Please find answers to some of the Admissions Frequently Asked Questions:
What are the maximum class sizes?
In LF Lower School the maximum class size is up to 16 students. There is one class in each age group. The average Secondary class size is currently under 12.
Which nationalities are represented at LF?
Currently there are 24 nationalities represented at school. 80% of our students are from expat families.
What is the student turnover?
It is between 10 – 20% per annum. This means that in your child’s class of 10 you would expect 1 or 2 children to move on in any given 10-month school year period.
Where are the staff from? What is the staff turnover?
All LF teaching staff and Heads are from native English speaking countries. The majority are from the UK, however we also have staff from the USA, South Africa, Ireland and Canada. Language teachers are native speakers of their subject language (French/Russian/Chinese). A teacher’s contract is for a minimum of 2 years, and we always stimulate our teachers to stay longer than that.
Is there a space for my child?
Please, contact our admission office to check for availability. We will be able to give you the current availability as well as an estimate of future availability based on new enrolments and notifications of withdrawal.
Can I visit the school?
School visits and initial interviews are part of the application process. It is an opportunity for us to get to know you and your child and to discuss in greater detail what you are looking for and how LF might fit your child’s needs, while you can ask questions about the LF. Please, contact our Admissions by phone +7-963-976-2228 or e-mail: info@english-schol.org.uk and they will sign you up for a visit.
When planning your visit to the LF, please, have in mind that:
- If you are applying for an Early Years Group: we cannot provide child care or send your children to our classes due to our Academic Excellence Policy and Safety & Health Protection requirements. Please, make other arrangements for your yearly age children, so we may focus all of our attention on you and your application to the LF.
- All school visits and interview appointments are done on Mondays through Fridays after 3 pm not to interrupt the learning process of our students.
- If this time is not suitable for your family, we will do our best to schedule your interview at another convenient time but we cannot guarantee that a school tour will be possible on the day of your visit. In such a case, you will be able to tour the school during a probation day of your child.
- Should after the initial interviews both parties be happy to proceed with the application, your child will be offered to come for a probation day. The probation day fee is 10,000 rubles, however, if your child is enrolled, this amount will be deducted from your tuition fees.
What is the policy in placement according to age?
In the UK children normally start Year 1 when they are aged 5. This is earlier than in many countries. We normally place students in the appropriate (British) Year group according to their age. This means students aged 5 before the start of the year join Year 1, those aged 6 join Year 2, etc.
The children of 3-5 years of age who require EAL (English as a Second Language) support, can join our Preparatory English Immersion Programme. This is an equivalent of a Nursery/Reception class with a keen focus on the English language development skills. While it is possible for these children to join the mainstream in Year 1 or later, this is at the discretion of the school and pupils will be assessed accordingly at entry.
For children joining us from different educational systems we will make a recommendation on placement based on the information provided by parents, such as recent school reports and our internal assessment. We are happy to discuss placement with prospective parents and may also contact a child’s current school as part of the process.
We will always make a recommendation based on what we believe to be in the best interest of the child.
My child doesn’t speak much English. Will he/she cope?
Yes! We have 20 years of experience teaching children in English. It is not possible to say how long it takes before a student is proficient in English as it can be anything from a few weeks to several months.
For details on EAL (English as an Additional Language) provision, please, contact the school administration: info@english-school.org.uk or +7-963-976-2228
Will my child have to sit an entrance test?
Le Fort is a STEM school for gifted and talented children and, as such, each student applying for admission has to take part in an English and Maths tests and/or an oral interview.
All students applying to enter Year 1 – 4 will have an interview which consists of a casual conversation about their previous school, learning, and what they are interested in. We may also ask your child a few critical thinking questions designed specifically to show us how they think. Preparing your child for the interview is neither necessary nor recommended.
All students applying to enter Year 5 and above must take either a language assessment (non-native English speakers) and maths or maths and literature assessments (native English speakers) before starting at LF.
Students applying to join the A-Levels programme are required to pass a necessary number of GCSE exams (or recognised equivalent).
How can I reserve a place?
A signed contract and an entrance fee are required to guarantee the placement. Please, contact the school administration info@english-school.org.org.uk
What is necessary to enrol at LF?
- A completed Registration Form and a signed Contract with the school;
- Copies of the parents’ and child’s passports;
- Transcripts from a previous school (if applicable);
- A signed Policy form (Parents’ Handbook);
- A copy of student’s medical insurance;
- Entrance and tuition fees
Do you offer bus transport?
Yes, we cooperate with a professional transport company who specialises on bus services for schools. The routes are worked out with the idea to provide a “door-to-door” service. The bus service can be arranged from any Moscow district and surrounding areas.
Where do LF students generally live in Moscow?
Most families attending the LF live in the city centre, e.g., Taganka, Arbat, Kurskaja, Paveletskaja, Tsvetnoy boulvar. Chisty Prudy, Zamoskvorechie, and Ostozenka. Some families choose to live in Sokolniki, which is just a 5 minutes’ drive to school or Kutuzov prospect then it takes up to 30 minutes to get to the school in the morning.
All the central areas of Moscow are very convenient to commute to the School and in average it doesn’t take more than 20 minutes by car/minibus to get to the school from either of these areas.
Do you offer scholarships?
No, we don’t have scholarships.
My child is starting during the school year but I wish to pay yearly. Is this possible?
Yes, you can still choose the annual rate of tuition fee even if your child is not starting at the beginning of the year. We will calculate the tuition fees on a pro rata basis on the number of weeks they will attend in the initial school year.
Do you offer accommodation?
No, there is no boarding facility at LF.
Can you help with a student visa for your student?
No, as a school LF is unable to support a student visa for students. School students come to Russia on their parents' visa
How should we prepare my child for the first day at LF?
We provide all of the educational materials that your child will need throughout their time at school. We will send you a (short) list of practical items that your child will need to bring on the first day. You will need to buy the uniform and a PE kit from the school office and, if appropriate, arrange the dance kit (for Primary School children) (all can be arranged on the first day of school).
Of course, the most important thing is to reassure your child that our teachers and children are very used to welcoming new students to the class!
How to apply
Applications to the international Le Fort School of Science are accepted all year round and students often start during the course of the school year. There is no deadline for applications.
Contact our Admissions Office by phone: +7963-976-2228 or via an e-mail: info@english-school.org.uk
Before starting at LF
You will receive all of the practical information that you need for your child to start school by email. You will also receive an information pack by post where possible.
Finally, we understand that relocating a family and starting a new school can be an administrative challenge! Where possible we will be flexible with the above procedure. Please, just contact the admissions office if you have any questions.