ADMISSIONS
Admissions Process
Priority is given to brothers and sisters of current students. The remaining spaces are filled by families who have completed the admissions process.
We know this may differ from the process many schools adopt, but it aligns with one of our core values: fairness.
Intake at Dunalastair takes place twice a year. In March, for Playgroup applications and in September for available places in Pre-Kindergarten to Year 9. We understand that there may be extraordinary situations justifying admissions outside of normal intake.
General Admissions Process
The process involves four steps and is free of charge for families:
Once you have applied, you are required to participate in three activities to deepen your knowledge about the school’s curriculum and approach, to make an informed decision.
- Online Session
This involves reading a document followed by questions about the school. At the end of the activity, informed parents can decide if the school’s approach and curriculum suit their family.
- Meeting with John Mackenzie, Rector
You will be invited to a group session hosted by our Rector to explain Dunalastair´s aims and objectives. Participants are then divided into small groups working with a mediator to create scenarios and say how they think the school would act. The session closes with a debriefing on the best practices that Dunalastair would adopt. The aim of this activity is for families to identify whether Dunalastair is the kind of school they are looking for and whether the school and families are aligned in values and principles
- Open School visit
Prefects from Year 12 give a guided tour of the school, showing the facilities and answering parents’ questions.
Infant applicants effectively enter a lottery (one per gender) conducted by the School Management Team, in the presence of the Parent’s Association to verify the results of the draw.
Once available places are filled, the draw continues until the waiting list is established.
Applicants effectively from Year 1 to Year 9, ones they have finished their interviews and tests, depending on their age, will be selected in based on the results and available vacancies.
Each family receives an individual email with the result of their application, indicating whether they obtained a place or if they are on the waiting list.
There is a deadline for paying the admission fee and signing all required documentation to confirm enrolment. Once the deadline has passed, the waiting list kicks in until all places are filled.
*Note: Families with children at Dunalastair only have to complete the admission form to guarantee entry.
Specifications Per Stage
PlayGroup
- Applications are open for 2024 (children born during 2020)
- Required documentation includes the child’s birth certificate and Kindergarten or Nursery report
Prekinder to Year 6
- Required documentation includes birth certificate, regular pupil certificate and a personal and social development report from the child’s first school, or their Kindergarten report.
- Applicants will also be called for an assessment interview to evaluate their English language skills and determine whether they can cope with a bilingual education.
Year 7 to Year 9
- Required documentation includes birth certificate, promotion certificate 2022, their report card for the first term of the current year, and the personal and a social development report from the child’s first school
- Applicants are called for a personal interview and written exams in English, Spanish and Mathematics. The level of English must be compatible with learning different subjects in this language.
Year 10 to Year 12
- The school does not open applications from these stages, except for students from other countries, or from other schools in other cities with a high level of English.
Other pages in this section
Open School Days
The best way to experience Dunalastair is to visit us in person and experience the atmosphere in our schools.
Uniform
The official uniform of Dunalastair School is a symbol of identity for all our students.
