Bursaries & Scholarships
Bursaries and Scholarships - Application Procedures
Bursaries
Candidates for bursary-assisted places follow the same entrance procedure as all other applicants and, in the light of the School’s policy of offering places in date order of registration, a completed Registration Form should be submitted as early as possible.Bursary applications should normally be submitted prior to the 1st September in the year before a girl’s proposed date of entry into the School. However, in certain circumstances applications may be considered outside this timescale. For further information and a bursary application form please contact the School Office on admissions@stswithuns.com or 01962 835700.
Decisions regarding the allocation of bursary funds are made in October each year, but guidance as to potential eligibility may be given before this time by contacting the School Bursar on 01962 832798.
Academic Scholarships
Scholarships are awarded on the results of examinations and interviews held in January/February (11+ and 13+) and November (Sixth Form) and take effect from the following September. Prior to the assessment, the Head of the candidate’s present school will be asked for a confidential report. The exact dates each year are published on the School website.The deadline for applications is the 30th September of the year preceding the year in which the candidate is seeking to join the School.
Scholarship candidates who do not wish to be considered for entry unless they gain a bursary award, should apply to the School for a Registration Form and Bursary Application Form and follow the application procedure for Bursaries outlined in the previous section, prior to the 1st September in the year before a girl’s proposed date of entry into the School.
The level of financial support offered to academic scholars is subject to means-testing and may be up to 100% of tuition fees. Parents are asked to submit a bursary application at the time at which a scholarship is offered and this determines the level of financial support available. In addition to the means-tested awards, a maximum of two academic scholarships (up to 25% of fees) is available, to be awarded at the discretion of the Headmistress to candidates who would not qualify for means-tested support.
Applicants whose first language is not English and who are unable to attend for assessment will be required to achieve a score of at least 6.0 in the IELTS exam by the 1st March in the year of entry.
Music Scholarships
Auditions for Music awards will take place on the academic scholarship assessment day for each age groupBursaries and Scholarships - Further Information
Bursaries
Bursaries of up to 100% of school fees are available for girls who meet the School’s entrance criteria. All bursaries are subject to means-testing.Scholarships
AcademicScholarships are awarded annually to both boarders and day girls. They are available for girls entering the school into the Lower 4th Form (11+), Lower 5th Form (13+) and Sixth Form (16+). The terms 11+, 13+ and 16+ refer to the level of education and not the chronological age, eg a candidate for the 13+ forms may be under 13 years at the time of entry. Candidates should take the examination appropriate to the level at which they will be joining the school the following September. The number of scholarships awarded may vary from year to year and they are not evenly distributed between the age groups.
Scholarships are awarded for the duration of a girl’s time at the school if progress is satisfactory, but are subject to an annual review. Girls who hold an award are expected to complete their education in the school up to and including the Sixth Form.
11+ Scholarships
Scholarship candidates are selected by the school on the basis of the results of the 11+ Common Entrance Examination and the reference from their current Headteacher. The most promising candidates are invited to attend for interview as soon as is practical after the written papers have been marked, and the scholarships are awarded following this assessment.
13+ Scholarships
All candidates for 13+ entrance to the school will sit the 13+ Common Entrance Examination in January of the year of entry. Following the examinations, the most promising candidates are invited by the School at the beginning of February for interviews with the Headmistress and the Heads of English, Mathematics, Science and Modern Languages. There may also be short written or practical tests in these subjects, taken on the day of interviews. The scholarships are awarded following this assessment. Candidates who do not wish to be considered for a place unless they gain an award should apply to the school for a Scholarship/Bursary Application Form, which must be returned by September 1st of the year preceding the year in which the candidate is seeking to join the School.
13+ scholarships are also open to girls who are already in the school. Internal candidates are nominated by the School on the basis of their general progress and achievements and are interviewed on the same dates and in the same way as the candidates from other Schools.
Sixth Form Scholarships
Initial assessment is on the basis of the Sixth Form entrance examinations and a confidential report form the pupil’s current school. Candidates will take three papers, usually in their nominated A2 subjects, or, if a non-examined A2 subject is proposed, in their first choice AS subject. Examinations will not be set in Politics, History of Art and Art. Papers in Economics/Business Studies will be available for those who have previously studied these subjects at GCSE.
Past papers are not available, but the assessment is broadly based on the GCSE specifications. A confidential report from the candidate's present school will be requested prior to the examination day.
Examination papers can be sent overseas for candidates to sit under suitably invigilated conditions; in which case the papers will need to be returned to the School for marking.
Music scholarships
Music scholarships may be awarded each year to suitable applicants at 11+, 13+ and 16+. The level of financial support offered to all music scholars is subject to means-testing. Auditions are held in November (Sixth Form) and January (11+ and 13+). In addition, a number of Music Exhibitions are awarded each year to girls who show flair and enthusiasm for performing. The minimum Associated Board standard required for Music Scholarships is Grade 5 at 11+, Grade 6 at 13+ and Grade 7 at 16+ on two instruments. All candidates who are offered a music scholarship must also fulfil the School’s academic entrance requirements.Further details of all fee schemes and scholarships may be obtained from the School
(see contact page).
Fees
Fees for the academic year 2010/11 are:
Senior School:
- Boarder: £8,230 per term
- Day girl: £4,990 per term
Junior School:
- Years 3, 4, 5 and 6: £3,220 per term
- Reception, Years 1 and 2: £2,495 per term
- Nursery (mornings): £1,250 per term
- Nursery (all day): £2,495 per term
Composition Fees:
The Composition Fee scheme enables parents, grandparents, guardians or anyone else paying for a girl’s education to deposit a lump sum as payment in advance for all or part of the tuition fees. The discount (which is linked to the gilt rate) is confirmed when the scheme starts and then remains fixed for the duration of the agreement.Once a deposit has been accepted you will receive a reduction on your termly account, this is partly a return of your capital and partly the discount. You should note, however, that you will remain liable for any future increases in fees and for any extra charges incurred each term.
It is the School’s understanding that this discount is not liable for tax under present laws, provided the proceeds are not withdrawn for uses other than the funding of education. If a child fails to gain admission to the School, or is withdrawn before the end of the agreement there will be a refund equal to the proportion of the composition fee for each complete term not yet attended, less any amounts due to the School (including a term’s fees if the pupil is withdrawn without the required notice).
The scheme is very flexible and can accept a number of deposits of any size at any time before or during a girl’s time at St Swithun’s. Details are available from either the Bursar or the School Accountant and will vary according to the prevailing gilt rate but examples are:
- A payment of £25,000 will produce £4,192 a term for 6 terms (this is a discount of £152), or £2,842 for 9 terms (discount of £578).
- £4,800 a term for 6 terms is produced by a payment of £28,622 (this is a discount of £178), or for 9 terms by a payment of £42,217 (discount of £983).
- £7,915 a term for 6 terms is produced by a payment of £47,195 (this is a discount of £295), or for 9 terms by a payment of £69,614 (discount of £1,621).