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Application Information
Please complete the Application Form and email to mis_admissions@merchiston.cn together with your supporting documents and proof of payment of the Application Fee.
School Fee Payment, Refund and Withdrawal Policy
Application Fee
Security Deposit
Tuition Fees
The cost of the first attempt at any external public examination in Years 10-13 is covered by school fees, excluding ABRSM Music and LAMDA, etc. Additional costs for any re-sits, in the unlikely event that these are required, will be added to student fees. Parents seeking re-marking of individual papers should contact the Examinations Officer as the cost of these varies by subject and examination board.
Optional Bus Fees
School Reports
Fee Refund and Withdrawal Policy Additions
For further clarity, if a student is not officially withdrawn in writing prior to 1 October, there will be no refund of that year’s tuition fee paid.
Boarding fee refunds
Tax receipt (Fapiao)
Fee Payment Schedule
• Fee Payment Method
Fee Payment Notice
Late Payment of Fees
Disclaimer
I hereby confirm my acceptance of the school place(s) offered for my child(ren) and will arrange payment of all fees within school guidelines. I have read and understood the payment terms laid out above and accept these terms and conditions.
Admission to the School depends upon a prospective student being able to demonstrate that they can meet the educational and general standards that apply to all its students. The School must also feel reasonably sure that it will be able to educate and develop the prospective student to the best of their potential and in line with the general standards achieved by the student's peers so that there is every chance that the student will have a complete, happy and successful school career and emerge a confident, well-educated and well-rounded adult with a good prospect of a satisfying life.
These criteria must continue to be met throughout the student's time at the School. Students who apply to the school must fulfill the School's academic entrance requirements. This is usually done through entrance assessment (or by public examination results). This allows us to ensure that Merchiston is the right school academically for each student, and to tailor our academic programmes to the needs of our students. Assessment for each point of entry is different, and details of the assessments can be found on the School's website. The School requires parents to complete the appropriate section of the Application Form (available on the website) at the time of application, and to declare any additional support needs, medical condition or disability, which could require specialist support, treatment or equipment. This information is essential to assist with any interview or other pre-assessment screening. All students are screened for additional support needs at the time of initial assessment and undertake a medical examination on entry. The School's policy is to apply the same criteria to all current and potential students regardless of any disability or need of which it is aware, subject to its obligation to make reasonable adjustments so as not to put any disabled student or potential student at a substantial disadvantage compared to any student who is not disadvantaged because of his disability. In addition to assessments, we will normally take up a (confidential) report from a student's current school, which will provide information on their academic progress to date, and their general behaviour at school. Merchiston is committed to providing equal opportunities for students irrespective of race, religion, socioeconomic background or disability, and we strive to maintain and apply admissions policies which do not discriminate against candidates on these grounds. If you have questions regarding this Policy Statement or any other aspects of our Admissions process, please contact the Admissions Department.
JUNIORS (EARLY YEARS- YEAR 6)
Children entering the Juniors undertake baseline assessments to ensure that they can access the curriculum with reasonable ease. Children who cannot access the curriculum can become demotivated and demoralised. As a result they do not make the progress of which they would be capable in a school better suited to their needs. We use standardised Cognitive Abilities Tests (CAT4) consisting of verbal, quantitative, non-verbal and spatial assessments. These tests are taken online.
Admissions Criteria
Required scores for automatic consideration of acceptance.
Quantitative – 100
Non-Verbal – 100
Verbal – 100
Spatial – 100
English as an Additional Language
If a child has English as an additional language and for example,
a Non-Verbal score of 120+
a Quantitative score of 110+
a Verbal score of 90
They will be considered favourably for entry according to the availability of support and the percentage of EAL children already within the Class/Year group. Parents will be advised to secure external support for their child and will be asked to agree to their removal from the Mandarin Programme – during which EAL lessons take place. Where applicable the Head of Section can insist that the admission of the child is dependent upon the student entering the intensive English programme.
Special Educational Needs
If a child applies with certain learning needs, they may be considered for learning support on receipt of an educational psychologist’s report. These applicants will be approved on an individual basis.
Children with behavioural difficulties will, similarly, be considered on an individual basis.
SENIORS (YEARS 7-13)
Students applying to the Seniors at MIS must undertake a series of assessments to determine their suitability for the programme offered at the school. These assessments are as follows: Standardised Tests (CAT4): Verbal, Quantitative, Non-verbal and Spatial.
Admissions Criteria
The primary indicator of a student's suitability for a place in the Senior School is the Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT4). Statistically, students who achieve an average of 100 or more for the four tests will score A*, A, B or C for their IGCSEs. In fact students scoring 120 or more will tend to achieve A*, A or B. Generally, as English is the language of instruction at MIS, the Verbal component of the assessments carries the most weight. Moreover, a number of the students who apply to the school have English as a second language. A table guide to the criteria for acceptance can be seen below:
Score | Action |
---|---|
Non Verbal scores 100 and above | Accepted |
Non Verbal scores below 80 | Rejected |
Please note that the CATs have a margin of error of three points either way.
Score | Action |
---|---|
Non Verbal scores 100 and above | Accepted |
Verbal 90 - 99 (other scores 100+) |
Provisional acceptance. EAL support will be provided. |
Verbal 90 - 99 (other scores < 100) |
Individual cases considered by the Head of Section. Admission will depend upon the student agreeing to enter an accepted intensive language programme and an appropriate package of other subjects being available. |