Eastwood College Kafarshima

Children – Our Purpose & Our Future

Admission Policy
The mission of Eastwood College is to provide an ethical educational community for students of
a wide range of nationalities, religions, and cultural backgrounds, while implementing the high
standards of international education. The commitment of its members to continuous
improvement and development ensures providing a supportive child-centered environment,
where the rights of every child to be educated are recognized. At Eastwood College, learners can
develop their academic potential, their personal and social awareness, and their career skills. It is
a place where children are the purpose and the future.

This policy is meant to define the terms and conditions of admission to Eastwood College,
where education is offered to three- to-eighteen-year-old learners over three different streams:

Accredited according to the standards of the Lebanese Ministry of Education, Eastwood College
offers the official National Lebanese program, which prepares students for the Brevet certificate
and the Lebanese Baccalaureate II certificate, thus qualifying students for entrance to universities
as sophomores.

Authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), Eastwood College offers the
International Baccalaureate Diploma program which is a two-year pre-university course,
designed for highly motivated secondary students. The program has earned a reputation of
rigorous assessment, giving the skillful well-rounded IB diploma holders access to the world's
leading universities as sophomores.

Eastwood College is authorized by the Ministry of Education to offer the three-year

pre-university American High School Diploma program since 1995, and we are currently a
candidate school as per the COGNIA accreditation process. The program is based on a credit
system that allows students to select a course of study that suits their educational objectives and
fulfills the requirements of universities in Lebanon and abroad. The final certificate is the
American High School Diploma. Students who select this stream qualify for university
admission as Freshman Arts/Sciences.

Transferring from one academic program to another necessitates official eligibility as well as the
school approval. In fact, where applicable, during the course of the academic year, transfer is
bound to time restrictions as it is not permitted after the month of October. Transferring from
another school to our school – within the first term – is considered on a case-by-case basis.

It is worth mentioning that, at Eastwood College, the curriculum model is designed to target the
three streams starting at the Early Years, where a Reggio-Emilia inspired program is
implemented, and then at the Primary Years, where skill-based courses are offered through
inquiry-based learning.
In general, Eastwood College learners originate from:
1. Foreign Community
Children of non-Lebanese families working for international organizations such as the UN,
NGOs, and other multinational institutions are exempted from following the Lebanese
National Program to follow the American Program until High School, where they may
choose to be enrolled either in the IBDP or the American High School Program.

2. Returning Lebanese Families

Children of Lebanese families returning to Lebanon after 3 years of living abroad may also
be exempted from following the Lebanese National Program to follow the American
Program until High School, where they may choose to be enrolled either in the IBDP or the
American High School Program.

3. Lebanese Community
Children of Lebanese families who live in Lebanon normally enroll in the Lebanese
National Program and prepare to sit for Brevet and Baccalaureate Exams.
However, as per the Decree Law #6, published 19/10/2017, IB World schools in Lebanon
may offer the IB Diploma Program to learners who follow the Lebanese National Program,
starting at Year 11 – IBDP I. The school reserves the right to selecting the internal students
we find qualified and up to the challenges of the program to secure the equivalency of their
IB Diploma with the Lebanese Baccalaureate without jeopardizing their opportunities to join
university on a sophomore year. All students who join the IBDP as Lebanese nationals need
to follow the conditions of the Ministry of Education and register in (IB Arabic–A + Leb
History & Civics), in order to get the equivalency of the IB Diploma with the Lebanese
Baccalaureate.

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Eastwood College adopts an admission policy that encourages the maintenance of diversity in its
student body and ensures that admitted students can benefit from our educational experiences.

Prospective families are highly encouraged to visit our school for a tour on campus, as well as to
meet with our School Director, the concerned Head of Division, our Registrar, and our Financial
Manager, following scheduled appointments booked by phone (+961 5 431 525/6)
or via email ([email protected]).

Eastwood College adopts an admission process intended to be personal and informative for all
prospective families. Admission to EWC is based on the applicant’s previous school records,
entrance examination or placement test results, and a personal interview for the students and
their families to identify their commitment to the core values of the school.

Admission procedures are designed to identify the learners who demonstrate age-appropriate
abilities to meet the school’s standard grade-level learning outcomes as well as to help make the
right decision – if place availability permits.
Our admission policy ensures that decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. Upon completing
the entrance exams, the tests are marked, and a final evaluation report is submitted to the
School Director. Parents will be contacted and informed of their child’s results as well as of the
school final admission resolution.

IBDP Specific:
Every child should be given the opportunity to be registered for the full IB Diploma Program,
and we shall support all students to be as successful as possible in the IBDP. However, as it is
acknowledged to be a rigorous program, students applying for the IB should have a good all-
round understanding of academic subjects. All internal students whom we trust would struggle in
achieving the full diploma are made aware of their status and their chances of not earning it.
They are advised either to follow the Partial IBDP course certificate track by enrolling in the
IBDP courses they can pass or to drop the IB program completely and join the High School
Program as an alternative.

Internal IBDP qualified learners have an interview with the Academic Controller and the
IBDP Coordinator by the end of their PRE-IB year (G10) in the presence of their parents, where
a discussion of their academic results, their personality and interests test outcome, their career
plans, and their teachers’ feedback are the basis of their IBDP course choice. It is worth
mentioning that the school plans and schedules its course offerings for the next year based on the
results of those meetings held before mid-July.

As for new applicants, they are assessed for the IBDP, and if they pass their entrance exams,
they are oriented on the program requirements and interviewed for their course enrollment before
the final admission decision is made. In case a new learner wishes to enroll in a course that is not
already planned for the year as previously described, and if the school does not find it possible
providing any new offerings, the learner’s application might be turned down. On the other hand,
if we are in doubt of the qualification of an external new applicant to join our IBDP program, we
occasionally admit them on a trial basis over a specific short period that allows their smooth
transfer to another stream based on a prior agreement with the learners and their guardians.

The IBDP new academic year starts at the beginning of September. Late admission is highly
discouraged after September for IBDP I learners.

The program is also offered to learners who attained their equivalency from the MOE to follow a
non-Lebanese Program.

Enrollment in the IB Diploma Program at Eastwood College implies abiding by the school
policies in general, respecting the Integrity Policy in specific, and taking into consideration the
terms of the IB Promotion and Graduation Requirements in particular.

The IBDP journey is challenging and demanding. It requires family commitment and parental
support. Positive reinforcement is crucial to the learner’s resilience and perseverance level. Parents
are highly expected to encourage their children and inspire them with positive attitude towards this
valuable educational experience of growth.
About Our Course Offerings

Our course descriptions are available for all class levels. Indeed, parents are regularly oriented
on them during our first Open House upon launching the academic year in September; yet
prospective parents are always welcome to preview them upon request.

Applicants with Medical Conditions

Where the school can provide the necessary support for applicants with medical conditions, such
as asthma, diabetes, allergy, etc.., admission is not denied.

Admission Priority
The Student–Teacher ratio at Eastwood College is 15:1, and admission is limited by seat
availability. We prioritize the admission of our current students and their siblings over new
applicants, until mid-May. After that, “first come and accepted - first admitted” is applied.

Entrance Exam Subjects per Class

Meeting the academic requirements of the specified entrance exams listed below is crucial to
positive admission decisions. Admission may be denied if the applicants’ academic commitment
is insufficient for them to cope with our academic program levels, or if we cannot cater for the
applicant’s learning or behavioral needs.

Class Entrance Exam Subjects (score >60/100)

Early
KG I / II / III Kindergarten Classes: Interview + Placement Test
Years
 1 to 8 Math Arabic English
National Lebanese

 9, 10, 11Sci Math Arabic English 3 Sciences

Program

 11SE & 12SE Math Geo Socio + Eco English & Arabic

 12GS Math Phys Chem English & Arabic

 12LS Math Bio Chem English & Arabic

 1 to 10
Foreign
Program

Math English Arabic Language (Level Placement)

2 Sciences +
 11, 12 Math English
Arabic Language (Level Placement)

 10PRE-IB Math English 2 Sciences of choice + Language of Choice

IB Diploma Program

Groups 1to 5 Oral

 11 - IBDPI Potential Courses Evaluation Pre-DP objectives should attained as
(score >70/100) Group 6 Meeting + requirements for all DP courses of choice
Visual Arts Portfolio
Transfer into the second year of the Diploma Program will be assessed on a
 12 - IBDPII
case-by-case basis to ensure that the school can serve the applicant.
Note:
Entrance Exam study material is provided by the Registrar as part of the admission process.

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 Admission Requirements ‫المستندات المطلوبة للتسجيل‬

Visiting the Registrar Office guarantees adequate guidance on providing the school with all
the needed admission documents. Failing to submit the needed documents cancels the
applicant’s right to an official registration on the Ministry of Education student lists.

Official Requirement for Early Years applicants:

As per the official Decree #11930/2014 followed by the Circular #89 issued in June 2015,

1- To be eligible for joining KG I, a child must be 3 years by January 31.

2- To be eligible for joining KG II, a child must be 4 years by January 31.
3- To be eligible for joining KG III, a child must be 5 years by January 31.
Application is processed upon receiving the following basic documentation:

1. Complete Admission Form

2. Complete Transportation Form
3. Complete Medical Form (Health Record including vaccination)
4. Apple Release Form
5. Photocopy of a valid passport, Lebanese ID, or recent Individual Civil Registry )‫(إخراج قيد‬
6. Four recent passport photos
7. Disciplinary Report from previous school for High School students
8. Enrollment school certificate (previous year)
9. Latest Progress Report
10. Recommendation Letter from previous school
11. A non-refundable evaluation fee to be paid before the placement test

In addition to the above basic requirements, and by the end of the current academic year, the
following main documents need to be provided before joining:

Additional Requirements for applicants who were studying in Lebanon

1- An official school certificate certified by the Lebanese Ministry of Education

2- Final Grades of the last three academic years (intermediate and secondary), last two
academic years (Elementary).
3- Brevet Certificate – certified copy (Grade 10 or more)
Additional Requirements for applicants who were studying abroad

Equivalence permission from the Lebanese Ministry of Education is required to place the
student in the appropriate grade level and program. To obtain this document:

 Students holding the Lebanese Nationality only:

a) Grades of the last three years abroad should be legalized by the Ministry of Education,
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Lebanese Embassy in the country where the
student has studied abroad.
 b) After completing these legalizations, the same documents should be legalized in
Lebanon by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and presented to the Ministry of
Education (Equivalence Committee – UNESCO) along with a copy of the identity
card, a valid foreign passport, and a proof of residence abroad, in order to obtain an
equivalence of the class level in Lebanon.

 Students Holding a Foreign Nationality:

The grades of the last two years should be legalized following the same procedure above
for the students holding the Lebanese Nationality.

Requirements for Students with Learning Difficulties:

If significant support is provided to the applicant on his/her entrance exams due to some
noticed difficulties, parents/Guardians need to sit for a personal interview with the Learning
Support Coordinator, where they would be informed of the suspected problem. They might be
referred to independent specialists to have a psycho-educational evaluation for their child and
supply the school with the official report documentation, based on which, the student might
be considered a potential case of a candidate with learning needs.

Students are admitted to Eastwood College if we are able to serve them. In case of any doubt
that we cannot, some students might qualify for admission on a provisional basis to be
assessed by the school’s Learning Support Department. If the trial period results in positive
admission results, the psycho-educational report will be a guiding reference for serving the
child and an authentic justification for them to benefit from our Learning Support services.

Note: Our Inclusion Policy addresses all about serving learners with learning difficulties.

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Closing Statement:
Agreeing to the terms and regulations of the school policies and procedures is an essential
component of our admission requirements; in this regard, parents sign a general agreement
statement acknowledging our partnership and their commitment to the implementation of our
Code of Conduct, Academic Honesty Policy, Green Communication Policy, and the like.

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The policy is subject to review where the leadership team deems it necessary and
periodically every 3 years. Moreover, the latest updates of its terms are uploaded on our
Online Agenda to be shared with the stakeholders.