Scholarships and Bursaries

NEW: GUIDE TO SCHOLARSHIPS FOR SEPTEMBER 2024 ENTRY (BROCHURE)

Please note that scholarships and bursaries are only available for pupils at the Senior School and Sixth Form

The Difference Between Scholarships and Bursaries

Both scholarships and bursaries are ways of offering pupils reduced fees. Scholarships are offered to very able pupils and bursaries are offered to pupils who can demonstrate the need for financial support (ISI - Independent Schools Council). At Ewell Castle School it is possible to apply both for a scholarship and a bursary for entry at 11+ and Sixth Form. All scholarships at Ewell Castle School (other than Year 7 academic scholarships*) must be applied for, and all bursaries must be applied for by the application deadline (see bottom of this page).

*All Year 7 pupils sitting the entrance assessments are automatically considered for an academic scholarship, hence them not having to apply for it.

September 2024 Entry into the Senior School

Candidates wishing to be considered for a Senior School academic scholarship must attend the Entrance Assessment Day on Thursday 23rd November 2023, where they will sit papers in English, Mathematics and standardised reading. Any candidate sitting the assessments on the reserve date will not be considered for scholarships.

The application deadline, including scholarships and to register an interest in receiving a bursary application pack is Friday 20th October 2023 for both 11+ and 16+ entry.
The Art, Photography and DT portfolio submission deadline is Friday 20th October 2023
Senior School Entrance Assessment Day and Scholarship Day is Thursday 23rd November 2023
Senior School Entrance Assessment reserve date is Friday 1st December 2023

Internal Ewell Castle School Candidates:

For 7+ internal candidates
Pupils applying for scholarships in Year 7 may apply for up to two scholarship subjects from Creative Arts and Sports, in addition to being automatically assessed for an Academic scholarship.

Academic: no application form is needed, these are awarded to the top performing candidates after the entrance assessments on 23rd November 2023.

Creative Arts: Art, Design and Technology (DT), Dance, Drama, and Music.

Sports: Football, Netball and Rugby. Information regarding all of these can be found on this web page. The deadline for applications is Friday 20th October 2023, please email all applications to admissions@ewellcastle.co.uk Scholarship day is Thursday 23rd November 2023. Details regarding the scholarship day will be emailed after October half term to those who apply. Please note if a Ewell Castle School Year 6 pupil is awarded a scholarship when they start at the Senior School, it remains in place until the end of Year 11. this particular scholarship does not need to be reapplied for, for Year 9, it remains in place until the end of Year 11.

For 9+ internal candidates
We offer a range of scholarships at Year 9, and internal pupils in Year 8 may apply for up to two scholarships from the following:

Academic: pupils are assessed in both English and Mathematics.

Creative Arts: Art, Design and Technology (DT), Dance, Drama, and Music.

Sports: Football, Netball and Rugby.

Information regarding all of these can be found on this web page. The deadline for applications is Friday 20th October 2023, please email all applications to admissions@ewellcastle.co.uk

Scholarship day is Thursday 23rd November 2023. Details regarding the scholarship day will be emailed after October half term to those who apply. Please note if a Ewell Castle School Year 8 pupil is already on a scholarship, this particular scholarship does not need to be reapplied for for Year 9, it remains in place until the end of Year 11.

For 16+ internal candidates - a conditional offer for a place in our Sixth Form
All our Year 11 pupils will receive a conditional offer letter for a place in our Sixth Form. The place is conditional on the following parameters: A minimum of five 9-5 GCSE grades or equivalent, including English and Mathematics. In addition, a minimum grade 6 GCSE in the subject to be followed at A-level/BTEC is expected for most subjects (or a related subject if the subject undertaken has not been previously studied). For Mathematics, the Sciences and Modern Foreign Languages, we expect a pupil to have achieved at least grade 7 at GCSE.
These offer letters will be sent out by the admissions department in late January; and at that point we will also ask for the A level option choices.
There is nothing that Ewell Castle School Year 11 pupils need to do for a conditional offer for a place in our Sixth Form.

For 16+ internal scholarship candidates
Whilst all our Year 11 pupils will receive a conditional offer letter for a place in our Sixth Form, if they wish to be considered for a scholarship, they must apply for these. The deadline for applications is: Friday October 20th 2023 and applicants for Year 12 may apply for up to two scholarships.

The following scholarships can be applied for by Ewell Castle School Year 11 pupils; Academic, Art, Dance, Design Technology, Drama, Music, Performing Arts, Photography, Sport, Tennis Academy and Cricket Academy. Information regarding all of these can be found on this web page.
Scholarship day is November 23rd and details regarding the day will be sent out to any Year 11 pupil who applies for a schlarship after October half term.

If you were not able to make our recent Sixth Form introduction evening, please email admissions@ewellcastle.co.uk for a link to the recording of the talk from Mr Ben Woolford, our Head of Sixth Form.

External Candidates:

For 11+ external candidates wishing to apply for scholarships for the Senior School, the scholarship applications must be submitted alongside an application to join the School with the registration fee of £125.00, by Friday 20th October 2023. The following scholarships can be applied for; Art, Dance, Design Technology, Drama, Music, Sport, Tennis Academy and Cricket Academy. 11+ external candidates for entry into Year 7 can apply for a maximum of two scholarships from the above list. All applicants for entry into Year 7 willl be considered for an academic scholarship and there is no application to complete. Academic scholarships will be awarded to the top performing candidates who sit the entrance assessments on Thursday 23rd November 2023. The deadline to register for a bursary for 11+ applicants is Friday 20th October 2023.

For 16+ external candidates wishing to apply for scholarships or bursaries for the Senior School, the scholarship applications must be submitted alongside an application to join the School with the registration fee of £125.00, by Friday 20th October 2023. The following scholarships can be applied for; Art, Dance, Design Technology, Drama, Music, Sport, Tennis Academy and Cricket Academy. Additionally, Performing Arts and Photography scholarships are also available in the Sixth Form. 11+ external candidates for entry into Year 7 can apply for a maximum of two scholarships from the above list. All applicants for entry into Year 7 willl be considered for an academic scholarship and there is no application to complete. Academic scholarships will be awarded to the top performing candidates who sit the entrance assessments on Thursday 23rd November 2023.

Thursday 23rd November 2023: Entrance Assessment and Scholarship Day - for entry September 2024: 11+ and Sixth Form

Applications for scholarships for September 2024 entry must be received by Friday 20th October 2023 for both 11+ and 16+ entry. All external scholarship applications must be accompanied by an application form and £125.00 registration fee to join Ewell Castle School.

Current pupils need not complete a School application form or submit a registration fee.

Ewell Castle School offers a number of scholarships at 11+, 13+ and for entry to the Sixth Form in a range of areas: Academic, Art, Dance, Design and Technology, Drama, Music, Performing Arts and Photography (both Sixth Form only) and Sport. There are no scholarships available at the Preparatory School.

Portfolios

Art, Photography, Design and Technology and Music (Composition only) Portfolios: pupils applying for scholarships in these subjects will be asked to submit their portfolios to the School by Friday 20th October 2023. They can be collected following their assessments at the School on Thursday 23rd November 2023.

Please note that our Entrance Assessment and Scholarship Day is Thursday 23rd November 2023. Any pupil wishing to be considered for any of our scholarships MUST attend on this day and sit the relevant papers on this day, as well as taking part in any subject specific assessments. For 11+ entry, there will be a further opportunity to sit the English and Maths entrance assessments on our reserve date of Friday 1st December 2023, pupils sitting papers on the 1st December cannot be considered for a scholarship.

Academic Scholarships

The top performing candidates who sit our School entrance assessment on Thursday 23rd November 2023 will be offered academic scholarships and will be notified of this in their offer letter. Only candidates who sit the entrance assessments on this day can be considered for an academic scholarship.

Sixth Form Academic Scholarships

All pupils wishing to be considered for a Sixth Form academic scholarship, must complete the relevant scholarship application form which must accompany an application to join the School and the £125.00 registration fee (external applicants only). Sixth Form applicants will sit two subject papers of their choice on Thursday 23rd November 2023. Please note that scholarships awarded will relate to subject choices at A-level. Only candidates who sit the entrance assessments on the 23rd November can be considered for an academic scholarship. If a pupil is awarded a Sixth Form scholarship in a particular subject, if they later 'drop' the subject that the scholarship is awarded in upon entry into the Sixth Form, the scholarship may be withdrawn.

Art, Photography, Dance, Design and Technology, Drama, Music, Performing Arts and Sport Scholarships

If you wish to apply for one of the following scholarships: Art, Photography, Dance, Design and Technology, Drama, Music, Performing Arts, Sport and Tennis/Cricket Academies, you must submit the relevant scholarship application forms, testimonials etc. as required by each individual subject/sport, in addition to ticking the scholarship box on the application form. Please note that if you tick the scholarship box on the application form, but do not submit any of the necessary forms by the deadline, you will not have applied for a scholarship.

All of the above scholarship practical assessments will take place on the afternoon of Thursday 23rd November 2023. Only candidates who sit the English and Maths entrance assessments, as well as any relevant Art, Photography, Dance, DT, Drama, Music, Performing Arts or Sports assessments on this day can be considered for an academic scholarship. If your child is being assessed for more than one scholarship, they will need to spend the day with us and will be provided with lunch and refreshments during the day.

Reserve Date for English and Maths assessements only: There will be a further opportunity to sit the English and Maths entrance assessments on our reserve date of Friday 1st December 2023, however pupils sitting papers on the 1st December cannot be considered for a scholarship. There will not be any Art, Photography, Dance, Design and Technology, Drama, Music, Performing Arts or Sport Scholarship practical assessments taking place on the 1st December.

Scholarship awards are usually in the region of 10% to 20% remission of fees per scholarship.

See below for information about scholarships.

Scholarship Retention Process and Criteria

Scholarships are awarded subject to the pupil achieving and maintaining the standards expected of a scholarship pupil, which are set by the respective Head of Department and/or the Principal. If a pupil chooses to drop a scholarship subject, the scholarship award becomes null and void (the moment the subject is dropped) as is the remission of fees pertaining to that scholarship. Pupils who are awarded a subject/department specific scholarship for entry to Year 7 are expected to select that subject when they choose their GCSE options in Year 9. If they do not select that subject, then they risk having the scholarship and remission of fees removed. Pupils who are awarded a subject/department specific scholarship for entry to Year 12 must study that subject in Year 12. If upon entry into Year 12 the pupil then decides to drop the subject that their scholarship is in, the pupil risks having the scholarship and remission of fees removed.

To retain their scholarship/s, all scholars must ensure they perform at a consistently high level each School term and have a termly review of their progress assessed against the relevant department’s set criteria and standards. Pupils are assessed according to the scholarship retention rating criteria and a comment from the Head of Department, and any who fail to reach the criteria and standards are given a term in which to improve their performance. Those who fail to do so risk having their scholarship/s withdrawn at the end of the term in which they failed the scholarship retention rating criteria.

THE DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS FOR SEPTEMBER 2024 ENTRY IS 20th OCTOBER 2023 11+ and 16+ entry

Please see the 2024 Scholarship forms below which can now be downloaded for completion.

Academic Scholarship Application

All scholarship outcomes will be included in our offer letters which will sent by early February 2024.

Bursaries: Application Deadline is 20th October 2023

Registering for a bursary application and applying for a Bursary

1. Families must first apply for a place at the School, only then can

2. Families apply for a Bursary

Bursaries are available for pupils in the Senior School, from the start of Year 7 to the end of Sixth Form, as part of the School’s commitment to Public Benefit. Ewell Castle School seeks to offer financial support with fees for as many families as possible, by following Charity Commission advice and providing remission for fees of under 50% (including any scholarship awards) except in exceptional circumstances. The bursary award is at the discretion of the Governors and will be dependent on the funds available to the School and the demand in any particular year.

Pupils will need to satisfy academic entry requirements to be considered for such an award. Parents are required to submit a confidential statement of financial circumstances at the time they apply to the School, along with a letter setting out their family circumstances and other supporting evidence which will enable the School to determine the appropriate level of parental contribution. The School has employed the services of Bursary Administration Limited (BAL) to review the applications and documentation on behalf of the School for the next academic year. Please note that this is likely to involve a home visit. The resulting report will be considered by the Principal and Bursar and the outcome communicated to you with your offer of a place by early February 2024.

Please note that the School reserves the right to withdraw a bursary award should fees remain unpaid. Bursaries are reviewed at each Key Stage (going into Year 10 and joining the Sixth Form) although the School may request more frequent (eg annual) reviews if considered necessary.

To request a Bursary Application Pack, please email bursar@ewellcastle.co.uk by 20th October 2023.

Bursary Renewals

Families whose children are currently in receipt of a bursary and are due to change key stage will be contacted directly by the School at the relevant time.

Scholarships and Bursaries