Issuu

Admissions Procedures and Guidelines

(Reviewed August 2026, next review August 2027)

Table of Contents Brockton School: Mission, Vision, and Guiding Principles Admissions Philosophy & Guiding Principles Admissions (Organizational Structure) Criteria: The Brockton Fit Student/Family Admissions Cycle Admissions Processes Steps Tools/Instruments/Strategies External Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten Grades 1-5 Graduation Years: Grade 10 -12 IB Academic Integrity Procedures and Guidelines and Expectations Target Class Sizes & Sections: Re-enrollment Fees Tuition & Fees Financial Aid Review Process

217 – Admissions Policy.pdf

Brockton School: Mission, Vision, and Guiding Principles Of particular significance to the admissions policies and procedures, please refer to the Brockton School Mission, Vision and Guiding Principles, and Portrait of the Graduate.

Mission: Brockton School’s Mission is to inspire the growth of outstanding humans. Vision and Guiding Principles: Brockton will be a global influencer in educating and inspiring the growth of outstanding humans in contribution to a better world. Brockton School is and will be: Where every student matters, Where every family matters, Where community matters, and Where learning for life matters. Guiding Principles: describe the beliefs that drive behaviours and are the ideas and principles that guide interactions. Where every student matters: each student is recognized as unique and is valued for their individual genius; every student is considered important; the student is the centre of all that we do; every student’s potential as an outstanding human is nurtured. Where every family matters: each family is recognized as unique; each family is considered important; opportunities for a diverse collective of families are promoted and supported. Where community matters: all members of the community (staff, students, parents, alumni, volunteers, donors, partners, and more) are valued; there is an essential partnership of student-parent-school; relationships, connection, and responsibility to community - at the School, local, and global level - are prioritized. Where learning for life matters: the exceptional, challenging, inquiry-based program is underlined by a fundamental focus on holistic life education (e.g., ultimately aiming to meet the ideals of the “portrait of the graduate”); while preparing for the next ‘chapter’ of one’s journey is important, the ultimate goal is to educate for one’s life journey; Brockton aims to inspire students to WANT to learn throughout their lifetime; Brockton aims to inspire students and community members to make a positive difference to their own lives, to the lives of others, and ultimately to our shared world.

Portrait of the Graduate EVERY one of Brockton’s Graduates is unique and valued. As an aspiration, Brockton’s Graduates will be outstanding humans who exhibit: Purpose: appreciate the opportunity and responsibility to live a meaningful life in contribution to a better world Conscientiousness: live with awareness (of place, time, self, others) and with integrity as a principled and compassionate individual Humility: are generous with gratitude, respect, and empathy, particularly when challenges and differences are present Self-Discipline: manage and direct the pursuit of aspirations, with an appreciation for the necessity of balance and joy in life Connection: prioritize relationships, communication, and connection; honour the privilege and the responsibility of being a part of community; think and act with international-mindedness Inquisitiveness: are curious, creative, courageous, industrious, and critical thinkers prepared not only to find the answers, but to ask the questions Resilience: have a personal strategy to engage, reflect, recover, persevere, and adapt/pivot; learn from failure as well as success (and recognize the connection between these) Preparedness: embrace and seek out next steps, continue to learn and grow throughout an ever-evolving life journey

Admissions Philosophy & Guiding Principles Philosophy: Admissions at Brockton School are guided by the philosophy and overarching priorities of Brockton School as per the (updated) School Strategic Plans. Admissions at Brockton School will use the guiding principles stated here to support a fair and efficient process that seeks to establish a solid fit of the child/family with the school and similarly, the school with the child/family. Guiding principles: ● Vision/Mission-driven: supporting the Brockton School vision and mission and the IB vision and mission ● Student-centred: supporting each student as a unique learner, with a focus of teaching/learning as a priority ● Clearly defined and timely: supporting a smooth and efficient process for the school and for the applicants ● Fair and transparent: supporting an ethically sound process. Our admissions team values diversity and inclusion towards a just and equitable admissions process. We believe a diverse and inclusive school community enriches and fosters a safe learning environment. ● Compassionate: supporting consideration and empathy for the applicants as individual people/families

Admissions (Organizational Structure) ● Head of School (HoS): liaises with the Board, supports the admissions, assessment, enrollment, and re-enrollment processes from afar and as per the lead of the Admission/Enrollment Department; confers regarding the composition of the grade/class/school community (as supported by Strategic/Board level directions); determines final decision of admissions offers; supports revisions in admissions procedures and guidelines. ● Admissions and Enrollment Director: directs and implements admissions, enrollment and re-enrollment functions, enrollment management, in keeping with the school’s mission, vision and values, and the goals and objectives established by the Head of School and Board of Governors and as outlined in the Enrollment Management Plan ● Admissions Manager: directs management of files and administrative coordination of the admissions process from inquiry through enrollment, re-enrollment, onboarding, and offboarding of students and families. Supports Director of Admission & Enrollment in all aspects of enrollment management. ● Admissions Assessment Team: is composed of all teaching faculty, Divisional Principal(s), other Directors and Advancement team members; works with the Admission Manager/Director to facilitate and implement assessments; completes documentation to support applicant assessment; facilitates interviews; works with the Admissions Manager/Director to develop and update tools/instruments/strategies for assessment. The composition and duties of the team vary depending on division, grade and type of assessment: in-person group; in-person individual; virtual; rolling admissions.

● Inclusive Education Team: supports with the appropriate adaptations/accommodations as needed to allow for a ‘fair’ process and consideration; supports the admissions process by reviewing applicant coursework to determine course equivalencies; supports the admissions assessment and review processes and provides feedback on support needs.

● Admissions Review Committee: reviews applicant files; provides feedback and recommendations. The composition of the review committee consists of the Director, Admissions & Enrollment, Divisional Principals and may include the Inclusive Education Team and Coordinators/teachers.

Criteria: The Brockton Fit Student/Family Throughout the admissions process, Brockton School seeks to support a fair and efficient process that establishes a solid fit of the child/family with the school and, similarly, the school with the child/family. Through tours, Open Houses, information sessions, assessments and interviews, efforts are made to help students and families fully understand the Brockton School vision, mission, offerings, benefits, and limitations, such that an informed process can be adopted. Brockton aims to select students and families for admissions who: ● have the potential to succeed within the high standards and broad supports of the school ● will be able to contribute their own unique gifts to the school community ● understand and are interested in participating within the IB programme and all that it provides/demands ● are interested in the many benefits of the small school environment where each student and family with their respective needs are acknowledged ● are interested in an authentic school environment where the focus on the student and on learning is priority ● appreciate the essence of an inclusive school environment where the diversity of the community (socio-economic, cultural, and much more) is welcomed and supported A family’s financial situation is not a consideration prior to an offer of admission. For the purposes of entry, applicants' ages are calculated according to British Columbia’s customs. The school does not rigidly apply the December 31st birthday watershed for determining the applicant's eligibility for entry, but an applicant whose birthday falls after December 31st, in the year of entry, will need to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the school that he/she is of sufficient maturity to cope with the academic and social demands of the school. Occasionally, an applicant may have fallen behind in his/her education due to illness, time spent abroad, deficiencies in his/her current academic programme, etc. In such a case, the school may offer a place in a year lower than the applicant's age would normally imply. Occasionally, the school may also offer an outstanding applicant a place in a year ahead of his/her chronological age group. Parents or guardians will be consulted before such an offer is made, but the decision as to the appropriate year for the applicant, taking into account all the relevant circumstances, is a matter for the Director of the Division and the Head of School, whose decision is final.

Admissions Cycle Brockton School has a rolling admissions process for openings in the current school year, meaning that the school accepts applications throughout the year. Seats for Brockton-ready students are filled progressively. For classes that are/become full, Brockton-ready students will be placed in a wait-pool for future consideration (should a seats/sections open up).

2027 - 2028 SCHOOL YEAR Junior Kindergarten And Kindergarten

Recommended Deadline Jan 15, 2027

Grades 1 -5

Recommended Deadline Jan 15, 2027

Grades 6 -11

Recommended Deadline: Jan 15, 2027

Grade 12 applicants will be considered based on the potential fulfillment of the BC Graduation Program. After these dates, applications will be considered on a rolling basis. All applicants who meet application deadlines will be invited to sit an assessment. Candidates will be contacted for a family/personal interview.

Admissions Processes Steps Grade dependent, the following steps describe the admissions process. Step 1: Family engages in learning about Brockton. ● Families engage in website research and Open Houses and tours are held throughout the year. Prospective applicants and their parents or guardians are encouraged to attend one or more of our Open Houses or arrange a visit to the school or Discovery call.

Step 2: Application (with supporting documents) ● Parents or guardians of applicants must complete the online application form and pay the non-refundable application fee. All pertinent supporting documentation should be sent to the 6

school in order to complete the application. Families with completed applications, and whose child meets the Admissions Department’s base academic criteria, will be invited to come to the school to sit for an assessment. *At the time of application and prior to the date of assessment, as mentioned above, applicants are required to provide the school with all relevant information and documentation pertaining to prior educational achievement. It is critical that any disability, behavioural, or special educational needs (as documented in a Psychoeducational Assessment, for example) be provided at this time.

Step 3: Assessment/Interview All applicants must complete the assessment process as follows: ● Applicants visit the school for an assessment on a date set by the school. Individual or group assessments are conducted. (Remote assessment is available at the discretion of the Admissions Director.) ● All Senior School families/applicants are interviewed by the Admissions Director, Senior School Principal or their designate. ● All Junior School families/applicants are interviewed by the Admissions Director, Junior School Principal or their designate. ● The aim of the interviews will be to explore the family’s interest in Brockton, their goals for their children and their potential fit with Brockton’s mission, values and community. Step 4: Review & Decision An Admissions Committee will review submitted documentation, assessment results and interview notes. Based on sufficient space, academic criteria, gender balance, and class composition, a student may be admitted if: ● The school is satisfied that Brockton Fit/Family Student criteria, as previously described, have been satisfied and that the student has the potential to succeed within the high standards and broad supports of the school; ● The school, having made reasonable adjustments, has the capacity to accommodate any disability or additional needs the applicant may have.

In order to sustain community diversity, subject to assessment, where candidates demonstrate equal or similar potential fit for the school, the following candidates will be given priority consideration for admission: ● siblings of current students; ● children of current and new members of staff; ● and students living in the Lower Mainland area of Vancouver or whose families are relocating to the Lower Mainland area of Vancouver. It is at the Head of School’s discretion that a space in the school is offered.

Step 5: Offer ● Letters offering places will normally be sent out within several weeks of assessment or in a wait pool. ● Parents or guardians will be asked to accept the offer by completing the contract and paying 7

the new student fee and deposit within the time specified in the offer. If an offer has been declined, the place may be offered to another applicant without further notice. ● Letters will be sent out to those parents or guardians whose child has not been offered a place and to those who have met the admissions criteria, but whose name has been placed in a wait pool. If a space becomes available, families in the wait pool are given priority based on a number of factors, including our goal of achieving gender balance and diversity in student interests and learning styles. Step 6: Enrollment/Registration ● An applicant will not be permitted to commence classes at the school until all financial obligations, including payment of tuition and the Brockton Bond Deposit, and all other requirements of the enrollment contract have been satisfied. ● Once completed documents and fees are received, new families will be onboarded to ensure integration into the school community.

Tools/Instruments/Strategies Tools/Instruments/Strategies are reviewed regularly by the admissions team in order to ensure an appropriate connection to the standards and expectations of the school and programmes. Admissions team members work with faculty and staff, as well as make use of best practices in the field, in order to establish the best in-house tools/instruments/strategies for authentic assessments. Consideration for admissions will take into account developmental milestones, social-emotional readiness, parent/child relationship and the student’s potential for success and fulfillment within the education framework and unique composition of the grade/class.

External Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten For Junior Kindergarten (4 as of December 31st) and Kindergarten (5 as of December 31st), specific group assessment sessions are scheduled in December/January. On the assessment date, candidates will meet with the Early Learning teachers in a group, individual or remote setting as determined by the Director of Admissions.

Internal Admission Kindergarten: JK students usually progress into the Kindergarten Programme. Kindergarten formative readiness assessments/observations for Brockton JK students are conducted by Early Learning Years staff, and final recommendations are made by the Early Learning Years Coordinator. These spaces are offered first and must be secured with a non-refundable tuition deposit by a specified date. If these deposits are not received by this date, the space may be offered to another student.

Grades 1-5 Candidates will be invited for an assessment in a group, individual or remote setting as determined by the Director of Admissions. The in-house assessment is designed by our admissions assessment team to assess students' academic abilities as well as their social-emotional, communication, and collaborative skills. Consideration for admission to grades 1-5 will take into account the student’s potential for success and fulfillment within the PYP framework and within the unique composition of the grade/class.

Grades 6-10 MYP Internal Admission Successful completion of the PYP exhibition gains the student admission into the IB MYP. External Admission Candidates will be invited to either an individual or group assessment. The assessment is designed to assess students on their academic and skill potential as well as their self-management, social-emotional, communication, and collaborative skills. Consideration for admission to grades 6-10 will take into account the student’s potential for success and fulfillment within the MYP framework. Additionally, considerations will be made regarding the specific composition of the grade/class.

Graduation Years: Grade 11 -12 The graduation years mark the end of the MYP and the transition to graduation. Students at Brockton currently have four pathways to Graduation: ○ IB Diploma Programme (IBDP): The Brockton IB Diploma Programme invites all students aged 16-19 (grades 11 and 12) who wish to partake in this inquiry-based program. ○ IB Career-Related Programme (IBCP): The Brockton IB Diploma Programme invites all students aged 16-19 (grades 11 and 12) who wish to partake in this inquiry-based program. ○ Hybrid of BC Dogwood Diploma with selected IB courses ○ BC Dogwood Diploma As a continuum school, Brockton’s Diploma and Career-Related Programmes build on the strong foundations set by the Primary Years Programme (JK-Grade 5) and MYP years (Grade 6-10). However, students may join the Diploma Programme or Career-Related Programme without having had prior exposure to the PYP and MYP. Internal Admissions to IBDP, IBCP, or BC Dogwood programmes Students are authentically counselled as to a suitable graduation pathway that takes into account the student’s potential for success and fulfillment within the BC Graduation Program and/or within the IBDP or IBCP framework (for grades 11-12). Students will work with School Directors, Advisors, and Counsellors to plan an academic program that best suits the needs and aspirations of each individual student. External Admissions IBDP, IBCP, or BC Dogwood programmes 9

Candidates will be invited to either an individual or group assessment. The assessment review is designed to assess students on their academic and skill potential as well as their self-management, social-emotional, communication, and collaborative skills. Consideration for admission to grades 10-12 will take into account the student’s potential for success and fulfillment within the final year of the MYP (for grade 10 applicants) and within the BC Graduation Program and/or within the IBDP or IBCP framework (for grade 11-12 applicants). Students will work with School Directors, Advisors, and the Inclusive Education Team to plan an academic program that best suits the needs and aspirations of each individual student. Applicants are required to submit previous transcripts and course details to ensure the relevant credits are completed and meet the equivalency requirements towards the BC Graduation Program. These files will be reviewed and determined by Senior School Principals and Post Secondary Counsellor. Additional Information for applicants to the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) Applicants to Grade 11 - IBDP Year One will be assessed, taking into account the student’s strengths and passions. Applicants to Grade 12 - IBCP Year Two will discuss with the Senior School Principal and IBDP Coordinator to ensure the correct IBDP courses are or will be able to be offered at Brockton. Additionally, Year Two transfer students must complete the IBDP - Diagnostic for Transfer Students to ensure we can facilitate a smooth transition for student success. Additional Information to applicants to IB Career-Related Programme (IBCP) Applicants to Grade 11 - IBCP Year One will be assessed, taking into account the student’s strengths and passions, as well as their post-secondary pursuit intentions. Brockton will ensure that there is a strong plan to support the student’s career-related study and CP core plan. Additionally, considerations will be made regarding the specific composition of the grade/class.

SEN and Inclusion Procedures and Guide Within the admissions assessment processes, and as information is provided by families, students are supported with the appropriate adaptations/accommodations as needed to allow for a ‘fair’ process and consideration.

IB Academic Integrity Procedures and Guide Brockton School is an IB World School. We adhere to the International Baccalaureate’s expectations of academic honesty and integrity, and build this into daily life at Brockton.

Target Class Sizes & Sections: As a growing school, we aim to strategically add sections over the years. Brockton School has the following target class sections and sizes:

● ● ● ● ●

Junior Kindergarten: 2-3 sections of 6-8 students for a target of 16 or 24 students Kindergarten: two sections of 14 - 16 students Grade 1-3: two sections of 18 - 20 students Grade 4-7: two sections of 20 - 22 students Grade 8-12: two sections of 22 - 24 students

A target class size does not mean a maximum class size, although the school does recognize the value of a small class compared to a large class. Class sizes may vary depending on the candidate pool and the composition needs/desires of the respective class.

Re-enrollment Mid-January: families receive a re-enrollment package that includes Board-approved tuition and fees for the next school year, forms and guidelines for re-enrollment, and communication of a February deadline for response, deposit, and a timeline for remaining/final fees to be paid. Mid-February: families are required to meet the deadline for re-enrollment with the submission of re-enrollment forms and required deposits. Mid- May: families are required to submit the remaining required tuition and fees and/or to have arranged a pre-authorized payment plan. Families who do not follow the required processes and timelines are subject to the fees and conditions for new family/student applicants. Families who wish to withdraw their child from Brockton School will be asked to complete and sign a Withdrawal Form at the time of re-enrollment or when they have made a firm decision, whichever is earlier. Once the form is received by the Admissions Office, the Admissions Office will alert the necessary departments if mid-year and monthly after May 15. Parents of the departing student will be asked to complete a Withdrawal Form.

Fees Tuition & Fees Annually, the tuition and fees are reviewed and restated for communication to the internal and external community. Efforts are made to consider the evolving financial needs of the school within the scope of what is reasonable to families and what is competitive with peer schools. Similarly, bond details are reviewed annually in conjunction with tuition and fees. Existing tuition, fees, and bond details are posted on the website and updated as required. Policies apply to tuition and fees as well as bond payments. These are updated and governed by the Board of Directors, with implementation and regulation upheld by the Head of School and his/her staff. Policies are regularly updated and are posted on the website.

Financial Aid Annually, within the budgeting process, the amount of financial aid to be distributed is considered and established. Families wishing to pursue financial aid may apply by the deadline provided by the school. Confidentiality is held paramount. Brockton uses a third-party consultant to analyze applicant financials and to make recommendations on financial aid. A bursary committee receives and responds to confidential recommendations via the Head of School. Communication of financial aid is received through the enrollment or re-enrollment process.

Review Process

This document is reviewed annually as part of team meetings and as part of the whole school improvement plan.