
Application Process
Introduction
The American Academy School admits students from Preschool to Grade 12 from a wide range of different cultures. The school follows a standards-based US curricular program designed to prepare students for post-secondary education. English is the language of instruction; we follow the Ministry of Education curriculum for compulsory subjects, as for French, it is introduced starting from grade 4.
We value an education that will prepare all students for a rapidly changing world, AAS has a learning support program that enables the enrolment of a managed number of students needing additional learning support at each grade level.
The academic year runs from August/September to June. Children can be admitted to AAS during the academic year if a place, becomes available.
We welcome students of all abilities, nationalities, and religions who, in the school’s opinion, will benefit from the rigorous academic, personal, and social programmes we offer. We are proud of our visible commitment to diversity and international mindedness. We take our responsibility for your child’s academic, social, and personal growth very seriously.
To serve the students’ individual needs and to support their transition to our school, it is important that we have complete information regarding previous academic experience and pastoral welfare.
We consider each application individually, considering academic ability, behavior and additional learning needs as well as age. AAS fosters a strong community with high academic aspirations for all its students, is committed to inclusive education and has excellent pastoral care.
We actively welcome applications from students with different strengths and areas for development. All students will be supported fully if successful. The school conscientiously makes the best use of the curriculum materials and approaches available as it continues to serve the diverse needs of its students whilst being mindful of the regulatory structures and initiatives that are communicated to it by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.
We invite all prospective parents to make an appointment with our Admissions Office to take the time to visit our school and learn about our programmes. We offer personalised tours of our school and opportunities to discuss the educational needs of the applicants.
Admissions Procedures
In the admissions process, decisions are made with care to ensure all students offered admission to AAS have the potential to be successful at our school, both in and out of the classroom. AAS is committed to equality and inclusion and accommodates diversity in terms of gender, religion, disability, and ethnic origin.
Selection Criteria
Selection is based on multiple criteria. These are:
- Performance in the entrance exam.
- Face to face interview with the Academic Coordinator, School Principal or other designated academic staff.
- Pre-KG, KG1, KG2 and Year 1 applicants are also assessed for school readiness. They must be toilet trained and have a level of independence.
- Past school history and reports.
- Age appropriateness for the grade to which admission is sought.
- The child’s previous curriculum is taken into consideration as well as limitations with regards to transfer dates for local transfers as defined by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.
- English is the language of instruction and daily operation at AAS. We aim for all students to be fluent English speakers, able to read and write in English at an operational level for their age.
AAS is a fully inclusive school, accepting children with learning difficulties and special educational needs. It is essential that parents disclose all information regarding their child’s individual needs to ensure AAS can provide appropriate support. Failure to disclose relevant information at the time of application may result in the withdrawal of a place.
Qatar History Setting
All students from grade 1- 9 are required to learn History of Qatar as per the Ministry of Education and Higher Education laws. Classes are differentiated for Arabic or English speakers and the programs incorporate the Ministry of Education syllabus within the curriculum.
Arabic Language Setting
All students from grade KG – 12 are required to learn Arabic as per the Ministry of Education and Higher Education laws. Classes are differentiated for native and non-native speakers and the programs incorporate the Ministry of Education syllabus within the curriculum.
Islamic Studies Setting
In accordance with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education laws, students who are Muslim (as identified on their passport or during the admissions process via the “religion” option) must take Islamic Education. Students may take Islamic A (in Arabic) or Islamic B (in English) regardless of their nationality based on their Arabic language proficiency.
Steps of the process
A. Completion of the application form.
Application forms should be completed online and all requested documents scanned. Parents must complete and submit an on-line application through the school’s website: https://oas.mograsys.com/aas/OnlineAdmission.html
Parents can also be assisted by one of our admission team members to fill the online inquiry on school campus. The required documents should be submitted together with the application form or sent to the admission office via the following email: admission@americanacademy.sch.qa
The required documents are as follows:
- Three recent passport size photos of your child on a plain
- A Copy of the child’s passport, Qatari ID and birth
- A copy of the parent’s passports and Qatari
- A copy of the child’s school reports for the last two years (When a student comes from abroad, the latest report needs to be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the State of Qatar. Previously attested by the relevant departments or ministries in the country where the report has been issued).
- A Recommendation letter from the previous
- Childhood immunization records and medical fitness report for school entry/transfer.
- A letter of employment from the child’s sponsor
- A copy of any assessments relating to Additional Educational Support Needs (e.g., Educational Psychologist reports, Speech, and language Therapy), if applicable
When the documents are not in English or Arabic, a notarized translation in English must be provided.
For further assistance please contact the admission team via:
E-mail: admission@americanacademy.sch.qa Tel: 40206900 (Ext.210)
Important Notification:
Please note that a Qatari ID is not a mandatory document to apply, but if the student is accepted it is mandatory to have a valid Qatar Residence, a copy must be submitted to AAS School. This requirement is in compliance with Ministry of Education regulations for all students in Qatar.
B. Organization of an assessment interview
When places become available, selected applicants will be invited to undertake an assessment interview that carries a fee. Due to the high demand and limited number of spaces, not all applicants who apply to our school are invited for interview and assessment.
Parents are requested to:
- Arrive 30 minutes in
- QR 500 only to be paid as assessment
- Fill in the form available at the reception
The assessment interview is aimed at establishing a conversation with parents and students to evaluate if and how the school will benefit the candidate’s educational experience. Heads of Departments are responsible of conducting these interviews. The outcomes of these interviews are recorded and have all the necessary related information and approvals.
For preschool and KG, the assessment interview includes play-based activities with a range of questions to assess early understanding.
Entrance exams are offered both Paper-Based and electronic-Based Exams (Socrative). The choice is given based on the parent preference. During Corona students can take Entrance exams electronically.
All candidates are required to sit for an Entrance Exam that include the following subjects:
a. English
- Mathematics
c. Arabic
- Sciences (for Grade 9-12)
Candidates are granted the approval to be admitted in school if:
- Having a minimum score in the above-mentioned subjects: 60%
- Passing the Interview Process conducted by the Head of
Candidates who fail to pass the requirements, based on the parent’s requests and the feedback received from our Heads of Departments, we grant them Re-assessment Process after offering them adequate timeframe to review the required objectives.
C. Final decision on the application
The School Admissions Committee that includes the principal, the Academic Coordinators, and the registrar makes the final decision on admissions. This decision is final.
This decision may be: acceptance and offer of a place, a Conditional Offers of a Place, a waiting pool offer or non-acceptance of application.
Acceptance and offer of place
A letter of offer will be issued along with joining information once your admission is completed and a place is available. The offer remains valid for 14 days. To secure the place a non-refundable reservation fee of 1,500 QAR should be paid within 14 days.
The place offer will be subject to the payment of the corresponding fees within a timeline. If the payment is not completed by the identified deadline, the place will be lost. Students not
in possession of their resident permit/Qatar ID number will not be allowed to attend classes following a ruling by the Ministry of Interior.
Conditional Offers of a Place
Occasionally, a conditional place will be offered at AAS. In this case some additional information may be required including:
- Professional reports in support of identifying your child’s learning
- Agreement to provide additional support as specified at your cost (e.g. a Learning Support Assistant or provision of therapies);
- A review period may be set at which point the student’s progress will be reviewed to establish if AAS is the most suitable school to meet their particular
If the conditional criteria are not satisfied, AAS retains the right to withdraw the place and ask the parents to seek alternative arrangements for their child’s education.
All departments are required to conduct a close Monitoring Process for all new candidates via Diagnostic Tests, Internal Quizzes, Tests, Mid Term Exams, and MAP Tests.
The outcomes of these tests will be communicated to the concerned parents to ensure that all allocated gaps have been covered.
Academic, Social, and Emotional support is offered to all new candidates during the first entire academic year. Parents are kept posted with their children ‘s progress via the outcomes communicated during individual meetings and Progress Reports.
In case new candidates are failing to cope with our curriculum standards, parents are notified by the end of the first semester to sustain the support needed and to take the necessary decision in regards of pursuing the studies in our school.
Waiting pool
If the child has completed the process successfully, and there are no vacancies to be offered, the application will become part of the school waiting pool, that will be reviewed when a vacancy occurs. Students in the waiting pool or those not offered a place should re-apply for the following academic year.
Denied Applicants
Applicants who have not met the minimum educational criteria set by the school or required documentation as per admissions procedures is not provided, will be denied a place in the school, and are notified by a letter from the Registrar.
Confirmed Enrolment
Once an offer has been accepted by the parent, all pending paperwork and payment of applicable tuition fees must be submitted before the child’s date of join. No student should be registered in the school without completing their transfer paperwork and all other documentation.
Re-enrolments
To secure a place for the next academic year, a re-enrolment process is held each year during the 2nd semester. To secure a place for the next academic year, fee payment is required for all returning students (QR 2,000). Students who are not in compliance with the local government regulations or have unpaid school fees, will not be eligible to re-enrol and continue at the school the next academic year.
The school reserves the right to withdrawal any student at any time, if:
- School fees have not been
- Educationally significant information is withheld from the school during the application
- The student’s behaviour is detrimental to the welfare of other students or the school
- Attendance falls below the 95% requirement for each school
Withdrawal Process
- It is necessary that parents give the Admissions office at least one month’s written notice of withdrawal.
- Leaving families are requested to fill a withdrawal form available in the admission
- The Student must return all the library books before the last school
- AAS School reserves the right to withdraw a student regarding the student behaviour As per AAS School Behaviour policy, the school will determine through the report issued by the SMT whether, in the interest of the school, the student should continue with AAS School.
- AAS School reserves the right to withdraw an already registered student when any or all the following conditions apply:
- The student’s learning needs cannot be met by the
- The student’s behaviour is determined to have a negative impact on the school community.
Age Requirements
The age of the applicant is an important factor in determining year group placement. The minimum age for Pre-K admission is three years old prior to the end of September. The end of September is also the cut-off date for all grade levels in the school.
Pre-School:
- Students enrolling in Pre-K shall be 3 years old on or before the end of September as per Ministry of Education and Higher Education admission guidelines of the year of
- Student will need to be toilet
- Student still using training pants will not be accepted for admission in
KG1: Students enrolling into KG1 shall be 4 years old on or before the end of September.
Please refer to the chart below to find out which grade your child will be placed into if enrolled at AAS. As an American school, we use the K-12 nomenclature to describe grade levels; the table below indicates the equivalent grade for parents more familiar with the UK system.
Birth Date | Age | US Grade | UK Equivalent |
Oct. 1, 2017 – Sept. 30, 2018 | 4-5 | KG1 | Reception |
Oct. 1, 2016 – Sept. 30, 2017 | 5-6 | KG2 | Year 1 |
Oct. 1, 2015- Sept. 30, 2016 | 6-7 | Grade 1 | Year 2 |
Oct. 1, 2014 – Sept. 30, 2015 | 7-8 | Grade 2 | Year 3 |
Oct. 1, 2013 – Sept. 30, 2014 | 8-9 | Grade 3 | Year 4 |
Oct. 1, 2012 – Sept. 30, 2013 | 9-10 | Grade 4 | Year 5 |
Oct. 1, 2011 – Sept. 30, 2012 | 10-11 | Grade 5 | Year 6 |
Oct. 1, 2010 – Sept. 30, 2011 | 11-12 | Grade 6 | Year 7 |
Oct. 1, 2009 – Sept. 30, 2010 | 12-13 | Grade 7 | Year 8 |
Oct. 1, 2008 – Sept. 30, 2009 | 13-14 | Grade 8 | Year 9 |
Oct. 1, 2007 – Sept. 30, 2008 | 14-15 | Grade 9 | Year 10 |
Oct. 1, 2006- Sept. 30, 2007 | 15-16 | Grade 10 | Year 11 |
Oct. 1, 2005 – Sept. 30, 2006 | 16-17 | Grade 11 | Year 12 |
Oct. 1, 2004 – Sept. 30, 2005 | 17-18 | Grade 12 | Year 13 |
* Please note that, regardless of birth date, students currently attending another school will normally be admitted into the grade level immediately following the grade they are completing/have completed.
Enrolment may be denied if the student’s age significantly exceeds the normal, average age for his/her grade placement.