British Schools in AD application process | ExpatWoman.com
 

British Schools in AD application process

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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 25 January 2015 - 09:15

Good morning. I was wondering if any British mums could shed some light, no matter how brief the response, on the application process of British Schools in Abu Dhabi. My family and I are moving to Abu Dhabi in August and my husband and my main concern is that our 3 children, a boy in Year 1, a boy in Year 4 and a girl in Year 9 all attend the same school.. We're currently looking at BSAK, Brighton and Cranleigh all of which appear to have good reputation Did any of you find these schools to be particularly helpful and understanding with the application process? I havent begun the process yet and just wanted advice. Also, how much of an influence was the location of your home determined by the location of the school you chose? One of these schools seems a lot further away than the others. Thanks in advance if you respond.:)
<em>edited by Dimo321 on 25/01/2015</em>

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EW MASTER
Latest post on 25 January 2015 - 22:01
there are no catchment areas for any of the schools in auh. i suggest you apply to "all" of them, especially as you are wanting 3 spaces. the year 1 space in particular is difficult to get and year 9 being the start of the gcse years again you may struggle. a lof of the schools do not like to accept part way thru the gcse or alevel course, unless you are taking the same exam boards and of course the schools here may not offer the same subjects.... bcad does different subjects that bsak. bsak is the oldest brit sch in auh. bcad only been around a few years (but is a selective sch) and cranleigh opened this sept (again a selective sch). also it will depend on where you get a place, and so the waiting lists for all british schools are high... also bcad and cranleigh are very much more expensive. ring up the registrars of each sch and put your application in.. if you can... some schools are full now and they have closed or not opened up certain year groups etc... to apply for the next academic year you have to do as early as november etc so you have already passed the first deadline... and with so few spaces again thats why it may already be closed for applications for any of those 3 schools mentioned.. there are others such as: al basma school, gems cambridge high sch, gems cambridge international sch, al muna, al yasmina, repton, belivere british school, bisad, reach british sch, diyafrah international, al bateen, the pearl try some of those! basicially you get a sch place first, then the house, there are more houses than school places!!!
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 25 January 2015 - 10:10
I do not know about the application processes for these schools, but with the scarcity of good school places, my general advice would be to just apply and see how you get on. Do it online, and book an appointment to go see their registrars to discuss the chances of your children getting in. You have nothing to lose. As for distance, it would totally depend on you and your lifestyle. If you have the time to drive them to and from school, and do not mind the morning traffic, then any location would suit you. If you prefer something closer to home, then choose the schools closer to home. Keep in mind that as the children get older they will have after school clubs which may not all be on the same days, so you may very well end up driving to get one earlier, then having to go back to school later to fetch the others who were doing their clubs. Good luck and hope your children get into the school of your choice.