Admission Requirements
Choosing a school is an important decision in a child's and parent's life. We are here to help and answer any questions you might have.
We currently welcome enquiries of students for our Nursery, Junior and Senior School.
Our programmes are based on the principles and practices of the International Baccalaureate. The admission requirements for the Academy's programmes, including language requirements, are outlined below.
For the Aga Khan Academy Maputo, the admissions process can be followed in either English or Portuguese.
Admission is competitive and based on student merit, regardless of a family’s ability to pay. The Academy endeavours to meet the demonstrated financial need of each admitted student.
Nursery School
Kindergarten 1, 2 and 3: Early Years Programme
Students entering Kindergarten 1 must be 3 years of age by the 31st of August of the year of entry.
All prospective students must demonstrate the potential for high achievement. Each applicant will participate in a variety of assessment exercises.
Students may enter the nursery section without a strong prior knowledge of one of the languages of instruction, English or Portuguese.
Junior School
Grades 1–5: Primary Years Programme (PYP)
Students entering Grade 1 will ideally have completed at least three years of nursery school and must be 6 years of age by the 31st of August of the year of entry.
All prospective students must demonstrate a potential for high academic achievement and competency in literacy and numeracy. Each applicant will participate in a variety of assessment exercises.
Students may enter the first three years of the PYP without a strong prior knowledge of one of the languages of instruction, English or Portuguese. However, in the last three years of the PYP, students must have a basic level of proficiency in both languages before they may be admitted.
Senior School
Grades 6–10: Middle Years Programme (MYP)
All students applying for a place in the Senior School must have attained high scholastic achievement in their former educational institutions. They must also demonstrate a keen interest and participation in community service projects outside the classroom and/or extracurricular activities such as sporting activities, clubs, arts and music.
All prospective students must demonstrate a potential for high academic achievement and competency in literacy and numeracy at the school in addition to providing past student grade reports and certificates of achievement.
Grades 11–12: Diploma Programme (DP)
Applicants for the Diploma Programme must have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement as well as a record of active involvement in extracurricular and community service activities.
New students will not be accepted in the year of the Diploma exam
Applying to the Academy
For further information about admissions, please contact admissions.maputo@agakhanacademies.org.
Happiness Saturday - 14 November 2015
A gallery of pictures from Children's Day celebrations on 14th November 2015.
Lucy Mwandawiro: The inspiring chemist
Mrs Mwandawiro is a proud to be Kenyan. She studied at Kenyatta University where she was able to earn a degree in education. “I was so excited once I graduated and earned my degree,” stated Mrs Mwandawiro. In addition to her Bachelor of Education in science, she also holds a degree in environmental chemistry from the University of Nairobi.
Before coming to the Academy, Mrs Mwandawiro taught at the Jaffery Academy in both Nairobi and Mombasa. She was also involved in the government schools as she worked in the Teacher Service Commission. She became one of the faculty members at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa 10 years ago. “This is my 11th year and I am proud to be a teacher,” she says emphatically. Although Mrs Mwandawiro had been considering teaching since her college days, she was not always sure that it was the career for her. However, over time she came to enjoy teaching. She explains that teaching is a career which comes with many rewarding aspects. For Mrs Mwandawiro, the most satisfaction comes from when students understand what is being taught. She says, “It is just so rewarding seeing a concept change from hard to easy for a student.” She also says that “another rewarding aspect of being a chemistry teacher is when students link chemistry to their everyday life.”
Mrs Mwandawiro is also a dorm parent in the residential programme at the Academy. In her opinion, the residence has an atmosphere where students nurture good habits, develop independence and set high standards for themselves. In addition, she says that “the residences are a wonderful way to let students from different parts of the world bond together and learn from each other’s cultures.”
Mrs Mwandawiro appreciates the opportunities for professional development at the Academy. “I learned different and effective ways to approach teaching and learning that were friendlier to my students. I like the way the Academy believes that teachers are still learning.”
In addition, she cites the values system informed by the Aga Khan Curricular Strands that make the Academy unique as we strive to be ethical people who respect and accommodate others who are different from us.
Mrs Mwandawiro has been an encouraging teacher at the Academy for 11 years now and has inspired many students. With a Bachelor of Education in science, she has helped many students in the Middle Years and Diploma Programmes, as well as those beyond the Academy. Through her experiences at the Academy, she has learnt and helped others learn as well.
30 November 2016
By Sara Alidina, year 8 (The Reporters)
Photo by Saher Budhwani, year 7 (The Reporters)
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Educational Philosophy
Education is a creative, joyful process that engenders hope and curiosity. Through a diverse and rigorous curriculum, the Aga Khan Academies strive for the development of the whole person. Academies students will be able to contribute to and positively influence their communities. Through academic, athletic and artistic pursuits, they become lifelong learners and leaders.
Education is most relevant and inspiring when it connects young people to the world around them. By encouraging students to think flexibly and to connect their learning to real issues, the Academies build curiosity, compassion and a desire to make a difference.
The programmes of the International Baccalaureate curriculum have therefore been adapted to the specific environment of each Academy, with students developing a deep grounding in their local context alongside learning about relevant international issues and ideas.
An Academies education engenders a pluralistic and ethical approach to life and leadership.
Diverse educational experiences mean that students develop the willingness to embrace difference, and to learn from it. From the very youngest years, everyone works together to develop a sense of civic responsibility and service.
All students are encouraged to use their understanding and skills to take meaningful and sustainable action that makes a real difference to the lives of others.
"...above all, it is my hope that these schools will stimulate creativity, intellectual curiosity and honest inquiry so that their students can adapt and thrive in a world of rapid change; can make informed judgements on life’s daily challenges, and place those judgements in an ethical framework."
Junior School Open House – 10am to 2pm, Saturday 19th January 2019
We welcome PYP parents to visit the Academy for a chance to observe classes, engage with the principal, and tour the campus. Call 07893533933 to RSVP.
Children Dare to Dream Big
Video by AFD – Agence Française de Développement about how children at the Aga Khan Academy Maputo "Dare to Dream Big" in their new school facilities. The Aga Khan Academy in Maputo, Mozambique has been growing since it opened its doors in 2013. The second phase extension was completed in early 2018 and included bigger classrooms, extended outdoor play areas, a library, an art room and a science lab.
Senior School announcement…A change in daily routine
Academy Senior School day students are asked to register directly with their respective classes immediately on arrival at The Academy. Snacks will be provided at break as part of The Academy’s commitment to wellbeing.
Taniya Dharani - alumna returned as visual arts fellow
“The Academy has made me the person I am today,” she says. “I wanted to give back to the Academy what it has given me.” After graduating from the Diploma Programme, Taniya went on to pick up a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Reading, England. In her current role at the Academy, Taniya wants to help visual arts students prepare for university level art courses. It’s also on her agenda to introduce art students to careers in their field that they might not have considered.
“I want to help give our Diploma Programme art students theoretical practice that will be useful at university,” she says. “I also want to help visual art students understand what opportunities the art world outside holds for them; artistic pathways they can opt for including business and law options in sectors that not everyone is aware of.”
Though she has her task laid out in front of her, returning to the Academy in her new role is understandably strange for Taniya. “I still feel like a student at heart,” she says. “But I’ve learnt to act like a teacher and take responsibilities.” Taniya understands that her experience as a student at the Academy puts her in a unique place of understanding in her current role as teacher. “I feel privileged to have the opportunity to see Academy life from a different light this time. Now I understand the day to day challenges teachers face, as well as the hardships of student life.”
Taniya fondly remembers her time as a student at the Academy. When she graduated, Taniya was the only student in the visual arts department. “I really enjoyed visual arts in school. Being the only student, I had the entire art studio and Ms. Meenakshi to myself.” She is referring to Meenakshi Joshi, who is now MYP coordinator in the Senior School. She also remembers history classes with Koel Ray, and service opportunities at old age homes and government schools that taught her humility and empathy.
However, her most cherished memory at the Academy is meeting His Highness the Aga Khan. At the inauguration ceremony of the Academy in 2014, Taniya had the opportunity to show and discuss her art work with HH. “It was the most precious gift that I ever received and a memory that has helped me hold onto my passion.”
In her personal life, Taniya cites her father as her source of inspiration. It is a common trope that parents discourage their children from pursuing a career in the arts, but this wasn’t the case for Taniya. “Despite people not understanding my passion for painting, he [Taniya’s father] always stood by me and helped me achieve my goals,” she says. Taniya is also proud of her father’s efforts in community service and the life he has led. “His struggles and achievements inspire me. It makes me want to do great things.”
“Growing up I realised that the only thing that ignited a fire in me was holding a paintbrush in my hands and dropping paint all over my clothes. It made me feel like all is well in my world, even when almost everything in life was falling apart.” Taniya is in some ways a time capsule from the Academy’s early years, and like a time capsule, she reminds us of things that have changed, and also about the things that have remained the same.
Written by Ajay Sundaram
Book Day @ Academy Junior School - Thursday 2nd March 2017
Celebrating the magic of books with a character parade at 8:30am at the Amphitheatre, followed by buddy reading sessions and other activities surrounding storytelling.
Video: International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2021
