The Abbey

Specialist Scholarships in Music, Art, Drama and Sport are offered to those who show exceptional talent in their chosen field. Only one Specialist Scholarship can be held as the scholars are expected to be very involved in the life of that specific department. For entry at Upper III (Year 7), applicants must complete the scholarship application and submit with supporting references by the required date. Specialist Scholarships are awarded for three years and then girls re-apply for Fifth Form (Years 10 and 11) and Sixth Form.

Specialist Scholarships:
Specialist scholarships in Art, Drama, Music and Sport are offered to pupils joining the Senior School in Year 7 and are awarded for three years until the end of Year 9. Much of the vibrancy of our community comes from the outstanding contribution our girls make to sport and the arts, and the School provides exceptional opportunities for talented pupils to develop their skills and grow their enthusiasm alongside others who share their passion. Workshops, masterclasses and trips create a rich and rewarding programme for our young Scholars.

Information about closing dates for UIII Specialist Scholarships is available on the website.

Information regarding applications for Fifth Form scholarships is available on the parent portal in the summer term.

Information regarding Sixth Form Scholarships (Academic and Specialist) is made available on the website for external candidates. Parents of girls in Upper V will receive information during the first half of the Autumn Term.

Bursaries
The Governors of The Abbey are committed to broadening access to the School by offering to eligible Parents/Guardians means-tested financial support with the payment of Senior School fees, known as bursaries.

The School offers parents the opportunity to apply for financial assistance at entry into the Senior School for UIII (year 7) and LVI (year 12). Applications made at other points of entry will only be considered under exceptional circumstances. The Bursary Procedure documents the application procedure for bursaries and other financial assistance.
The Abbey uses a specialist agency, Bursary Administration Ltd, to assess the need for financial assistance. The assessment will include a home visit by the agency and considers Parents’/guardians’ circumstances (e.g. their savings, investments and realisable assets as well as their income, the size of their family, any other persons dependent upon them, compassionate or other pertinent considerations). As a rough guide, Parents/guardians with a combined income of more than £70,000 are unlikely to qualify for assistance.

The scale of awards is reviewed annually, and they may be varied upwards or downwards depending on the individual circumstances.

Every case will be taken on its individual merits but, among those who qualify financially, the academic potential of the pupil will be the overriding factor.

Sixth Form Bursaries
These are means tested, the resources being allocated first to those applicants who qualify financially and who are highest up the academic ranking, the measure usually being actual mock results or predicted GCSE results. School reports and/or behaviour will also be taken into account.

Clergy Bursaries
As a registered faith School with Church of England origins, The Abbey wishes to enable clergy of all Christian denominations to access our education for daughters who would benefit from it. Such awards are subject to the availability of funding and are means tested. Bursaries are provided to assist Senior School girls who would benefit significantly from an education at The Abbey and whose parents could not otherwise afford to send them. Bursaries are means-tested and parental assets and income are assessed and reviewed on an annual basis. Every case will be taken on its individual merits but, among those who qualify financially, the academic potential of the pupil will be the overriding factor.

Bursaries are not available at the Junior School.

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