The BIST way
WORK HARD, DREAM BIG.
Who can join the British school?
Offering a personalized education to students from ages 3-18, our COBIS-accredited school is at the heart of the international community in Tunis and prides itself on being a friendly, vibrant, and creative community where every child can feel they belong.
On behalf of the entire community, we would like to thank you for your interest in applying to our school. Whether you live in Tunis or will be relocating here from another country, we recognise the importance of finding the right international school in Tunis for your family.
We aim to do two things: to help guide you as you discover BIST and learn what’s most important and enduring about our beloved school, and to get to know you.
The British International School of Tunis is open to families coming from all over the world and children from all academic backgrounds. Our admissions procedure is designed to be open, transparent and responsive to the needs of every single child.
Children with special needs and learning difficulties will be assessed carefully to determine whether the school is able to effectively address their individual needs.
From the first point of contact up until your child’s first day of school, our friendly admissions team is ready to answer all your questions and accompany you throughout the enrollment and transition process.
A step by step process
STEP 1
Create an online Application
STEP 2
Visit us
STEP 3
Schedule an assessment
STEP 4
Secure enrollment and provide all required documents
BIST Entry Assessments
Admissions
A child’s education from birth to age five forms a crucial foundation for all that follows. At the British International School of Tunis, we aim to provide children in our Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 with educational experiences that will help them develop a positive approach to learning.
From our Early Years & Foundation stages up until Year 2, applicants are warmly invited to attend a taster day at school.
Our school offers taster days for prospective pupils to experience our school community and get a taste of what it is like to be a student here. These taster days take place at the school and provide an opportunity for prospective pupils to meet current students, teachers, and staff, and to engage in educational activities and lessons. By participating in taster days, prospective pupils are able to get a feel for our school’s culture and educational approach, and to see firsthand how we bring learning to life.
Taster days can take several days to complete, while care is taken to find out as much as possible about your child’s behavioural, social and cognitive abilities among other areas to ensure appropriate planning is conducted.
The assessment procedure for older pupils joining the school will involve a more formal assessment in addition to the reception of the applicant’s full previous school reports (last two years) prior to the scheduled entry assessment date.
The test that we administer at the British International School of Tunis is the Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT4); a diagnostic assessment that helps our teaching staff to understand the pupil’s current level. It is set up in accordance with the pupils age and the year group they will be admitting.
Preparation is not required, and the assessment is in multiple choice format.
To further evaluate the level of each applicant, additional assessments may be required.
The results help teachers decide what pace of learning is right for each pupil, whether a specific syllabus would be required, and whether additional support is needed.
At the British International School of Tunis, we recognise the importance of finding the right school for your child and offer the possibility of conducting our entry assessment online for any families abroad looking at joining us.
Year 10 to Year 13 admission requirements (from 15 to 18 years old):
- Entry to Year 10 – Year 11:
In Year’s 10 and 11 pupils follow courses leading to the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) examinations set by the UK examining boards. To be admitted to Year 10 and Year 11, pupils must a follow a number of steps to ensure that they have the necessary qualifications, skills, and attributes to succeed in our school:
- An interview with the Secondary School Principal
- The examination of the applicant’s previous school reports (last two years)
- The results of the applicant’s BIST entry assessment(s)
Since the IGCSE programme is a two-year programme, we are hesitant to accept pupils coming from another academic system into Year 11. Should the candidate be coming from another British school the examination of previous school reports (last two years) and the additional review of the subjects taken in Year 10 are evaluated; in such instances, the candidate might be illegible to sit for our entry assessment.
To further evaluate the level of each applicant, some additional assessments may be required. The results help teachers decide what pace of learning is right for each pupil, whether a specific syllabus would be required, and whether or not additional support is needed. The examination of applications by the appropriate staff members should be conducted within a maximum of 48 hours. Some applications may take more time to process should any concerns regarding the applicant’s eligibility arise.
- Entry to Year 12 – Year 13:
In Year’s 12 and Year 13, pupils follow courses leading to the Advanced level qualifications (known as A-Levels). A-Levels are state examinations and are recognised by all UK universities and by institutions worldwide. To be admitted to Year 12 and Year 13, pupils must a follow a number of steps to ensure that they have the necessary qualifications, skills, and attributes to succeed in our school:
- An interview with the Secondary School Principal
- The examination of the applicant’s previous school reports (last two years)
- The results of the applicant’s BIST entry assessment(s)
To further evaluate the level of each applicant, some additional assessments may be required. The results help teachers decide what pace of learning is right for each pupil, whether a specific syllabus would be required, and whether or not additional support is needed. The examination of applications by the appropriate staff members should be conducted within a maximum of 48 hours. Some applications may take more time to process should any concerns regarding the applicant’s eligibility arise.
The British curriculum
The education system in the UK is also split into “Key Stages” which breaks down as follows:
- Key Stage 1 (5 to 7 years old)
- Key Stage 2 (7 to 11 years old)
- Key Stage 3 (11 to 14 years old)
- Key Stage 4 (14 to 16 years old)
- Key Stage 5 (16 to 18 years old)
Generally Key Stages 1 and 2 will be undertaken at primary school and by the time pupil would reach 11 years old, they will move into secondary school and finish Key Stages 3, 4 and 5. Pupils are assessed at the end of each stage.