Azerbaijan British College

Located in Baku, Azerbaijan. Address: 67 Mikayil Aliyev Street, AZ1096, Baku, Azerbaijan. The campus is accessible from central areas of Baku via major roads and offers a private bus service that covers all areas of the city (Safe Shuttle MMC) with GPS tracking, seat belts, and an adult supervisor for Preschool and Primary routes.

Preschool (EYFS); Primary School (Year 1–6, ages 5–11); Secondary School (KS3: Years 7–8; KS4 & KS5: Years 10–13, including IGCSE and A-Level).

International, British-style through-school.

Inclusive Learning provides differentiation in lessons; English as an Additional Language support; pastoral care; an Inclusion Plan when required, coordinated by a Director of Inclusion, with involvement from external agencies if needed.

British/UK-aligned; follows the National Curriculum for England and Wales alongside Azerbaijani language and culture.

The school day runs 08:00–16:00, with Registration 08:00–08:15, eight lesson periods, a lunch break (13:00–13:45), and after-school clubs starting at 15:15.

The school bus service is run by Safe Shuttle MMC, covering all areas of Baku. Buses have seat belts, surveillance and GPS tracking; Preschool and Primary routes have an adult supervisor. Contact Mr. Emin for details (email and phone provided on site).

The curriculum is a synthesis of the UK National Curriculum and the Azerbaijan National Curriculum. Cambridge Core Curriculum is used for core subjects (English, Mathematics, Sciences) in Key Stage 2, with a Cambridge Foundation Programme that includes Azerbaijani language; Global Student Development enriches learning to prepare students for local and global contexts. The Cambridge Core framework also supports Checkpoint preparation in Year 6, and the curriculum is delivered alongside a broader range of subjects and learning activities across the Primary School.

Class sizes are capped at 20 students per class (EYSF and Primary School). Each class is led by one teacher and two teaching assistants, ensuring small-group support.

ABC is accredited by the Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan and approved to deliver Edexcel and Cambridge international examinations. Students have continued to achieve excellent results in Cambridge/Edexcel IGCSE and A Level examinations, enabling university placements worldwide.

ABC provides a University & Careers Coordinator who works with each student through Year 11 and beyond to support university applications. Destinations for recent cohorts include UCLA, Berkeley, Toronto, London, Brunel and Exeter; about 30% of students gained places at Russell Group universities, 40% at Ivy League institutions, and 30% at top-100 world universities.

Gifted and Talented students are identified and extended; staff provide additional challenges and targeted work so these learners can progress at their own pace.

ABC has a holistic pastoral care program focused on the academic, social, emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing of every student. Form Tutors in Secondary and Class Teachers in Primary and Preschool provide daily contact and act as the main link between school and home. A team of specialists provides additional support within the pastoral framework. PSHCE addresses personal, social, health, community and emotional education, coordinated by the PSHCE Coordinator in Primary and by Heads of Key Stages in Secondary. Student voice is supported through class representatives and dedicated Student Voice Coordinators in the Primary and Secondary stages.

Inclusive Learning ensures universal learning with differentiation in the classroom. For students needing additional help, targeted support and inclusive education plans are provided, led by a Director of Inclusion and SEN coordinators, with reviews involving parents. English as an Additional Language is identified and supported with in-class materials tailored to the learner, in-class support from staff, or English intervention sessions, and decisions require parental consent and rationale. Up to 15% of the community are identified as having learning difficulties, and inclusive practices aim to remove barriers to learning. Access provisions, such as lifts, support practical participation, and where needed external agencies may be involved to support a learner.

Information is mainly delivered in English. Additional support for EAL students is provided to enable access and improve English language skills, including in-class adaptations, in-class support, or targeted English intervention sessions. No decision on these supports is made without full parental consent and rationale.

Pastoral care includes a focus on emotional wellbeing, with daily or tutorial-time discussions to support students' moods and progress. The pastoral team and the School Counsellor are available to help students, and there are pathways to access a school psychologist and other support networks as needed.

There are designated safeguarding leads for Preschool, Primary and Secondary: Gunel Mammadli (Preschool), Gunay Huseynli (Primary), and Nargiz Mammadova (Secondary). They respond to safeguarding concerns, raise awareness of conduct, maintain confidential records and liaise with external agencies as required. Staff are trained in safeguarding policies, and a culture of open communication ensures students feel safe, heard and valued; safeguarding procedures are coordinated with SENCo and counselors to support vulnerable students.

The school accepts applications throughout the year, with the first intake after March 31. A decision on an application is not issued until all required documents have been received. The Admissions Committee aims to return a decision within 5 working days after review. Required materials include an exam fee (non-refundable); a completed Learner Application Form; the last full year transcript/school report in English or Azerbaijani or translated into English; a photocopy of the applicant's official identification document; a Medical Form; and a letter of reference. Interviews are conducted by Heads of Key Stages and decisions are made by the Heads of School based on data collected by the registrar, exams officer and interviewers, with the Admissions Committee potentially meeting for specific issues. Criteria for admission include motivation and evidence of academic progress, fluency in English or potential to develop it, good conduct, and parental commitment to ABC's vision, mission and philosophy; previous experience with the British National Curriculum can be advantageous but is not a prerequisite, though it can be critical for Year 9 and above. If a learner broadly meets the criteria but requires additional support, admission may be offered contingent on engagement in a program of extra support. Closing date for applications is 31 March; after that, available spaces are filled; learners who have passed the preceding year at ABC are automatically entitled to continue. Parents are informed of the outcome within 5 working days; if admission is not offered, there is a formal appeal process. In oversubscription situations, priority is given to current learners, followed by academic performance, siblings in the school, one or both parents working for SOCAR, other family connections in the school, and learners with social and/or medical reasons for attending. Year group placement is by age on 1 September (with possible extension to 15 September to comply with Azerbaijani regulations). EYFS and other year-specific requirements apply (e.g., nursery age and Year 1 readiness). ABC has an inclusion centre; parents must submit reports for learners with specific needs, and significant needs not supported by the school may preclude admission. After testing and interviews, acceptance is confirmed within 5 working days; if space is not available, learners are placed on a waiting list with criteria including the admission criteria, siblings in or applying to the school, gender/language balance, prior British National Curriculum/English-medium experience, and anticipated length of stay. Deferrals are possible for up to three months with notice; otherwise the applicant may re-take the entrance test. Registration requires a signed contract and a registration deposit; re-registration occurs in March with deadlines in June. Fees are described in the annual Fee Schedule. Open Days and Entrance Tests are held during the year; candidates must pass entrance tests (Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning as well as age/subject-specific tests) with results communicated within about 10 days after the closing date. Admission to Year 12 and 13 requires a minimum of 5 IGCSEs (including Mathematics, Sciences and English) at A-C with A / A or B in the subjects chosen at A-Level or related subjects; learners from ABC have automatic entry to Year 12, while external applicants must meet the same Year 11 criteria and a place must be available. The procedure assigns responsibilities to the Registrar and Registrar Assistant, the Exams Officer, Heads of Key Stages, Heads of School, and the Principal as final decision-maker.

Waiting lists exist. If an applicant is accepted but there is no space in the appropriate class, the learner is placed on a waiting list and the parents are informed. When a place becomes available, it is offered to a learner on the waiting list. Criteria used to decide which learner on the waiting list is offered a place include the admission criteria, whether a sibling is already in or applying to the school, the existing gender/language balance of the class, background/experience in a British National Curriculum/English-medium education, and the family's planned length of stay.