Admission Procedures and Scholarships

Year 6 and 7 entry

The assessment morning for Year 6 and 7 entry in September 2025 will be held mid-January. Prospective pupils will sit English, Mathematics, GPS and Non-Verbal Reasoning papers. A taster day, which is spent in class, will follow prior to a place being confirmed.

The deadline to apply for a Year 6 or 7 place is Monday 2nd December 2024.

Please contact Mrs Julia Bradley, Admissions Secretary, on 01279 429910 ext 1, or by emailing admissions@saintnicholasschool.net if you would like to discuss your child’s admission.

Scholarships

Pupils entering Year 7 are invited to apply for a Scholarship. Scholarships reward academic excellence and talent and are awarded at the discretion of the Headmaster. Scholarships are typically for up to 20% fee remission and are normally tenable for the whole of a pupil’s time at the school, subject to excellent progress. All scholarship offers are subject to the specific criteria below as well as excellent overall academic ability. Successful candidates will be expected to remain at Saint Nicholas until the conclusion of their GCSE studies.

Pupils applying for a scholarship must be achieving to the following level:

  • Academic: to qualify for an Academic Scholarship, pupils are required to sit the School’s assessments.
  • Art: to qualify for an Art Scholarship, pupils are expected to present a portfolio, showing a minimum of four pieces of work in any medium. Applicants will attend a practical assessment day during which they will sit a timed drawing assessment using a ‘drawing grid’, and an expressive media observational task.
  • Drama: to qualify for a Drama Scholarship, pupils are expected to have reached a minimum standard of LAMDA Grade 3 or similar. Applicants will attend a practical assessment day during which they will be required to demonstrate a natural flair in two audition pieces to the Teachers of Drama, and participate in a group improvisation workshop.
  • Music: to qualify for a Music Scholarship, pupils are expected to have reached a minimum standard of Grade 4 on their main instrument, and grade 2 on their second instrument (voice qualifies as an instrument). Applicants will attend a practical assessment day during which they will be required to perform two audition pieces to the Director of Music, and successfully complete aural and theory tests.
  • Sport: to qualify for a Sport Scholarship, pupils are expected to have attended county trials in his or her major sport, or to be able to show evidence of a high level of achievement in a county or national competition. Pupils would also be expected to show evidence of having regularly been involved in two different sports at a competitive level. Applicants will attend a practical assessment day during which they will participate in a sports aptitude test.

Community Award

Pupils entering Year 7 are invited to apply for the Community Award.

The Community Award, worth up to 100% of the fees following means-testing, is available to a pupil with outstanding overall academic ability. Priority is given to local applicants who require either full or substantial funding in order to take up the offer of a place. Offers are subject to the results of the school’s academic assessments, a taster day, which is spent in class, a reference from the pupil’s current school and interview. In assessing, a child’s suitability potential will also be considered as well as actual achievement. Children judged most likely to gain most from the educational provision will be given priority. Each pupil to whom support is offered must, in the opinion of the Headmaster, be likely to make excellent academic progress following admission.

Please contact Julia Bradley for further information about the Community Award, and for an application form.

Entry to other years

Where there are spaces, prospective pupils are invited to apply and will sit English, Mathematics and GPS assessments.  A taster day, which is spent in class, will follow a successful assessment session and a reference will be requested from the current school.

Please contact Mrs Julia Bradley, Admissions Secretary, on 01279 429910 ext 1, or by emailing admissions@saintnicholasschool.net if you would like to discuss the admission process for your child.