Admissions to the Amman Baccalaureate School

Dear Prospective Parents,

We are pleased you are considering The Amman Baccalaureate School for your family. As you visit our website, we hope you will discover the warmth, friendliness and excitement that is at the heart of our bilingual and international learning community which makes ABS the leading and pioneer International Baccalaureate (IB) School in Jordan and the region.

One of the things that makes an ABS education distinctive is the nature of our community. Although the majority of our families represent the Jordanian nationality, the vast majority of our students are fully bilingual (English / Arabic) who have been exposed to a bilingual education with an international perspective. We welcome applications from non-Arabic speaking students starting Grade 7 where students will have the opportunity to learn the Arabic language at their level. Our challenging and global curriculum prepares students to graduate with a choice of either the International Baccalaureate Diploma, International Baccalaureate Courses or International Baccalaureate Career-related Certificate at the end of Grade 12.

Admission to the school is selective and is based, as appropriate, on previous school records, academic testing, a personal interview with the applicant and his/her family, and availability of places.

Admission tests and interviews for all grades are designed to ascertain that the applicant has the skills in Mathematics and in both languages of instruction (except for International Students starting Grade 6) to allow him/her to cope with the demands of following the ABS curriculum and participating fully in the life of the school.

The school reserves the right to contact an applicant’s previous school(s) and request confidential references. Assessment and interviews are the governing factors for admission from Grade KG1.

In cases where the number of applications exceeds the places available at a given grade level, applicants are placed on a waiting list in order of date of application, with priority set as per the Admissions Department’s policies.

The admission team is ready to answer your questions about our school and to help guide you through the application process. We look forward to meeting you.

Thanks to the generosity of our esteemed Board of Trustees, members of the Baccalaureate Endowment Fund (BEF), and ABS alumni, we are able to offer various bursaries and scholarships to students who meet their criteria. The goal of the Scholarship programme is to attract high quality entrants to the school and to retain students of exceptional quality starting in Grade 8 onward. The Financial Assistance Programme is offered to existing parents only whose children have been enrolled in the school for at least one year.

Admission Applications

Primary School

• How to Apply: Applications are now submitted through our online portal. Payments can be made at our HRH Princess Sarvath El Hassan Welcome Center, Sunday – Thursday, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM during the school year.
• Application Timeline: Applications should be submitted within 3 months of your child’s birth. If a place is not available after the enrollment year, a 12-month waiting period will apply.
• Postponement: If you wish to postpone your child’s application after a seat becomes available, the postponement is valid for only one academic year.

(KG2 – Grade 6)

• Existing Waiting List: If your child is currently on our waiting list, you have a 24-month period from October 1, 2024, to secure a place. If a place is not available within this timeframe, your child will be removed from the list, and you need to re-register.

1. If you pay a registration fee of 500 JOD, 450 JOD will be refunded.
2. If you pay the new registration fee of 100 JOD, no refund applies. (effective 1/7/2024)

• New Registrations: Parents who register their child on the waiting list now will have a 12-month period to wait for an available seat. If a seat does not become available within this period, your child will be removed from the list, and you need to re-register.

Secondary School (Grades 7 – 12)

• Existing Waiting List: Students on the waiting list have a 12-month period from October 1, 2024, to secure a place. If a place does not become available within this period, the student will be removed from the list and must reapply.
• Application Window: Applications for the 2025-2026 academic year will open on November 3, 2024, and close on March 3, 2025.

If you have any questions or require further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact our Admissions Office at registrar@abs.edu.jo  or 0770444303.

Contact Admission

The International Section

The International Section at the Amman Baccalaureate School was initiated in August 2010 for students in Grades 7 – 12, who do not have the level of Arabic to cope with an ABS bilingual education but wish to benefit from the outstanding educational experience that ABS offers.

Students in the International section from Grades 7 – 10 follow the IB Middle Years Programme, which demonstrates how school subjects are inter-related and teaches students that consideration of issues and problems in their widest scope will enhance their critical thinking. The students’ ability to find acceptable solutions to a range of problems and adapt them to a variety of situations is developed through concepts and contexts that ‘provide shared starting points for inquiry into what it means to be internationally minded, framing a curriculum that promotes multilingualism, intercultural understanding and global engagement’. This holistic approach to education promotes in students the values of understanding, tolerance and respect. In consequence, adolescents are helped to grow into responsible members of a world community. The IBMYP is considered to be an excellent preparation for the IB Programmes that ABS students follow in Grades 11 and 12.

Students in the International Section at ABS in Grades 7 – 10 take the following MYP subjects: English Language and Literature; Arabic Language Acquisition; French Language Acquisition (optional for Grades 9 and 10); Spanish Language Acquisition (optional for Grades 9 and 10); Mathematics; Sciences (General Sciences for Grades 7-8); Physics, Chemistry & Biology (for Grades 9 & 10); Individuals and Societies (History and Geography); Physical and Health Education; Product Design and Digital Design; Visual Arts, Drama, and/or Music. In addition, students take the following non-MYP subject: World Religions (taught in English).

International students will be taught in English for Mathematics, Sciences, Modern Languages, Individuals and Societies, Arts, PHE and Design, but they will also be exposed to the Arabic language during their school day, apart from in their Arabic lessons.

International students will be offered intensive Arabic classes in small groups that will allow them to benefit from the ABS experience. The curriculum is tailored to suit the needs and the levels of each individual student depending on his or her current understanding of Arabic.

International Students are also welcome to join Grades 11 and 12 in the IB College, where they will study a prestigious pre-university academic programme. Although we encourage all students to study Arabic, it is not mandatory at this level as a variety of other languages are being offered.

International Section students in the IB College can study IB Arabic Ab Initio which will allow them to learn basic Arabic – reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. This course will also introduce students to Arab culture and current events.