Student Support Services

A Positive and Supportive School Environment

At AIS–Al-Sulaimaniah, we are dedicated to the health and wellbeing of every student, which is why we offer very high levels of personal care and attention. Our teachers and staff are devoted professionals who take an interest in each student´s strengths, weaknesses, and needs with the goal of helping the student optimally participate and benefit from our rich and engaging learning environment.

As part of this commitment to our students’ wellbeing, we provide an array of services that aim to support the academic and emotional development of our students, as well as support their physical wellbeing.

Learning Support

Learning support is an essential part of the SABIS^® Educational System implemented at AIS–Al-Sulaimaniah.

Every student’s progress is monitored, and when learning gaps form, students, working together with their teachers and school administrators, can together focus their efforts on filling the gaps through additional support channels at the school.

The support is offered through:

Teacher-led Study Groups: Study groups led by a teacher, who meet to review important concepts taught in class.
Assigning Prefects & Group Leaders: Teachers may assign students important roles in the classroom that require them to be more responsible, attentive, and confident.

Support is also offered through the Academic Department of the SABIS^® Student Life Organization (SLO) at AIS–Al-Sulaimaniah, which provides:

Peer Tutoring: student-to-student tutoring sessions
Power Study Sessions: specialized groups that meet up to study for upcoming assessments together
Academic Competitions: academic-focused games that can make learning engaging and fun
On-Demand Tutoring Videos: a set of teaching videos, narrated by students and vetted by SABIS^®, explaining a variety of academic concepts

Advisory Classes

Starting from Grade 7, students at AIS–Al-Sulaimaniah have weekly advising classes designed to provide students with a safe space to discuss contemporary themes of importance to their lives.

In the earlier years, topics include peer pressure, organizational skills, personal hygiene, health and exercise, conflict resolution, problem-solving skills, time management, and exam preparation techniques.

As students reach higher classes and progress in maturity, their Advising Classes cover additional topics related to health and well-being, IT safety, cultural understanding, helping mother nature, and interview skills as well as career and university counseling.

Health & Wellness

AIS–Al-Sulaimaniah has a number of resident nurses responsible for the medical care of students during the school day. Our nurses provide care in the case of injuries and acute illness, as well as the long-term management of students with special healthcare needs. Nurses also promote health and safety at the school and are always available to respond to students’ health-related questions and concerns.

Our nursing staff is also equipped to manage urgent situations and emergencies.

University Counselling

At AIS–Al-Sulaimaniah, students are prepared to meet the admissions requirements of the most competitive universities in the Gulf, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe, the Middle and Far East, and Australia. With the support of our dedicated and highly skilled university counselor, we make sure our students have access to their universities of choice.

The SABIS^® AIS–Al-Sulaimaniah University Counselors help students:

Understand national diploma equivalence requirements
Create a superior high school résumé featuring academic achievement, extracurricular activities, etc.
Select the most suited university and navigate the college application process
Use the SABIS^® Online University Application, Common App, UCAS, OUAC, and other platforms to apply to universities in the Gulf, the USA, the UK, Canada, and Australia
Develop college application essays and personal statements
Complete application requirements (letters of recommendation, etc.)
Prepare for local exams and standardized college entrance exams including AP^®, IGCSE, AS & A Levels, SAT, TOEFL, IELTS, Qudurat, and Tahsili (GAT & SAAT)

University counseling begins in Grade 9. The AIS–Al-Sulaimaniah counselors administer general interest surveys and engage students in discussions about their career interests. These discussions lead to more detailed talks about the subjects the students may wish to study at university and the countries in which they want to study. Parents are also involved at this stage. Students are then asked to carry out guided research and discuss their findings with our counselor.

By Grade 11, students begin to become more precise about their university options. At this stage, our university counselor looks into the interests and academic performance of each student, and together with their students agree on a range of suitable universities.

At the beginning of Grade 12, AIS–Al-Sulaimaniah students begin to prepare their university applications with the assistance and close guidance of our university counselor and a variety of tools and platforms including the Common App, UCAS, OUAC, and SABIS^® UniApp. In many cases, this is an evolving process informed by each student’s academic progress and carefully monitored by the counselor.

Throughout the whole process, AIS–Al-Sulaimaniah students and their parents have ready access to the university counselor and can request an appointment at any time.