Admission Policy

Enrollment Policy

Equivalents and Entrance Age

Entrance Age

  • Preschool 1: for students who are 3 on or before December 31st.

    Preschool 2: for students who are 4 on or before December 31st.

  • Reception: for students who are 5 on or before December 31st.

    Form 1: for students who are 6 on or before December 31st.

    Forms 1 to 5: students are placed in the form compatible with their age.

    Exceptions may be made at the Principal’s discretion and based on previous schooling experience.

  • Forms 6 to 12: determined by evaluating a combination of previous school records, teacher/counselor recommendations, and information from parents.

    The school understands that in certain, special circumstances, teacher/ counsellor recommendations may not be available. In these instances, a meeting with the section Principal/Director is required prior to the admission recommendation being made.

Grade Placement Equivalents

*Entrance age on or before December 31st of the current school year, for example, to be eligible for enrollment in Preschool 1, in 2023/2024 academic year, the student MUST be 3 years old before December 31st 2023.

Principles of Placement

• LIS follows a school calendar of September through June.

• In Preschool and Primary School, the student placement is based on age.

• In Secondary School, previous school experience and age will be considered for placement.

• Previous Different School Calendars: for example, if the student came from a school calendar March to February, he will be placed at the same form he was at the transfer time.

English Language Proficiency

For students in Preschool, Reception, and Forms 1 through 9, English proficiency is preferred but not required for admission.

All non-native English speakers who are admitted in Forms 1 to 9 will undergo an English as an Additional Language (Second Language) evaluation after their admission has been confirmed.

As of Form 10, LIS students are expected to have an adequate level of English in order to write the Cambridge IGCSE examinations at the end of Form 10. During the admission process, in an oral interview with the coordinators, the level of English will be assessed and a subsequent decision about admission will be made.

English Second Language is only offered until Form 9.

Students applying to be admitted after the December/ January break will be assessed following the above principles to determine the most suitable form level, taking into account their late entry and the length of time remaining until the end of the academic year. It is expected that students entering Forms 9 to 12 will undertake the full CAMBRIDGE Program, IGCSE and AS level programs. Students should be no more than one year older or younger than the average age for their form and cannot be older than 19 when they graduate.

For entry into the AS level program in Form 11, students must demonstrate an advanced english proficiency in writing ability and mathematics and also have already obtained their IGCSE qualification.

Admission policy

Admission and continued enrollment in LIS are determined by the Principal, based on the recommendations of the academic heads. When making their recommendations, the Principal considers the following criteria:
• The potential of the applicant to benefit from LIS’s educational program, which is based on the Cambridge International Curriculum;
• The school ability to meet the educational needs of the applicant;
• The applicant ability to meet the attendance and behavioral expectations of the school;
• Fulfillment of the school’s financial and medical requirements.

In order to maintain the quality of education and our diverse, international character, the school will ensure a multicultural and international composition of its student body.

The student´s nationality will be validated by:
• citizenship of the applicant AND his parents - all passports will be required (dual passport holders must present both documents);
• native language of the applicant;
• language spoken with parents;
• language and education system of the previous school(s).

Whenever it is not possible to accommodate all the qualified applicants, the following admission priorities will apply:
1. Siblings of currently enrolled students;
2. Native English speakers and former LIS students;
3. and other qualified applicants from any nationality – additional priority within this group will be given to students transferring from an international school where English is the instruction language or another CAMBRIDGE international school.

If a class is full, a waiting pool of applications will be created. LIS will draw from this pool, based on these priority guidelines, and after a review of all applications, in order to determine who are the students considerered to best benefit from a LIS education.

If you encounter problems or have any further questions about applying online, please email the LIS Admissions Office: admissions@leiriainternationalschool.com.