Bursaries & Scholarships

We wish the education offered at St.Edward's to be available to as wide a range of children as possible, whatever their financial circumstances. We therefore offer Bursary-Scholarships on the basis of financial need (as well as ability). Bursaries of up to 100% may be awarded where a family's circumstances would require it to enable their child to come to the school. Parents of all Bursary-Scholarship applicants are therefore asked to complete a form about their financial circumstances, supported by appropriate documentation.

Academic potential is assessed via our Entrance Exam which is taken in the November before the year of entry to the school at age 11 into Year 7. We use an on-line exam, developed by the University of Durham, which tests a child's potential rather than the standard to which he or she has been taught. The exam cannot be 'prepped' for, so no special tuition is required for it.

Although the school's main priority is to enable lower-income families to come to St.Edward's on Bursary-Scholarships, we also offer a limited number of non-means-tested Scholarships awarded purely on merit. These are worth 25% of the fees. One Academic, one Music and one Sports Scholarship will be offered per year. Candidates submit an Initial Assessment Form; shortlisted candidates are then invited to the school for more detailed assessment.

All our Bursaries or Scholarships are offered on the strict condition that the pupil will complete the full 7 years of his or her secondary education at St Edward's, i.e. up to the end of Upper 6th (Year 13). Parents holding a Bursary or Scholarship who chose to withdraw their child from the school before that time would be required to repay the full value of the Bursary or Scholarship for all the years it had been held. In accordance with our Trust Deed as a Catholic school, Bursaries and Sholarships are available to all denominations, but preference will be given to Catholics.

Applicants for Sixth Form Academic Scholarships sit two papers in GCSE subjects of their choice. The highest scorers are shortlisted for interviews. Applicants for Music, Sports, Art and Performing Arts Scholarships undergo a similar process to that for Year 7 scholarships.

For application forms for all Bursaries or Scholarships, contact the Main School Office on 01242 538600.