Scholarships & Awards

We offer a number of Open Academic Scholarships based on performance in the College Entrance Examination. These can be worth up to half fees, and will be tenable throughout a pupil’s career in the senior school, provided the student’s efforts and behaviour remain consistent with the standard expected of scholars. The awards are based on academic merit alone and will be irrespective of income.   There is no need to make a separate application: offers will automatically be made to parents whose children come top of the field in the Entrance Examination.

Our school assisted places awarded at 11+ are called Edmund Rice Scholarships, in honour of the founder of our schools.   Although they are related to income they are also academic scholarships won on merit. They are open to pupils whose parents’ joint income is within the published scales.

As a guide, currently parents whose joint income is less than £21,537 would pay the minimum contribution of £500.00 per annum towards school fees and parents with a joint income of up to £58,900 would contribute something according to their ability to pay. Parents whose joint earnings are in excess of £58,900 would not be considered eligible for means-tested support.

These scholarships will be awarded on academic promise, taking into account examination performance, interview and primary school references.   Parents will then be asked to complete a confidential declaration of income and capital on the basis of which the final award will be made. Financial evidence will be required and the parental contribution to fees is assessed annually.

If you are likely to be eligible for one of these awards and wish to be considered, you must complete the preliminary form marked Edmund Rice Scholarships and return it at the same time as the Application Form.

The College also wishes to promote other forms of excellence, for example outstanding ability in particular areas, such as Art, Music, and Sport.   Parents should indicate this on the application form (an information leaflet is enclosed in the prospectus). It is possible for specific awards to be made in recognition of the child’s future contribution to the College in that particular sphere. Assessment will take place at the time of the Entrance Examination. The Award will be subject to student’s efforts and behaviour remaining consistent with the standard expected of scholars.

We acknowledge that the situation of families trying to make the same provision for a number of children can be a challenging one. We therefore offer Family Awards to parents with multiple children at the College as follows:

• Second child: 10% deducted from fees
• Third child: 20% deducted from fees
• Fourth child: 30% deducted from fees
• Fifth child: 40% deducted from fees

The schools have a limited budget to support parents whose personal circumstances temporarily change unpredictably and dramatically. Any such response would be very flexible and based upon an assessment of the present income and capital position of the family. Any arrangement would be reviewable every term.

Awards are also made for those wishing to enter the Sixth Form. Existing Scholars will usually retain tenure of their previous awards throughout the Sixth Form. New applicants complete an appropriate form and are then assessed in two academic subjects together with a cognitive abilities test. External candidates are also interviewed and are required to demonstrate a wider grasp of both academic and more general issues together with their motivation for study at Sixth Form and beyond.

These are awarded usually for art, music and sport although other outstanding contributions beyond the academic curriculum can be taken into account. Candidates are invited to submit evidence of excellence in their nominated field and will also be interviewed subsequently.

Please note that – in line with other independent schools – the maximum fee concession that can be offered on a non means-tested basis is a 50% fee reduction. To ensure that concessions funds are used to support those who need it the most, the combined total value of any Open Academic Scholarships, Excellence Awards and Family Awards will not exceed 50%. The only fee concessions potentially worth in excess of 50% are our School Assisted Places (Edmund Rice Scholarships), which are means-tested academic scholarships.