Grade Placement
ICS grade placement is based on the American system of education. Students enter ICS from a variety of educational backgrounds and we consider factors such as age, previous educational system and academic success within that system when determining grade placement. For social and developmental reasons, ICS does not not enroll students who are more than one year older or younger than the expected age for the grade into which they should be placed academically. ICS also does not accept students into grade 12 after the beginning of the academic year.
Parents are responsible for providing all school records in English. Grade placement cannot be determined without school records, except for students starting school. Placement assessments may also be required, based on our evaluation of the applicant's educational background and records.
Students entering early childhood or kindergarten must be the appropriate age for the class to which they are applying; no exceptions are made.
For early childhood 2 (EC2), students must be two years old on or before 31 August to join. Toilet training is not required. Children entering the early childhood 3 (EC3) program must be three years old on or before 31 August; children in the early childhood 4 (EC4) program must be four years old on or before 31 August. All children in EC3 and EC4 must be toilet trained.
Students entering ICS mid-year will be placed in the age-appropriate class. If students were attending kindergarten or a kindergarten-equivalent in schools that follow a different school calendar, they will continue in kindergarten at ICS, even if they are age-appropriate for the next grade.
Grade placement for grades 1 to 5 is determined by ICS based on age, previous educational system and calendar, academic success within the previous system and any additional assessments required by ICS. Placement of children with birthdays in the summer months leading up to the 31 August cut-off is also considered on a case-by-case basis. Final placement is determined by ICS.
Grade placement for middle and high school applicants is determined based primarily on previous school records and the previous educational system in which the student was enrolled. Placement assessments may also be used to assist with the admissions process, to determine English level and/or math placement. Applicants coming from non-US based programs are encouraged to bring textbooks or examples of coursework from math, English and second language classes, in addition to the previous two years of school records.
ICS uses a 31 August cut-off date to determine the age-appropriate grade level for children. ICS reserves the right, in consultation with the family, to make the final decision regarding grade placement.
|
|
ICS Grade Level |
Age on or before 31 August |
|
Early Childhood |
EC2 |
2 |
|
EC3 |
3 |
|
|
EC4 |
4 |
|
|
Elementary School |
KG |
5 |
|
Grade 1 |
6 |
|
|
Grade 2 |
7 |
|
|
Grade 3 |
8 |
|
|
Grade 4 |
9 |
|
|
Grade 5 |
10 |
|
|
Middle School |
Grade 6 |
11 |
|
Grade 7 |
12 |
|
|
Grade 8 |
13 |
|
|
High School |
Grade 9 |
14 |
|
Grade 10 |
15 |
|
|
Grade 11 |
16 |
|
|
Grade 12 |
17 |
Education Systems with Alternate Calendars
ICS is conservative when placing students transferring from other school calendars. In most circumstances, the student will continue in the grade level in which he was enrolled, or which he just completed. Students will not skip ahead to the next grade level.
British-Based Education System
There is a simple numbering difference between the British year system and the ICS system. We will use the scale below for purposes of grade level placement at ICS for students coming from British-based educational systems.
Years 10 and 11 (GCSE or O-level years) are the equivalent of grades 9 and 10 at ICS. Years 12 and 13 (A-level years) are the equivalent of grades 11 and 12 at ICS, during which students may elect to participate in the IB Diploma Program.
Early Childhood and Elementary School
|
ICS Grade Level |
EC2 |
EC3 |
EC4 |
KG |
Grade 1 |
Grade 2 |
Grade 3 |
Grade 4 |
Grade 5 |
|
British Year Level |
Nursery |
Nursery |
Reception |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
|
Age by August 31 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
Middle and High School
|
ICS Grade Level |
Grade 6 |
Grade 7 |
Grade 8 |
Grade 9 |
Grade 10 |
Grade 11 |
Grade 12 |
|
British Year Level |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
|
Age by August 31 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
