Admissions to the Amman Baccalaureate School

Dear Prospective Parents,

We are pleased you are considering The Amman Baccalaureate School for your family. As you visit our website, we hope you will discover the warmth, friendliness and excitement that is at the heart of our bilingual and international learning community which makes ABS the leading and pioneer International Baccalaureate (IB) School in Jordan and the region.

One of the things that makes an ABS education distinctive is the nature of our community. Although the majority of our families represent the Jordanian nationality, the vast majority of our students are fully bilingual (English / Arabic) who have been exposed to a bilingual education with an international perspective. We welcome applications from non-Arabic speaking students starting Grade 6 where students will have the opportunity to learn the Arabic language at their level. Our challenging and global curriculum prepares students to graduate with a choice of either the International Baccalaureate Diploma, International Baccalaureate Courses or International Baccalaureate Career-related Certificate at the end of Grade 12.

Admission to the school is selective and is based, as appropriate, on previous school records, academic testing, a personal interview with the applicant and his/her family, and availability of places.

Admission tests and interviews for all grades are designed to ascertain that the applicant has the skills in Mathematics and in both languages of instruction (except for International Students starting Grade 6) to allow him/her to cope with the demands of following the ABS curriculum and participating fully in the life of the school.

The school reserves the right to contact an applicant’s previous school(s) and request confidential references. Assessment and interviews are the governing factors for admission from Grade KG1.

In cases where the number of applications exceeds the places available at a given grade level, applicants are placed on a waiting list in order of date of application, with priority set as per the Admissions Department’s policies.

The admission team is ready to answer your questions about our school and to help guide you through the application process. We look forward to meeting you.

Thanks to the generosity of our esteemed Board of Trustees, members of the Baccalaureate Endowment Fund (BEF), and ABS alumni, we are able to offer various bursaries and scholarships to students who meet their criteria. The goal of the Scholarship programme is to attract high quality entrants to the school and to retain students of exceptional quality starting in Grade 7 onward. The Financial Assistance Programme is offered to existing parents only whose children have been enrolled in the school for at least one year.

For a more in-depth look at the varying scholarships and awards including their criteria and origins, please click the following link.

Scholarships & Awards Booklet

How to Apply

Applications are accepted all year round, there is no specific deadline for any grade level; however, parents are encouraged to submit applications early to ensure a place is offered for their child(ren).

The initial entry point is KG1 and parents are advised to submit an application as soon as the child is born and within three-months of birth to ensure the application is granted priority, if applicable.  All applicants must follow a standard process by submitting an application in person and completing the payment of fees. All submitted applications must be accompanied with the following items:

• A certified photocopy of the student’s Birth Certificate
• Copy of the student’s Marks Record or Reports for the last two years (except application for KG, Grade 1 and 2)
• Two passport-size photographs
• The amount of JD 500 which covers Administration Fee (Testing and/or Interview Fees) JD 50 (non-refundable) and Registration Fee JD 450 (refundable) if no place available; if student is admitted the amount will be deducted from tuition fees.  If place is offered and declined by parents, JD 450 will NOT be refunded and another application must be submitted for future grades.

OVERSEAS APPLICANTS:

We understand that applying from an overseas location can be complicated. While we strongly recommend visiting the school during the application process, we will work with parents to facilitate their application if they are not able to be in the country for completing the application requirements.

For Grades 6 – 11, the Admission department accepts applications and required documents by email after the fees have been sent by wire through the school bank account.  The parents can provide the Admissions Department with the name of a contact person at their child’s current school in order to coordinate the administering of entrance examination.  The applicant’s interview can also be done via Skype.

For further information, please contact our Admissions Department at Registrar@abs.edu.jo or 00962-6-541-1191 Ext. 2028.

Admissions Application Form 

Contact Admission

The International Section

The International Section at the Amman Baccalaureate School was initiated in August 2010 for students in Grades 6 – 12, who do not have the level of Arabic to cope with an ABS bilingual education but wish to benefit from the outstanding educational experience that ABS offers.

Students in the International section from Grades 6 – 10 follow the IB Middle Years Programme, which demonstrates how school subjects are inter-related and teaches students that consideration of issues and problems in their widest scope will enhance their critical thinking. The students’ ability to find acceptable solutions to a range of problems and adapt them to a variety of situations is developed through concepts and contexts that ‘provide shared starting points for inquiry into what it means to be internationally minded, framing a curriculum that promotes multilingualism, intercultural understanding and global engagement’. This holistic approach to education promotes in students the values of understanding, tolerance and respect. In consequence, adolescents are helped to grow into responsible members of a world community. The IBMYP is considered to be an excellent preparation for the IB Programmes that ABS students follow in Grades 11 and 12.

Students in the International Section at ABS in Grades 6 – 10 take the following MYP subjects: English Language and Literature; Arabic Language Acquisition; French Language Acquisition (optional for Grades 9 and 10); Spanish Language Acquisition (optional for Grades 9 and 10); Mathematics; Sciences (General Sciences for Grades 6-8); Physics, Chemistry & Biology (for Grades 9 & 10); Individuals and Societies (History and Geography); Physical and Health Education; Product Design and Digital Design; Visual Arts, Drama, and/or Music. In addition, students take the following non-MYP subject: World Religions (taught in English).

International students will be taught in English for Mathematics, Sciences, Modern Languages, Individuals and Societies, Arts, PHE and Design, but they will also be exposed to the Arabic language during their school day, apart from in their Arabic lessons.

International students will be offered intensive Arabic classes in small groups that will allow them to benefit from the ABS experience. The curriculum is tailored to suit the needs and the levels of each individual student depending on his or her current understanding of Arabic.

International Students are also welcome to join Grades 11 and 12 in the IB College, where they will study a prestigious pre-university academic programme. Although we encourage all students to study Arabic, it is not mandatory at this level as a variety of other languages are being offered.

International Section students in the IB College can study IB Arabic Ab Initio which will allow them to learn basic Arabic – reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. This course will also introduce students to Arab culture and current events.