Sandford International School

Sandford International School is located on Shewareged Gedle Street, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It markets itself as providing quality international education in Addis Ababa. The school serves three levels: Early Years (ages 3-5), Primary (ages 5-11), and Secondary (ages 11-18).

EYFS Ages 3-5; Primary School Ages 5-11; Secondary School Ages 11-18.

The school is an international school.

Primary Curriculum uses English as the language of instruction, with Amharic and French classes. Secondary Curriculum offers IGCSE and the IB Diploma Programme.

A dedicated teacher and teaching assistant support each primary classroom.

IGCSE Section features 17 timetabled courses with 9 examinations each year; subjects include Mathematics, English, a modern foreign language, at least one Science, and one Humanity; results surpass the world average.

Over 90% of Sandford graduates attend university within one year of graduation; most go to universities in the United States and United Kingdom. Destination universities include Bentley University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Santa Clara University, Goldsmiths, University of London, Addis Ababa University, and Carnegie Mellon University-Qatar, among others.

Sandford International School provides pastoral care that supports students' emotional and social development alongside academics. The pastoral care team comprises experienced counselors who offer confidential one-on-one counseling. They also run group counseling to address issues such as stress, anxiety, and peer pressure. The team collaborates with teachers and parents to identify students who may be struggling and to provide timely support. The school runs a peer mentoring program where older students support younger students, helping to foster a caring and inclusive community. Overall, the pastoral care program contributes to the holistic development and well-being of students.

The PSHE program covers topics such as healthy living, relationships, personal safety, financial management, and global citizenship. It is taught by experienced teachers using a variety of teaching methods and is supported by extracurricular activities to reinforce the program. The program aims to promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being and to enable students to become responsible, engaged members of the wider community. Wellbeing provisions include confidential one-on-one counseling and group counseling as part of the pastoral care offering. Students are encouraged to speak up and report issues to ensure timely intervention. The school's wellbeing and safeguarding efforts work together to support mental health across the year groups.

Sandford is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children; child protection lies at the core of all we do. The safeguarding framework includes a dedicated pastoral care team, site security measures, and formal reporting channels for safeguarding concerns. There are safeguarding and bullying reporting forms available for use by students, staff, and families. The school emphasizes partnerships with families to achieve child safety. Site security measures include uniformed guards, a 24/7 CCTV system, staff sign-in with face recognition, and gate passes for visitors. All community members are expected to uphold equality and reject discrimination.

1. Submit an online application. Sandford uses an interactive online Application Form as the standard method of applying for international admissions. The application has a nonrefundable fee of 2,000 birr for Ethiopian applicants or 50 USD for international applicants. The Admissions Department acknowledges receipt of the application immediately and posts the names and grades of applicants to ensure transparency. 2. Prepare and submit required documents. Before admission, the following must be submitted: the Signed Student Application Form with a passport photo; transcripts covering two complete years (in English or with translations); school testimonials of good conduct; parents' documents (passports, work permit and residency/visa); and vaccination cards. The Admissions Committee may request additional documents and may conduct interviews or school visits as needed. 3. Undergo assessments. For Nursery, Reception and Year 1, an EYFS assessment/observation is conducted by the Primary School; for other years, CAT4 tests are administered by the Admissions Committee. CAT4 targets include Verbal, Non-Verbal, Quantitative and Spatial reasoning, with CAT4 scores above 100 (Stanine 5) used in decision-making. 4. Admissions decision and timelines. Applications are reviewed weekly by the Admissions Committee, and a decision is typically issued within five days of a completed application. The Admissions Committee's decision is usually final, though an appeal may be considered in exceptional cases. 5. Admission categories and priority. Students are categorized as National, International, Staff or Scholarship; National parents cannot gain a place merely by paying fees. There is allocated space balancing between international and national admissions, and the Board of Governors may admit up to five students per year under certain conditions (e.g., government or school contribution) but only if space and CAT4 criteria permit. 6. Lottery and waiting lists. National Nursery and Year 1 admissions are through a Lottery system or sibling placements; international spaces are reserved where available. If no immediate vacancy exists, applicants may be placed on a Waiting List (and cannot be CAT4 tested until a vacancy appears). 7. Registration and induction. An accepted applicant's place is guaranteed only after a completed Enrollment Contract, the Registration Fee, and any required contracts are received and the remainder of tuition is invoiced. A formal re-registration process occurs annually in May/June with a Registration Contract and Deposit due by the stated deadline. Successful applicants complete an induction program, and new student files are handed to the relevant school offices with orientation procedures to follow. 8. Follow-up procedures. Before the start of the school year, new student files are reviewed by the appropriate year and there is an orientation session for new Primary students (Nursery–Year 6) to ensure a smooth transition.

Scholarships are offered for admission to Sandford International School. A scholarship opportunity is available for Year 7 entrants (as announced for 2024/25), with up to twenty places per year; Ethiopian nationals in government schools are eligible, must be nominated by their current school, and must meet criteria including a high Year 6 national exam score, an entrance examination in English and Maths, a CAT4 test, excellent behavior and attendance, consistent prior performance, and a suitable age (eleven to thirteen) at entry. Government schools are notified of this opportunity, and nominations proceed to a scholarship committee for evaluation. In addition, scholarships may be awarded to new Secondary-level students based on policy and available space, with criteria set by the Ministry of Education and the Board of Governors.

National Nursery and Year 1 admissions are via Lottery or sibling placements. If demand exceeds places, a Waiting List may be used, and applicants on the Waiting List cannot be CAT4 tested until a vacancy exists. When placed on the Waiting List, applicants receive notification by letter or email about their status. Waiting List procedures and lottery-related appendices are described in the admissions policy.