/guardian, the balance of the first term/semester fee
paid will be refunded except the Registration Fee and Admissions Fee.

• A student withdrawal initiated by the school, the balance of the first semester fee paid is
refunded except the Registration Fee.

Student withdrawal during the school term/semester

• Fees will be charged for one full month if a student attends school for two weeks or less.

• Fees will be charged for two full months if a student attends school for more than two weeks
and less than one month.

• Fees will be charged for the entire school term/semester if a student attends school for more
than one month.

The Accounts Officer shall be authorized to refund the fees on the basis of School Support Centre
approval as above and on production of the original receipt.

However, in case the original receipt is not available, the Principal can approve the payment on the basis
of a duplicate receipt and subject to Accounts confirming the availability of credit in favour of that student.

17. Transferability
Students may be eligible to transfer between GEMS schools, provided a place is available and approval
has been received by the Chief Enrolments and Corporate Relations. Transfers will follow the waitlist
policy and a student’s fee account must be current.
No refunds will be provided, however, if a higher amount has been paid, it will be appropriately credited.
Any additional amounts due will need to be paid to the GEMS School accepting the student, within the
dates outlined.

18. Withdrawal Disclaimer

The school reserves the right to withdraw student candidacy or membership any time before or after
enrollment has been completed, especially when student behavior is deemed out of sympathy with the
school community standards or when tuition fees have been in arrears for more than a month without a
payment agreement in place.

This policy has been discussed and agreed by the GEMS Metropole School staff and leadership team for
implementation.

Signed: Date:

CEO/ Principal
Policy review date: December 2019