Campion School Admissions Policy
Introduction
Campion School aims to fulfil the potential of each individual child and to do so in a safe and caring environment. The school draws on the educational expertise of the International Primary Curriculum and the National Curriculum in Britain and shares the aims of the International Baccalaureate Organisation:
‘…to develop the individual talents of young people and teach them to relate the experience of the classroom to the realities of the world outside. Beyond intellectual rigour and high academic standards, strong emphasis is placed on the ideals of international understanding and responsible citizenship, to the end that … pupils may become critical and compassionate thinkers, lifelong learners and informed participants in local and world affairs, conscious of the shared humanity that binds all people together while respecting the variety of cultures and attitudes that makes for the richness of life.’ (IBO Council of Foundation, 1996)
Full advantage is taken from the special relationship we have with our host country Greece and the excellent opportunities our pupils have to study Greece’s uniquely rich heritage.
Campion School is interested in students and families who share this vision. We seek students who, along with their families, support the values of the school community. A successful Campion pupil will participate fully in the opportunities the school provides and face our challenging, internationally‐focused programme with confidence and enthusiasm. Campion School is open to all children who can benefit from and contribute to the international education offered, regardless of gender, culture, nationality or religion.
General Admissions Process for Junior/Senior School
An initial expression of interest to be admitted to Campion will be recorded by completing the online enquiry form found on the school website. The school then follows this up with a request for school reports from the previous two years and, where appropriate, relevant paperwork relating to additional needs (e.g., medical/academic/social needs). Where it looks like the candidate is a good match for the school and where a space is available, the school will then arrange a preliminary visit or a suitable online alternative involving a tour of the premises and an opportunity for parents and pupils to ask questions. It also provides an opportunity to become acquainted with the school’s ethos and climate for learning.
Pupil admission will be determined based on previous school reports, cognitive ability tests (age-dependant), Confidential Teacher Recommendation Forms, interviews, and, for non-native English speakers, performance in an English test.
International pupils may be admitted at any point in the school year. Local applicants are generally not accepted mid-year except under extreme circumstances.
Senior School Admissions
Parents who wish to proceed with testing/interview are requested to pay an application fee of €100 per candidate.
In the Senior School, all non-native English candidates for years 7-12 will sit the Cambridge English Placement Test. Prospective Senior School pupils applying for years 7-10 will sit the MidYis admissions test and candidates for the IB Diploma programme will sit the CEM IBE test. Following a successful interview, formal admission to the school requires the submission of the documents listed in the appendix.
Junior School Admissions
Parents who wish to proceed with testing/interview are requested to pay an application fee of €100 per candidate.
In the Junior School, testing may be appropriate for some pupils. Those pupils who need to sit for testing will take this either prior to, or on the day that they attend for an interview.
Summary
Junior School | Senior School |
An assessment of the child’s ability will include: ● A meeting with Head of Juniors/Deputy Head and if applicable, relevant testing Compilation of background information will include: ● Completed enquiry form ● 2 years of reports ● Relevant documentation of academic test data e.g. CEM test data, CAT 4, MAP NCER etc. ● Where applicable, relevant specialist assessments, e.g. educational psychologist report, Speech and Language, OT, developmental paediatrician etc. ● Confidential Teacher Recommendation form. | An assessment of the child’s ability will include: ● MidYIS/Cambridge (English) Placement Tests ● A meeting with the Assistant Head – Pastoral/IB Coordinator Compilation of background information will include: ● Completed enquiry form ● 2 years of reports ● Relevant documentation of academic test data e.g. CEM test data, CAT 4, MAP NCER etc. ● Where applicable, relevant specialist assessments, e.g. educational psychologist report, Speech and Language, OT, developmental paediatrician etc. ● Confidential Teacher recommendation form. |
Only when all of the above have been met will an application be considered complete, and a decision will be made to admit the child or not. If a place exists and it is deemed that the school can meet the applicant’s needs, the child will be offered a place.
The offer of a place is time-sensitive and is dependent on the completion of the admission form and the payment of the registration fee by the stipulated date. Should the admission form be missing or the registration fee not be paid by the stipulated date, then the child will be placed on the waiting list.
If a place does not exist, then the child will be placed on the waiting list.
Waiting List
Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Where a parent is applying for a start date corresponding to the start of the next academic year, if a year group is at capacity, applicants may be placed on the waiting list. If places subsequently become available, an application will be given priority according to the criteria listed. The completion of the school’s re-registration exercise will then determine how many places are available for the following year.
Placement
Classes are primarily based on the pupil’s date of birth and years of full-time education. The threshold for each age band will be determined by the age of the child on 1st September in the respective academic year. Nursery children are accepted at the next scheduled start point after they turn three years old (e.g. the next appropriate start date might be after the Christmas holidays). However, in order for a child to progress to Reception, they must be four years old on 1st September in the respective academic year. Only in exceptional circumstances will a pupil be placed in a class that does not correspond with their appropriate age. Parental preferences will be considered, but the final determination is the responsibility of the Headmaster.
Consideration Influencing Factors
The school will give priority consideration to applicants from expatriate families moving to Greece who do not have the option to register their children in a Greek school.
As places at Campion are in demand and a limited number of spaces are available in most year groups, consideration will be given to the following factors:
The school will only offer a place to the pupil if it is felt that:
Safeguarding Concerns
Safeguarding concerns will not form part of the admissions process. However, once a pupil has been enrolled at Campion, we will reach out to the former school to identify if any safeguarding concerns have been raised, thereby ensuring appropriate support is in place for the child/family.
Continuing into the next academic year
The School reserves the right to decline entry to the next academic year if the specific needs of a child cannot be met. Breaches of school rules and regulations, including the non-payment of school fees, may also lead to a refusal.
Where a child’s academic performance does not meet the expected standard, the school reserves the right to review the school place. This applies particularly for transition to the Senior School and for entry to the IB diploma. Under normal circumstances, pupils beginning the IB programme are expected to have achieved 5 A*-C grades at IGCSE level, usually including Mathematics and English.
Denial
Should it be found that requested information was withheld or inaccurate, the offer of acceptance or a pupil’s place at the school is put at risk. If the offer or place is then withdrawn, any monies paid up to this point will be forfeited by the family.
Conditional Places
Occasionally, if there is a lack of clarity or certainty over the application, the school may offer a conditional place at the school. A conditional place will have very specific criteria for entry for a certain amount of time. The parents and school must enter into an agreement of terms of the conditional place on the understanding that at the end of the period, the school has the full authority to continue or discontinue to offer the place based on the success of the agreement.
Arbitration
In any case of an admissions dispute, an appeal can be made to the Board of Trustees, whose decision is final. The Board reserves the right to change these admissions regulations at any time without notice.
Fees
Fees are to be paid according to the fee schedule.
Children with Specific Learning Needs
As part of the decision of whether or not to admit a child with learning differences, relevant assessment reports from specialists are required at the same time as the school reports. These reports must not go back further than 2 years prior to the date of application for admission.
The Headmaster reserves the right to review the continued registration of any child whose circumstances change significantly during their time at school. The Headmaster may also review a child’s continuing registration in the school where it becomes apparent that not all relevant information was made available to the school at the time of admission.
The school may accept a child for a defined period of time, for example, during the Early Years Stage, where a child’s needs may be more easily incorporated within the programme.
If the provision of support (e.g. Learning Support or English as an Additional Language) for a particular year group is full, even if the year group has space, applications will be placed on the waiting list until such a time when a space becomes available. These provisions are limited, and particular levels of support cannot be guaranteed.
In the Senior School, where a child has been assessed and found to require Extra English classes, an additional cost is payable as indicated in the school fees.
Admissions accountability
The Headmaster will furnish the Board of Trustees with regular updates on school admissions; this will take the form of a status report on the current school roll along with information on the status of admissions.
Deferred entry
Where a parent’s relocation to Greece has been delayed by factors outside of their control, parents can request that the anticipated start date be deferred. However, the registration fee only binds the place for one academic year, and should deferment be longer than the anticipated year of arrival, the child will revert to the waiting list, and a new registration fee will be payable.
Re-entry
Parents must understand that the school cannot guarantee a place still remains for a returning child. Children who have been gone from the school for a period of more than one year will need to undergo the same admissions procedure as all other applicants. This will include an interview and submission of school reports. The registration fee will be payable.
Reviewed: January 2025
Next Review: October 2026
Appendix 1
Summary of documents needed for admission
Formal admission to school requires the submission of the following:
Only upon receiving the registration fee will the application be considered successful and the candidate admitted to Campion School as a pupil.
The school reserves the right to contact the previous school to check that all financial obligations have been met.
Notifications
