Applying for entry
The decision to send your child or children to Stratford Hall is an important one you will want to make carefully.
The process at Stratford Hall follows these steps – Research, Application, Assessment, Decision, Registration.
Research
Independent schools focus on finding the 'best fit' for the child and family. This means that you, as a parent, must ensure the school fits your view of what a good education means. To help you find out if Stratford Hall is right for you and your child, we invite you to attend our Information Sessions, Open Houses and to visit the school. We recommend a preliminary visit with the Director of the Upper or Lower School, depending on the grade your child is entering. In the older grades, an applicant should spend some time in the class. Learn as much as you can about Stratford Hall. As you would with any school you are considering, please ask detailed questions regarding curricula and results.
Application
Submit an application package by December 31 of the year prior to your child's September entry. For entry for the 2010/2011 school year, we are still accepting applications now. The package MUST include:
1. a completed application form,
2. the $200 non-refundable application fee,
3. a reference letter (for K and grade 1 applicants) or a copy of the most recent report card (for grade 2-11 applicants), and
4. a copy of your child's proof of citizenship (i.e. birth certificate, Permanent Resident card) and CareCard.
Assessment
Stratford Hall does not use standardized tests for admission.
For kindergarten and grade 1:
We assess whether the applicant is ready for the kind of program we offer. Typically students are assessed in groups of ten. Stratford Hall teachers observe the children interacting and give them typical grade-appropriate activities to do. We look for ‘best fit’, so we do not simply take the best readers or mathematicians. We look to build a class with a range of personalities and skill levels. Parents are also interviewed by the Director of the Junior School to ensure that the fit is appropriate.
Grade 2 and above:
We give applicants work similar to that which our current students are working on to assess if the applicant is capable of working at that level. Part of the application process involves one-on-one conversations between the teacher and applicant. In addition, either the Head of School or appropriate School Director will interview the parents, again looking for fit. It is important that parents understand the school's mission statement, the International Baccalaureate mission statement, and the IB Learners Profile.
Decision
After the assessment is complete, teachers and school administrators meet to see which students best fit the IB Learners Profile. Offers are made immediately to the first group of successful applicants. If it is decided that an applicant is not a match for our program, we send a letter indicating there is no opening for that child. Those applicants who are good matches but are not accepted in the first round are placed in a waiting pool, and as openings appear new offers are made from this pool.
Registration
The final decision rests with the family to accept or decline the offer of admission over a two-week period.
Upon acceptance of the offer, there are three financial obligations; a non-refundable registration fee is required to secure the spot. This goes into the Stratford Hall Endowment Fund.
Families are required to place an Educational Investment Deposit (EID) with the school. Families pay the tuition either in full at the beginning of the school year or as outlined in the payment schedule.
All fees are identified in the section on tuition and fees.
