Preparatory department

 

Rules of enrolling in preparatory departments in Poznań

 

There are six preparatory departments for foreign students residing in Poznań, located in following schools:

1. Zespół Szkolno-Przedszkolny nr 12 on os. Zwycięstwa 101,
2. Szkoła Podstawowa nr 10 on ul. Bosa 9,
3. Szkoła Podstawowa nr 2 on os. Jagiellońskie 128,
4. IX Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. K. Libelta on ul. Warzywna 24,
5. XI Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. J. W. Zembrzuskich on ul. Ściegiennego 134,
6. XIV Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Kazimierza Wielkiego on os. Piastowskie 106.

 

Their purpose is to:

1. prepare foreign students to continue their education in Polish schools,
2. help them achieve satisfactory language skills in Polish (around A2 reference level in CEFR guidelines),
3. help students with inadequate knowledge of the Polish language to go to the next grade,
4. facilitate adaption of foreign students into the Polish school environment,
5. familiarize students with Polish traditions and customs,
6. support students in their intellectual and emotional growth,
7. enable them to individually broaden their knowledge of Polish language and culture,
8. motivate and support students to continue learning the language by helping them discover the benefits.

 

Procedure of admitting students to the preparatory department

Students with inadequate Polish language level are enrolled to preparatory department directly by parents, legal guardians or the headmaster of currently attended school. For successful admission, parents and/or guardians’ written consent, student’s identity documents and current academic progress report are required. Based on those documents and the decision of an assessment team (consisting of two teachers and a school counsellor), the school headmaster issues a document “Postanowienie w sprawie zakwalifikowania ucznia cudzoziemskiego do oddziału przygotowawczego” (Decision for the admission of a foreign student to the preparatory department).

In case of student’s referral by the headmaster, admission to preparatory department is made in agreement with the headmaster of one of the schools listed above. Student’s previously attended school is informed of their admission to the preparatory department by its headmaster.

 

Study duration

The student attends classes in the preparatory department until the end of the ongoing school year. For instance, if the student was enrolled at the start of the school year, the study duration in the department equals to practically one school year. Then, the student either returns to their original school or joins the school where the preparatory department classes were being held.

Study duration in preparatory department can be shortened or extended (but no longer than one school year) based on student’s academic progress and needs. This decision is made by the school board on request of the student’s teachers or school counsellor, taking into consideration their language skills and progress according to the curriculum.

In particular, the decision to extend study duration in preparatory department can be motivated by an insufficient time period for the student to achieve appropriate level of Polish language and to be sufficiently prepared for standard education (for example, the student began their studies in preparatory department in February).

After finishing studying in the department, the student obtains the certificate “Zaświadczenie o ukończeniu nauki w oddziale przygotowawczym” (Certificate of graduation from preparatory department). This document confirms that the student is prepared to another grade of the corresponding school.