Admissions Process

Registration for the 2024 – 2025 School Year is now open.

ISO Economic Fee Structure for 2024 – 2025
Please note that our Pre-Kindergarten 3 program will be open to students turning three (3) prior to October 31.

Contact our Community Relations Office today at cro@iso.bf, (226) 25-36-21-43 or (226) 25-36-13-50 to find out more details and register your child for the upcoming school year.

Registration Form
Admissions Policy

When new students are being considered for admission to ISO, the following procedures will be followed.

  • The Director or Elementary/Upper School Principal will interview the student and the parents.
  • The Community Relations Officer or the Receptionist will provide the parents with the application form, health form, and other information.
  • The fee structure will be discussed with the parents by the Business Office.
  • If the parents plan on enrolling the student, arrangements are made to test the student’s level of learning to assist in the placement of the child. ESOL teachers may be consulted when necessary. These screening tests cannot be scheduled until the admission form and accompanying documentation is complete and a registration fee has been paid.
  • The student’s previous records – grade or year reports, cumulative records, standardized test results, special evaluations, etc. – are examined to determine special needs and proper grade placement. Admission and grade placement decisions will be conditional until such time as the school records are submitted or forwarded to the school office.

Variation in age and grade placement is to be expected, given the wide variety of school systems and backgrounds of ISO students. The goal is to find the instructional environment that will challenge but not frustrate the student by being too easy or too difficult. Efforts will be made to keep students in a reasonable age-peer cohort.

Arrangements for fee payment are to be made prior to the child’s first day of school. Parents will be referred to the Finance Manger to make these arrangements.

Special Education
ISO welcomes all applicants, but parents should note that ISO is not adequately equipped to handle students needing special educational programs.

Students with mild academic deficiencies are accommodated in the normal stream of classes, but students with neurological disorders, severe speech impediments, or other handicaps, which ordinarily would require the services of special education classes, are not accepted at the school unless effective tutorial assistance can be contracted locally. Parents must pay for such added services.

All new and transfer students will be tested prior to admission. These tests will be conducted before school starts, if feasible. Families who are unable to be here during this time need to contact the school to make other testing arrangements. These tests are used to determine proper instructional placement and to predict the ideal level of successful study for prospective students. Final decisions about admission and grade placement are made by the administration.

Grade Placement Adjustments/Retention
The administration, in consultation with the teachers concerned, shall be responsible for the grade placement, promotion, retention, and graduation of all students.

Grade placement adjustments may be made after a careful review of the circumstances. The teacher first discusses the matter with the Director or Elementary Principal. Parents of students whose progress indicates possible retention should be notified by the end of the first semester.

In cases where warning signs emerge later in the year, it is recommended that parents be notified no later than the end of the third quarter that their child is a possible candidate for retention. Conferences are held with the parents, teachers (current grade and new grade), and the Director or Elementary Principal. The student’s case is reviewed. Efforts are made to come to a joint recommendation. All parties sign the written record. The agreed upon action is taken. This agreement becomes a portion of the student’s permanent file. The school reserves the right to make the final decision if agreement is not obtained.

Seniors New to ISO
Seniors entering ISO in the second semester of their senior year may enroll in courses. However, students must be in attendance a minimum of two semesters in order to receive a diploma from the International School of Ouagadougou. Exceptions to this rule may be granted upon appeal to the Director.
Students Dismissed From Other Schools
International School of Ouagadougou reserves the right not to grant enrollment to students who were dismissed from other schools for academic, disciplinary or other reasons. Students failing to reveal such a record at the time of enrollment will be subject to expulsion if school officials learn of the record.
End of the School Year

The following procedures shall be followed when students transfer at the end of the school year:

  1. Parents are required to provide the school with a minimum of two weeks’ notice, except for graduating seniors. Parents should request a withdrawal form from the school office.
  2. Parents will be given their withdrawal packet on the last day of the student’s enrollment.
  3. Transcripts, report cards, and refunds will not be issued if there are outstanding accounts for the student.

For student withdrawals in the middle of the school year, these procedures shall be followed:

  1. The school must be notified in writing of the student’s last day of school at least 2 (two) weeks in advance.
  2. The Finance Manager shall determine the amount of tuition refund, if any, and issue a check.
  3. All teachers will fill out a report card. It is understood that students may occasionally transfer between the established grading periods. It is important that the homeroom teacher indicate on the report card the date of transfer and the number of days completed in the semester of the school year that the student leaves. Report cards are updated and printed only at the end of each quarter. No credit (and thus grade promotion) will be given to students who depart prior to May 15. Applicable final exams must be taken before departure, and curriculum content not yet covered is the responsibility of the student. Final grades may suffer accordingly.
  4. The school administrative assistant will complete a transfer form and assemble the materials that are to be given to the parent on the last day of the student’s enrollment.
Transcripts

All semester grades that a student earns at International School of Ouagadougou will be recorded on his/her official transcript. These records will be maintained in the school’s file. Once grades are entered onto a student’s transcript, they are final. Change of grades can not take place after the completion of the semester without the consent of the Director.