Senior School Admissions Procedure

Boys and girls may enter St Edmund's Senior School at ages 13, 14, and 16 i.e. in Years 9 (Lower Fifth), 10 (Middle Fifth), and 12 (Lower Sixth). There is a notable annual intake into Years 9 and 12, and a significant throughput from the Junior School at age 13.

Step 1 - Visit our school

Arrange to meet the Head, Louise Moelwyn-Hughes, and tour the School. Contact Amanda Selmon (Admissions Officer) admissions@stedmunds.org.uk or telephone 01227 475600.

Step 2 - Registration

Parents may register their child/children for St Edmund's School at any time - before a visit - by completing and returning a Registration Form, together with the £100 registration fee. Your son or daughter's name is then added to the provisional list for entry in the term indicated. Your child cannot be assessed for entry and subsequently accepted without first registering. This registration fee is non-refundable.

Step 3 - Assessment

All prospective pupils are interviewed by the Head.

• For entry into Year 9, prospective pupils sit the Common Entrance examination. If Common Entrance is not taken at your son or daughter's current school, we have our own entrance exams in Maths, English and NVR (Non-Verbal Reasoning).
• For entry in Year 10, prospective pupils sit entrance exams in Maths, English and Science.
• For entry into Year 12, prospective pupils have to achieve a minimum of 6 GCSE or IGCSE passes at grade C and above, together with minimum B grades in their chosen A-level subjects. Alternatively, entrance tests can be sat in each of the chosen A-level options.

Our policy is to apply these criteria to all pupils and potential pupils regardless of any disability of which we are aware, subject to our obligation to make reasonable adjustments so as not to put any pupil at a substantial disadvantage when compared to others. Whilst we do not have a specialist unit, children with Special Education Needs (SEN) are accommodated as far as we are able.

Where pupils have a diagnosed SEN, a copy of the most current Educational Psychologist's report will be required. A meeting will usually be arranged with our own SEN Co-ordinator (SENCo) in order to assess the level of SEN support needed, and whether or not we are in a position to provide this support.

All assessment visits may be arranged through Amanda Selmon 01227 475600.

Step 4 - Requesting reference and report

Parents are asked to provide copies of the two most recent school reports from their child's current school. Subsequently, the Head will request a reference on the prospective pupil's academic progress and social traits from the current school's Head Teacher.

Step 5 - Offer of a place

Assuming the assessment is successful; the Head will make a formal offer of a place and send this to the parents with a copy of the Entrance Form and Parent's Contract. Parents respond by accepting the place in writing, completing the Entrance Form agreeing to the School's terms and conditions, and paying a deposit of £750; this deposit is refundable on the final term's fees but is non-refundable if the pupil does not join the school.

Scholarships

A small number of scholarships are awarded annually to pupils entering the Senior School at 13+ or 16+ for exceptional achievement in the following areas: Academic, Art, Music, Sport and Drama. Scholars must have a strong track record in their chosen subject and they must have the potential to be leaders in their field amongst their peers throughout their school careers. Dates of the scholarships are published approximately 12 months ahead and are available to both internal and external candidates.

Admissions Policy

Admission to St Edmund's School depends upon a prospective pupil meeting the criteria required to ensure that he or she will:

• benefit from and be challenged by the educational programme we offer;
• find the educational programme accessible;
• feel comfortable with the range and depth of the programme and the pace at which it is delivered;
• feel comfortable in the intellectual context of other pupils in that year group;
• maintain and if possible exceed the educational and general standards we expect of our pupils.

We must feel reasonably sure that we will be able to develop the prospective pupil to the best of his or her potential and in line with the general standards achieved by the pupil's peers, so that there is every chance the pupil will have a complete, happy and successful career at St Edmund's, and emerge confident, well-educated and well-rounded with a good prospect of a satisfying life. These criteria must continue to be met throughout the pupil's time at St Edmund's.