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Admissions Handbook

Updated: February, 2013 

Admissions Handbook 

ISB MISSION STATEMENT 

ISB is a collaborative learning community that inspires and 

empowers its members to discover their passions to be global 

innovators. 

ISB VISION STATEMENT 

We aspire to challenge and empower students through living 

the IB learner profile. 

The International School of Belgrade (ISB) is an independent, 

co-educational international day school that enrolls students 

ages three to eighteen. As an authorized IB World School, 

ISB provides a high-quality, college-preparatory education 

with an emphasis on internationalism and global 

responsibility. The curriculum is designed to serve a multinational 

student body using English as the language of 

instruction. ISB seeks to admit students of expatriate families 

living in Belgrade, and Serbian students desiring an 

international education. Students who enroll at ISB are in 

agreement with the school vision and mission, and are capable 

of benefitting from the types of programs offered. 

Students wishing to apply for admission to ISB can gain 

information about the school and its programs via the school’s 

website and/or through email and telephone contact with our 

Admissions Coordinator. When requested, a pre-admissions 

meeting and school tour with our Admissions Coordinator can 

be arranged. 

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RESIDENCY 

Students enrolled at ISB must reside with their parents or 

legal guardians in the country of Serbia. 

NON-DISCRIMINATION 

ISB does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, 

national or ethnic identity, sexual orientation or religion. 

ADMISSIONS STANDARDS 

Admission in all cases is contingent upon a determination by 

the Admissions Coordinator and/or Director that: 

(1) The student will be able to meet the school’s 

academic standards; 

(2) The student has exhibited acceptable behavior in 

his/her previous school; 

(3) The school will be able to meet any special needs of 

the student; 

(4) The student will embrace the school’s mission: ISB is 

a collaborative learning community that inspires and 

empowers its members to discover their passions to 

be global innovators. 

(5) The student will contribute to a school that envisions: 

• An academically challenging, IB-based 

curriculum that incorporates multiple 

perspectives, allowing students to achieve 

their individual potential. 

• An environment that is safe, respectful, 

supportive, and inclusive. 

• Life-long learners who display all aspects of 

the IB learner profile (IB Learners strive to 

be: Inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, 

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communicators, principled, open-minded, 

caring, risk-takers, balanced, reflective) and 

are inspired to fulfill their future roles and 

responsibilities as compassionate local and 

global citizens. 

• A community of students, teachers, and 

parents, who welcome diversity, share 

responsibility and work together for student 

success. 

• Highly qualified and dedicated faculty who 

use best practice to inspire and motivate 

students. 

PRIORITY SYSTEM 

Admissions to ISB shall be determined by the Director. In the 

event of a limited amount of classroom seats, students will be 

admitted according to a priority system as follows: 

(1) Dependents of U.S. Government-sponsored and 

contract employees, dependents of faculty, and 

current students. 

(2) Non-permanent residents of Serbia. 

(3) Permanent residents of Serbia. 

Other admissions guidelines are: 

A. Siblings of current students from Category 3 are 

automatically considered to be in Category 2. 

B. In order to ensure that we are able to meet the 

learning needs of our students, an applicant’s level of 

English fluency may be considered as a factor in an 

admissions decision. 

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C. In order to maintain the international nature of the 

International School of Belgrade, ISB has a Diversity 

Caps policy. Category 1 students are exempt from 

this guideline. 

D. The Director will request approval from the Board of 

Trustees for any exemption to this policy. 

DIVERSITY CAPS 

To preserve the international character of the school, it is the 

policy of the ISB Board of Trustees (BoT) that enrollment of 

students of a single nationality is limited to 25% of the total 

enrollment at each grade level. Students who are applying for 

entrance to grades that have reached their nationality 

maximum will be offered a spot on the waitlist until a seat 

becomes available. 

ADMISSIONS FOR GRADES 11 & 12 

Students enrolling in grades 11 and 12 have the option of 

enrolling either as International Baccalaureate Diploma 

Program (IBDP) students or as ISB Diploma students. 

Students enrolling in grades 11 and 12 who wish to enroll in 

the Diploma Program (either by taking Diploma classes or 

enrolling as a full Diploma student) must meet with the 

Diploma Coordinator as part of the admissions process. 

STUDENT ADMISSION PROCESS 

Students may be considered for enrollment at ISB only after 

their application is complete. The following procedures are 

used to process the applications of prospective students: 

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Step One: Parent(s)/ Guardian(s) indicate interest in enrolling 

their student at ISB by submitting an Application for 

Admission and Parent/Guardian Information forms from the 

application packet (one form per student). 

Step Two: The application is reviewed in light of: available 

seats, nationality caps, and the school’s ability to provide 

adequate EAL (English as an Additional Language) and/or 

Learning Support. If any of these factors pose evident 

concern, the student will be offered a spot on our waitlist or 

denied admission. In all other cases, the application moves to 

step three. 

Step Three: The non-refundable application fee must be paid. 

The application moves to step four. 

Step Four: The remainder of the application documents are 

submitted. These include: 

- Medical Form and Physical Examination Form with 

doctor’s signature and stamp 

- School records, officially translated into English, and 

official transcripts from previous schools, for the past 

three academic years (both the original and a copy 

officially translated into English, if in another language). 

- Growth and Development Form (Grades Pre K-5) 

- EAL/Language History Form (for non-native English 

speakers) 

- Student Record Request Form 

- Student Reference Form (K-Grade 12) 

- Math Teacher Recommendation Form (Grades 6-12) 

- Acknowledgement of Risk/Insurance Statement 

- World Language Questionnaire (Grades 1-12) 

- Agreements Form 

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- Transportation Form 

- Financial Responsibility Declaration 

- Photocopy of the student’s Birth Certificate or Passport 

- One photograph of applicant (passport size) 

Step Five: Once the student is in Belgrade, a placement 

examination is administered. It takes between three and five 

school days from the completion of the placement 

examination until a student matriculates. 

Step Six: The completed file is reviewed by the school. If the 

school has additional questions or concerns about a student, 

the family will be contacted to provide additional information 

and/or denied admission. In such cases, a review team will be 

formed with appropriate personnel, which may include the 

divisional principal, counselor, and teacher(s). DP students in 

grades 11 and 12 meet with the Diploma Coordinator. 

Step Seven: Once the application is complete, an admissions 

decision is made. 

Step Eight: The non-refundable registration fee and the nonrefundable 

capital fee, along with the tuition fee for the 

admitted student must be paid. 

PLACEMENT EXAMINATION 

All students in grades K-12 will be required to take a 

placement examination prior to matriculation. The placement 

examination is administered in person by the Admissions 

Coordinator or his/her designee. The test is given in several 

subject areas, and is used to assist with classroom and/or 

program placement by providing information about language 

and academic proficiency. ISB does not accept standardized 

test scores in lieu of the ISB placement examination. 

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ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE POLICY 

(EAL) 

Because the ability to learn English is essential for academic 

and social success at ISB, the school has additional 

admissions criteria and procedures for the English as an 

Additional Language (EAL) program. These admissions 

requirements are meant to assure that students are placed in an 

appropriate educational program and to ensure reasonable 

progress for them through the school’s educational programs. 

A student is placed in the EAL program when initial 

screenings and/or further language testing demonstrates 

insufficient English language proficiency for the level of 

school work expected for that grade. The school accepts a 

limited number of students with limited or no English skills 

each year, in order to ensure that each student accepted will 

have adequate support. 

There are no English language proficiency requirements for 

students in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 5. For admission 

to the Middle School and High School, students must take an 

English language proficiency test which measures their 

knowledge of vocabulary, reading comprehension, grammar, 

and writing ability. 

ISB does not have an EAL program beyond the tenth grade. 

When students are candidates for grades eleven or twelve and 

English is not their native language, they must demonstrate 

enough proficiency in English to perform successfully in the 

regular program. 

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AGE-APPROPRIATE GRADE PLACEMENT 

We understand that enrolling families are coming from and 

going onto a variety of educational systems that may or may 

not be similar to the grade name, curriculum and instruction 

they will encounter at ISB. Some parents initially wonder if 

age-appropriate grade placement beyond a student’s 

chronological age might be necessary to ensure sufficient and 

adequate academic rigor for their student. In fact, in 

choosing ISB and the International Baccalaureate program, 

you have chosen to enroll your student in a program explicitly 

committed to providing children with both a challenging 

academic curriculum and many comprehensive opportunities 

for social, emotional, artistic and athletic development. In 

order to accomplish this, it is ISB BoT Policy that all 

enrolling students are placed into age-appropriate grade 

levels. Regardless of the month of enrollment, the student 

must have reached the required age for his or her intended 

entry grade before September 1 st of the school calendar year. 

The grades and normal age levels for the Lower and Middle 

School are: 

Grade 

Age as of September 1st 

Pre-Kindergarten 3 3 years old 

Pre-Kindergarten 4 4 years old 

Kindergarten 5 years old 

1 6 years old 

2 7 years old 

3 8 years old 

4 9 years old 

5 10 years old 




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High school placement is determined by both the student’s 

age at the time of enrollment, and the number of high school 

credits that may have been previously earned. 

Exceptions to age-appropriate placement may be considered 

upon parental request; however, the student must meet criteria 

for grade acceleration in order to be promoted to the next 

grade. 

Students enrolling in Middle School or High School are also 

placed in grades which most nearly approach the expected 

chronological age for the student. In addition, factors such as 

the previous national school system, school calendar, maturity 

and English–speaking ability of the student will be considered 

when determining grade placement. 

The school will not generally enroll a student who will be 

over the age of twenty-one at the time of his or her 

graduation. 

Verification of age, by copy of a passport or birth certificate, 

is required for all students. Final placement for all students is 

determined by the Divisional Principal. 

EXCEPTIONS TO AGE-APPROPRIATE CLASS 

PLACEMENT 

In rare cases, age-appropriate class placement may not be in 

the best educational interest of a student. In order to best 

meet the learning needs of a student, a two week observation 

will be granted to determine grade advancement if: 

• The student demonstrates academic performance that 

is at least one full grade level above what is typical 

for students of similar age across all subject areas. 

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• A letter supporting the need for grade advancement 

from an administrator at the student’s previous school 

is submitted with the application materials. 

• The student performs at least one standard deviation 

above the norm on an internationally recognized 

standardized test of cognitive development (this can 

be administered by ISB school staff.) 

During the two-week observation period, school staff will 

observe the student to ensure that he or she demonstrates the 

social and emotional maturity typical of students at the 

higher grade. Additionally, the Measures of Academic 

Progress (MAP) test will be administered by school staff to 

determine if the student is a good candidate for acceleration. 

At the end of the two-week observation, there will be a 

meeting convened at which the school’s findings will be 

presented. Participation in advanced placement or gifted 

programs at prior schools does not satisfy the criteria for 

grade advancement. 

TIMELINE 

The ISB academic year starts in August and ends in June. 

Applicants for admission to ISB are strongly encouraged to 

apply as early as possible. The following chart outlines the 

official intake dates for completed applications according to 

projected enrollment dates: 

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Projected Enrollment Date 

Intake for Completed 

Applications 

Consideration for guaranteed Complete applications must be 

enrollment for the first day of received between March 1 and 

school 

June 1 (While the school will 

make every effort to process 

applications in time for the first 

day of school, students whose 

applications are received after 

June 1 cannot be guaranteed that 

the admissions process will be 

complete before the first day of 

school). 

Mid-year transfer Rolling (ongoing) intake. A 

complete application must be 

received three weeks prior to the 

desired enrollment date. 

January Enrollment 

Complete application must be 

received between October 1 and 

December 1. 

The school needs a minimum of three weeks after receiving a 

complete application to make a final admissions decision. 

Only complete applications are considered for admissions. 

Complete applications will be reviewed in the order in which 

they are received by the admissions office. All applications 

are subject to seat availability. This may mean that within a 

single family, ISB can accommodate one child and not have 

room for another. For this reason, it is best to inquire about 

available seats at your child's grade level in advance of 

application. 

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Students who are accepted to ISB may not matriculate until 

they complete the ISB placement examination. After the 

placement exam is completed, the school requires three to five 

days to properly review the materials before students may 

begin officially attending ISB. 

LEARNING SUPPORT 

If your student has learning differences, they must be 

disclosed to the school during the application process. Failure 

to do so may result in a withdrawal of acceptance by ISB. 

Due to limitations inherent in an international school, ISB 

cannot accept students who require more than three hours of 

support per week in order to be successful within the core 

academic program. Students manifesting mild disabilities are 

served in the mainstream educational program and receive 

support services. If your child has an Individualized 

Education Plan or similar document, a copy of the plan should 

be submitted to the school as part of the application materials. 

Due to accessibility issues with the school’s facilities, ISB is 

unable to appropriately accommodate students with limited 

mobility and therefore is unable to grant admission. The only 

exception to this is the Middle School (Grades 6 through 8) 

which has the ability to accommodate such students. 

ADDITIONAL LANGUAGES 

Beginning in grade 1, all students participate in an additional 

language program. Students with limited English skill are 

automatically enrolled in the EAL program. Serbian 

Nationals are strongly encouraged to participate in the Serbian 

Mother Tongue program. Once a language is selected, a 

student must stay in that language for the remainder of the 

academic year. 

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At the DP level, students must take two language courses, one 

of which must be English. 

• Language A1: All students take either English 

Language and Literature Course or a literature course 

in their mother tongue (as a regular or a Self-Taught 

class). Self-Taught classes are subject to approval, 

with part-time guidance by the A1 English teacher 

and requiring that the family procure a tutor to aid the 

student in his/her studies. 

• Language B, and Language Ab Initio: 

o Language B is for students who have studied 

a second language for at least two years 

previously and can read, write and speak with 

some proficiency. 

o Language ab initio is only for students new to 

a language, and is available only to students 

who have not studied or earned proficiency 

beyond two months’ exposure. 

Students may also opt for two language courses at the A1 

level. 

In accordance with the philosophy of the IB, students should 

be pursuing proficiency in language rather than moving from 

one language to another. If the school offers a language in 

which students have studied previously, it is desired that the 

student study that language at a more advanced level. 

SEAT AVAILIBILTY AND WAITLISTS 

Applicants who cannot be enrolled due to lack of seats in a 

grade or program shall be placed on a wait list until a seat 

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becomes available. The process of making assignments from 

the waitlist does not necessarily take place in chronological 

order. ISB reserves the right to make assignment from the 

waitlist in a manner that allows us to maintain the 

international character of the school. 

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