Frequently Asked Questions – Kosice International School
How can I set up an appointment or speak with the Admissions Officer?
Please either call Ms. Alexandra Blaasova +421 907 976 444 or register your expression of interest using Pre-Admission Form. You can find us in quiet and green suburb Košická Nová Ves at Poľná St., 10 minutes drive from city centre.
What curriculum does KEIS follow?
KEIS provides an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme which reflects best practice from around the world and is aligned to and corresponds with current research and thinking in primary education. KEIS is fully authorised for the IB Primary Years Programme. As and IB World School we share a common philosophy – a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that KEIS believes is important for our students.
When does the school year begin?
The new school year starts early September and ends in late June.
In which year group will my child be placed?
Candidates for admission will be placed in a year group according to their chronological age. However, as many pupils come from different countries or overseas and as school entrance ages and academic calendars differ from country to country the school reserves the right to make the placement decision based on the child’s unique background and local legal requirements.
For example, if your child is already six years old, they will be in PYP 1 (Year 1) at KEIS.
Are students receiving grades like those given in public school?
No. In order to address the individual needs of each child, our teachers utilise a wide range of teaching strategies and assessment.
Assessment at KEIS is an ongoing process of planning for differentiation and moving students to the next stage of learning. Teachers evaluate the students’ prior knowledge and experience and monitor their achievements to refine teaching.
Grades are given based on the grading scale below:
KEIS Grading Scale
| Criteria | Description |
| Excelling | Exceeding the year level expectations |
| Demonstrating | Meeting the year level expectations |
| Developing | Working towards meeting the year level expectations |
| Emerging | Needing support to meet the year level expectations |
| N/A | Not Applicable: Not covered this term/not completed |
How are students assessed?
Student assessment is a reflection of the five essential elements of the PYP.
Within these elements we provide assessed evidence through both summative and formative means. In other words:
Formative assessment is aligned with the daily teaching practice. It provides teachers with information on students’ acquisition of knowledge and understanding, how they are learning and what instructional changes need to be made in the teaching and learning process.
Summative assessment is the culminating evaluation that gives students the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned within the inquiry learning process. It gives insight on students’ understanding of the central idea, and provides information on how they have developed in the five essential elements.
Assessment strategies
KEIS educators apply a range of assessment strategies that allow them to gather evidence about student learning.
Assessment data collection is comprised of:
- Observations: focussing on teacher visual, verbal, anecdotal, photographic and video evidence on collaborative and individual learning situations
- Performance assessment: goal-directed tasks and criteria that allow students to apply various approaches to learning (ATL) skills for project and problem solving
- Selected responses: single occasion, one-dimensional tasks such as tests and quizzes
- Open-ended tasks: scenario/stimulus-based problem-solving; students are asked to provide an original response
- Peer assessment: where students provide feedback to other students about their learning
- Self assessment: the learner assesses their own work, thus developing their capacity to monitor and reflect on learning
- Formal assessments: structured, recorded assessments
- Informal assessment: when teachers and students make informed judgements and feedback about learning
How do I find out how my child is progressing in the classroom?
There are several ways for you to see and hear about your child’s academic progress in his/her grade. We use Toddleapp cloud application that connects parents with teachers, students and the whole class. The app supports student learning and proactive communication with the teacher. Parents are able to see student work, class activities, learning progress and gain an understanding of the PYP.
Every class hosts parent-teacher conferences, three-way conferences and student-led conferences throughout the year. Additionally, you will receive report cards online each semester. Parents may have the opportunity to be welcomed into learning experiences and summative assessments at various stages of a unit of inquiry.
Will my child have access to technology?
KEIS offers class iPad for every student. Students are not placed in front of technological devices for them to use individually. The teacher uses the devices to enhance teaching and learning. A blended learning approach (combining technology with real-world experiences) to planning lessons and inquiry activities is applied to support the collaborative and student-led approach to the PYP. Besides Apple Classroom, also Media Studio for school projects, Edison educational robots ad ClassVR virtual reality headsets and apps are in use at KEIS.
Is the Registration Fee refundable?
The Registration fee is a one-time payment per year to be made on confirmation of a place and is not refundable.
Do candidates for admission have to sit an entry test?
In general, student reports from previous schools provide sufficient evidence of a child’s academic level and achievements. In some cases, however, KEIS may require students to sit our entrance test.
How will my non-English speaking child manage in a school with English as the language of instruction?
KEIS provides English language support classes based on individual student needs and abilities. In the PYP, some assistance hours may be allocated to either in class or through out-of-class support. Extra short-term support is given to new students who enter the school with limited or no understanding of the languages used. Specialist language teachers support the students within normal classroom lessons, as well as one-to-one or in small groups with intensive development sessions.
The Slovak language is also a language subject taught at KEIS. We also deliver Spanish lessons from Year 3 onwards.
Where do students continue their secondary education upon leaving KEIS?
The students finishing Year 6 of primary school can continue their study on secondary school with inquiry based interdisciplinary programme offered by KEIS.
Is there a school canteen?
Yes, KEIS provides their students with healthy lunch which consists of soup, main course, salad/dessert/fruit and non-sweetened drink.
Does the school organise transport to and from school?
Yes, KEIS provides parents with morning and afternoon school shuttle bus within Kosice at extra cost.
Does the school offer an after school care programme?
Yes. KEIS offers a before and after school care programme. After school care is available Monday to Friday, starting at 7:30am and after school from 15:00 to 16:00. The after school care programme is a play-based, extra-curricular programme of social learning and activities that are uniquely designed to enhance the IB Learner Profile and Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills of the PYP.
Are there after school clubs/activities?
KEIS provides a range of extra-curricular clubs. The possibilities for after school clubs depends on the availability of suitable coaches as well as the interest of parents. Club options will be published at the beginning of each semester.
