The criterion for acceptance into the school is a willingness to put in the effort to achieve full potential, not high 'innate' ability. Placement into classes is determined by academic attainment, with age acting as a limiting factor. Students applying to enter Grade 1 and above must take diagnostic tests to determine placement.
Students who are found to be behind academically are rarely refused. Instead, they are offered, at an extra cost, one of several different solutions, depending on their academic needs. These may be:
Summer School: A six-week summer course offered in June, July, and August for ISC-Umm Al Quwain students at ISC-Sharjah. Students who are academically below the required standard can attend this course and often make up for academic gaps.
Special Lessons: A student found to be weak in one subject attends extra periods in that subject until the level of the class is reached.