FAQs

Under normal circumstances, parents are usually informed as to whether the application meets the criteria, the student will be invited for assessment and an offer of place is to be made within 3 weeks of application. Different application timelines may apply to certain year groups.

(Please note that we will not assess applicants any earlier than 12 months prior intended enrolment date, and they will not be offered a place until the school is satisfied that all entry criteria, including successful assessment, have been met. Should a family wish to apply significantly in advance of the intended enrolment date, they should therefore expect a significant delay before any further action is taken with regards to assessment and decision)

Where applications have to be made from overseas, provision can be made for older students to take the assessment tests at their current school and invigilated under examination conditions. This arrangement is made by arrangement between the school Principals and is only available to students who are year 4 age or above.

During school closure, we have adapted our assessment process.

When the school is in normal operation, the following assessment processes apply:

• EY1: Observation and interview with EY1 Leader / class teacher in company of parents (1 hour approx.)
• EY2: One-to-one child assessment and discussion with parents (30 minutes approx.)
• Y1-2: One-to-one child assessment of reading, phonics, numeracy and written English (30 minutes approx.)
• Y3-6: Written aptitude, Maths and English tests. Specialist assessment for children whose 1st language is not English

Where an applicant meets the entry criteria but there are no spaces available, the applicant will be placed on a waiting list. Parents will be contacted as soon as a place becomes available in the appropriate year group. Depending on the time elapsed since the last successful assessment, a further assessment may be required at that time to ascertain the child’s current progress; in these cases, the second assessment will be offered free of charge.

Whilst every effort will be made to accommodate siblings, entry to Shrewsbury International School is by academic selection and place availability assessed on a case-by-case basis.

If during the course of gathering information, testing and / or interviews it is suggested that the applicant may have any special educational needs, then an assessment will be made by the Principal with advice taken from the Vice Principals and Special Educational Needs Staff as to the progression of the application. The SEN policy will be made available to parents and options discussed.

During the course of the internal admissions process, it may become apparent that further assessment by the school’s Special Educational Needs team or a professionally qualified Educational Psychologist (at cost to parents) is warranted. The school can help with the arrangements and the information provided will be taken into account in the final decision.

Other details regarding our general provisions for Learning Support at City Campus can be found HERE.

The teachers at Shrewsbury International School pride themselves on the care they give to students and the partnership they form with parents to allow children to be happy as well as successful. In both academic development and pastoral care, we insist on the highest standards and ensure that they are adhered to through our rigorous appraisal system. Our student / teacher ratios are key in supporting these goals at every level in the school. At City Campus, our ratios guidelines are as follows:

Early Years

In each EY1 class of 15 students, there is one full-time, fully-qualified teacher with specific Early Years qualifications and experience in teaching the Early Years Framework Strategy. The teacher is supported by at least two fully trained classroom assistants. 

In each EY2 class there are between up to 17 children. The children are supported by one full-time, fully-qualified teacher with specific Early Years qualifications and experience in teaching the Early Years Framework Strategy and up to two teacher assistants.     

Years 1 – 2 (Key Stage 1)

In each Key Stage 1 class, there are up to 20. Children are supported by one full-time, fully-qualified teacher with specific primary school teaching qualifications and experience and knowledge of the English National Curriculum. Each class has a teaching assistant who has specific training in Key Stage 1, English as an Additional Language (EAL), Guided Reading and Phonics.

In Pre-Prep there is also a team of specialist teachers for  Swimming, PE, Music, and Thai Language and Culture, Mandarin and English as an Additional Language (EAL).

Years 3 – 6 (Key Stage 2)

n Year 3 to Year 6 class sizes are up to 22. Children are supported by one full-time, fully-qualified teacher with specific primary school teaching qualifications and experience and knowledge of the English National Curriculum. Each class has a teaching assistant who has specific training in Key Stage 2, English as an Additional Language, Guided Reading and the Phonics language learning programme. There is a team of specialist teachers who deliver Swimming, Mandarin, Design Technology, PE, Music, and Thai.  
 

Notes:

Special Educational Needs support maybe provided for children with specific needs with the costs borne by the parents.

Very occasionally, when children join the school mid-year, class sizes may expand a little temporarily.

The majority of lessons are taught in mixed ability classes. There are particular subjects where current ability and previous experiences will be taken into account.

Yes. We offer a school bus service to certain parts of the city. The School Bus service is available for students starting in Year 1 upwards. Early Years Students must be dropped off and picked up from school by an adult.

For more information on the above services, please visit the student transport page.

We have different school uniforms for different age ranges, which is available from the school shop. The school uniform is compulsory for all students. There is also different sports and formal wear for different activities and occasions. Students are expected to wear their uniforms neatly and with pride.

Full details are provided in the parent handbook

We provide your child with all their meal requirements during the day. For the safety of children who have serious allergies (e.g. to dairy, wheat or nuts) we do not allow any food to be brought into school from home. Our school is a nut free environment.

Your class teacher will manage any special dietary requirements based on the information disclosed on the medical form.

Even if your child is a fussy eater, usually in a school environment this is not as big a problem as it is at home and all staff are well trained in ensuring children get a balanced healthy meal.

The current 10 day lunch and snack menu is always available to view on the Parent Portal.

The lunch menu has been formulated to ensure:

• Each child is provided with a balanced nutritious meal. This means each lunch always comprises vegetables, carbohydrate and protein components
• Food is chosen bearing in mind the sort that children like to eat
• Children with individual dietary requirements (e.g. Halal, vegetarian, Jain) are catered for

The food is child-friendly i.e. bite-sized, colourful and tasty, whilst avoiding artificial preservatives, colouring, flavour enhancers and a high saturated fat content.

All lunches are cooked on-site and fresh on the day. Class teachers and assistants place emphasis upon encouraging each of their children to eat well and to enjoy mealtimes with one another.

There are four lunch choices every day. Fruit is served as a dessert every day and on Fridays there is ice cream.

On birthdays, please liaise with the class teacher if you would like to bring in a cake or pizza for your child. Please do not hand over food or eat snacks in the garden areas of the school.

Home learning refers to work or activities which students are asked to do outside lesson time either on their own or with parents/carers. Research around the world affirms that home learning makes a vital contribution to students’ progress at school.

A well-organised, regular programme of home-learning helps to develop an understanding of lifelong learning as well as reinforcing learning in the classroom. Home learning helps to develop a spirit of enquiry, curiosity and investigation in students. At Shrewsbury International School, home learning is designed to extend the challenges open to students and to complement – and not impede – a full programme of extra-curricular opportunities.

The School’s general approach to home learning is described HERE

The following guidelines articulate the school’s broad expectations about the amount of time students might reasonably be expected to spend on home learning and provide a useful framework for parents. However, the precise amount of time spent on home learning is much less important than the quality of the tasks set and the way in which they are planned to support learning.