Admissions

QSI International School of Atyrau

With over 150 students from over 25 different nationalities, Atyrau International School is committed to providing a safe and inclusive learning environment to all our students. Admission is open to students ages 3 to 18 who are invested in learning in English language classrooms and who adhere to school’s Student Code of Conduct.

QSI International School of Atyrau maintains a new, purpose-built facility which was occupied in August 2014. The building sits on over 17 acres of land located on the outskirts of Atyrau and contains over 6,000 square meters of usable space. The site includes a full-size, artificial grass soccer field, a 400-meter all-weather track, two playground areas, and a multi-sport enclosed court. You may follow the link to have a 3D tour around the building https://app.lapentor.com/sphere/qsi-atyrau.

Quality Schools International has made considerable gains in the area of special needs with the development of a special needs policy. This policy is the foundation for our learning support framework created to serve students with mild to moderate learning challenges who may need accommodations to master the curriculum. With the support of Regional Learning Support Coordinators, on-site Learning Support Teachers, and paraprofessionals at various school locations, QSI is able to develop and support appropriate academic and/or behavioral learning plans to meet the needs of each individual student. For more information about specific learning support
services at QSI International School of Atyrau, please contact the school directly for more details.

School Calendars

2024-2025

2024-2025 events calendar

2025-2026

Ainagul Sarshalova

Registrar

ainagul-sarshalova@atyrau.qsi.org

Lyazzat Koishiyeva

Finance

lyazzat-koishiyeva@atyrau.qsi.org

QSI Mission StatementQSI Atyrau Vision

First page of the PDF file: ParentStudentHandbook

First page of the PDF file: ATRQSIInfoPacket2024-25_2

First page of the PDF file: schoolprofileAtyrau2324

Join the QSI Atyrau Community

Admissions Process

Placement

Preschool/Elementary
Our Preschool and Elementary program is for students ages 3 through 10-11. Class sizes are small with between 6 and 11 students in Pre-K classes and between 10 and 14 students in Elementary classes. Each class has two dedicated educators – a lead teacher and an assistant. Music, Art, Languages Other than English, Intensive English, Technology, and Physical Education courses are taught by specialists.

Class	Age	US Grade
3 year old	3	Preschool
4 year old	4	Preschool
5 year old	5	Preschool
6 year old	6	1st
7 year old	7	2nd
8 year old	8	3rd
9 year old	9	4th
10 year old	10	5th
11 year old	11	6th

Middle School and Secondary Program
Our Middle School is for students ages 12 and 13 . Class sizes are small with between 8 and 15 students in each class. Each subject is taught by specialist in that content area.

Class	Age	US Equivalent	UK Equivalent	Netherlands Equivalent	Kazakhstan Equivalent
12 year old	12	7th grade	Year 8	Brugklas	6th grade
13 year old	13	8th grade	Year 9	2e jaar	7th grade

Secondary Program
Our Secondary School consists of students who have successfully completed Middle School and are now on one of two diploma tracks: Advanced Placement (AP) Capstone or an American High School Diploma. Class sizes are small, with between 5 and 15 students in each class and taught by specialists in that content area..

Class	Age	US Equivalent	UK Equivalent	Netherlands Equivalent	Kazakhstan Equivalent
Secondary I	14	9th grade	Year 10 / GCSE	3e jaar	8th grade
Secondary II	15	10th grade	Year 11 / GCSE	4e jaar	9th grade
Secondary III	16	11th grade	Year 12 / A levels	5e jaar VWO	10th grade
Secondary IV	17	12th grade	Year 13 / A levels	6e jaar VWO	11th grade

Requirements for Admissions

New Student Application
A copy of passport or birth certificate
Health History Form – The information must be provided by the parents for each child attending QSI Atyrau. These records must be kept current, and any changes should be reported to the school immediately.
Emergency Information Form
Previous school records including testing (if applicable)
A one-time, 300 USD non-refundable registration fee
Student Placement

Following official admission procedures, a placement examination may be given to determine the appropriate level of instruction. The test involves reading, writing, and mathematics. Typically, students are placed according to age, with November 1 being the cut off for a particular age group. For example, a student who turns 8 before the first of November would be placed in the 8-year-old class. Occasionally, a student may be placed in a higher or lower class, based upon other circumstances, testing, teacher evaluation, and discussion with administration.

Intensive English and Placement

QSI Atyrau welcomes students with little or no English language skills enrolling at the pre-school, elementary, and middle school level. Students in need of Intensive English from 6 to 13 years old will be pulled out of the first two morning classes (Reading and Writing) to receive special tutoring. Our school’s Intensive English program follows a specially developed Intensive English program of study. When the students’ academic performance indicates that they are ready to move out of Intensive English, they will be mainstreamed back into the Reading and Writing classes.

FAQ

Is there a deadline for applying?

Are new students only accepted at the beginning of the school year?

Does my child need to be fluent in English?

Is QSI International School of Atyrau accredited and what type of diploma will my child receive?

What accommodations are made for children with special learning needs?

At our school, we believe every child can succeed, and it is the school's responsibility to give that child the opportunity for success. Children with mild to moderate learning needs often find our small class sizes, mastery learning curriculum, and supporting staff lead to success in their classrooms. Often, children in specialized "pull-out" classes in their previous school flourish in our school's programs and need little to no additional interventions. We have a Learning Support Team that will work with the school to develop an individualized plan for the students' needs.

How do I sign my student up for a lunch plan and transportation?

Does the school offer scholarships?

Class Placement

Elementary Class Placement

Early Childhood Program

Most QSI schools operate 3-year-old and 4-year-old preschool programs. Some QSI schools operate 2-year-old programs.

If a two-year-old program is available, students are allowed to enter the program if they are 2 years old on or before 1 November of the same school year. Students entering the 2-year-old program are required be toilet trained prior to admission into the program.

Elementary Class Assignments

5-year-old class students are placed with their age group, however, they are assessed for achievement in Mathematics and Literacy (Reading and Writing) at admission to the 5-year-old class program and are placed at their achievement level for these courses. Example: A 5-year-old class student achieving at the 6-year-old level in Literacy is provided 6-year-old Literacy instruction, either in the homeroom class or by moving to join the 6-year-old class for the Literacy periods. For all other classes (PE, Music, Science, etc.) the student is in class with children of his or her age level.
For the 6-year-old class through the 13-year-old class, students are assessed in Mathematics and Literacy (Reading and Writing), and are placed at achievement level for these courses. For homeroom and all other courses, students are placed by age. Example: A 7-year-old student achieving at the 8-year-old level in Literacy is provided 8-year-old Literacy instruction by joining the 8-year-old class for the Literacy periods. For all other classes the student is with the 7-year-old class.

Secondary Class Placement

Secondary Placement Procedures
Mastery learning works to address the needs of secondary students across the learning spectrum, from those who need extra support to backfill learning gaps to those who need further academic challenges. Placement is a key ingredient in meeting the individual needs of students, so placement decisions should be consistent, and based on as much evidence as possible. The more accurately secondary students are placed, the more they understand that the mastery learning system provides student-centered instruction at the appropriate level to prepare them for the future.

Initial Testing & Placement of Students 
1. Transcripts from past educational institutions are an important piece of the placement decision, but they don’t always give the complete picture of a student’s academic background. It is possible for a student to have completed a course within another school system without mastering the material. Similarly, the student may have already mastered much of the learning that takes place in a course without officially earning credit. 

2. Testing, especially to determine a baseline level in English and Mathematics, is an important part of the decision for placement. Testing in other subjects may also be necessary, especially for placement in courses with prerequisites. To help determine a new student’s achievement level, the following may be administered as appropriate:

Measures of Academic Progress (MAP).
Assessments from prerequisite courses, even if past transcripts show the student has completed the course. 
Writing sample: Student responds to a writing prompt.
End-of-year assessments. 
Other assessments that help with the placement decision.

3. Homeroom assignment should be based on the following:

Fewer than 50 credits: Secondary I
Minimum of 50 credits: Secondary II
Minimum of 100 credits: Secondary III
Minimum of 150 credits: Secondary IV

4. Further testing may be necessary if a student is performing so well on the assessments that they are showing mastery of material found in courses for which they have not yet received credit. To credit the past learning and place the student appropriately, the student may take unit tests within a subject to earn the units of study. For example, a student who has never taken Algebra, but shows readiness for Geometry and/or Advanced Mathematics I, may take the 10 unit tests for Algebra to earn 10 Algebra credits.

5. Meet with the student to determine strengths, weaknesses, interests, needs, and developmental level.

6. Discuss with parents the academic, social, and emotional strengths and needs of the student.

7. Determine placement, create a graduation plan, and meet with parents to discuss the initial graduation plan. Placement will be based on the best professional judgment of the school’s placement team; the team will be flexible and willing to adjust student placement as needed. The team should include teachers and school administrators. Explain to parents why the placement and graduation plan determined by the placement team are in the best interests of the student.

QSI Policy for Class Placement by Age

In all QSI schools students are assigned to classes according to their birthdays. QSI classes do not use the traditional American terms of pre-school, kindergarten, first grade, fourth grade, sophomore, senior, etc. For elementary classes the terms used are four-year-old class, five-year-old class, six-year-old class, nine-year-old class, Secondary II, Secondary IV, etc., respectively.
Normally a student is assigned to the eight-year-old class if he has completed eight years before the first of November.
Students born in November or December would normally be placed in a class where they would tend to be the oldest students in the class. Thus a student who completes eight years of age in November or December would be placed in the seven-year-old class.
Exceptions may be made for November or December birthdays, in consultation with teachers and parents, to assign student with a November or December birthday to a class where they would tend to be the youngest students in the class.
Any exceptions can only be made through a meeting of the school Director, Director of Instruction, Teacher or Teachers involved, Counselor or Resource Teacher, and Parent or Parents. If an exception is made (either to place above or below age level), the meeting must be documented.
Secondary-age students are placed into the Secondary I class by age (14 years old by 1 November), but some may yet be engaged in mostly elementary outcomes. Progress through the Secondary levels is determined at the beginning of each school year by the number of credits attained (a minimum of 50 for Secondary II, 100 for Secondary III, and 150 for Secondary IV). A student normally in the 13-year-old class may in some cases be assigned to the Secondary I class if he or she is engaged in all Secondary courses.

Student Admissions Policy

The schools of  Quality Schools International  (QSI) have been founded in order to provide a quality English medium, North American, international education for expatriates. Local citizens who want their children to be educated in English are also accepted. Admissions to QSI schools are aligned to the QSI mission, vision, and values.

English Language Requirements

QSI schools accept students with no previous experience with English from preschool through 13-year-old class (US Grade 8).
Secondary students must demonstrate increasing levels of language proficiency, as determined by an English language assessment administered at the schools.
Older students with little or no English experience may expect to spend additional years enrolled in Secondary in order to graduate with a QSI diploma.

Special Needs

QSI admits students with limited learning needs, challenges, or disabilities once it has been determined that the student can succeed at the school.
For students with moderate to severe disabilities, the school will review additional information including evaluations, reports, IEPs, or school referrals required to help the school assess whether a program can be provided to meet the academic needs of the applicant.
Students identified with challenges the school is unable to effectively address can be denied admission to the school.