A PROGRESSIVE DAY & BOARDING SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS FROM THE AGE OF 3 TO 18
ADMISSIONS
ADMISSIONS PROCESS
ASSESSMENT PROCESS ADMISSIONS
Frensham is a selective school, but not in the same sense as others may be. We aim to educate the whole child and so when it comes to our admissions and assessment processes, we are committed to looking beyond test results. We make offers based on who we believe will thrive and benefit from our broad curriculum and who will in turn be kind, passionate and active members of the school community. We try to make our admissions process as informal as possible – in keeping with the nature of the school – so we can get to know one another more openly. Our unique ethos is the heart of the school so we ask each child, family and staff member to respect this and be sure that Frensham is the right place for them.
NEXT STEPS
1. PROSPECTUS
If you haven’t already, please read our general prospectus “Who We Are” and our range of information booklets. Along with our website, they should give you a really good sense of what makes Frensham different and what a Progressive Education and a broad curriculum can offer your child and your family.
2. VISIT
Please come and visit! This is by far the best way to really see what makes Frensham different. You can come in for a private tour during the school day to see things in action or join us for one of our Open Mornings where you’ll have the chance to see all our facilities, meet staff and students and listen to a few words from our Head. Book your tour at www.frensham.org/book-a-tour
3. REGISTER
If you would like to take things further, please register your child at www.frensham.org/register for them to become part of our assessment process. It takes about 15 minutes and there is a £150 non-refundable registration fee.
Our assessment process is slightly different for each area of the school.
NURSERY
Once you have registered, we’ll invite you to bring your child in for a short informal visit to meet our Teacher in Charge of Early Years, and to explore our wonderful Early Years facilities. Children need to be three years old at the time of entry or in the first half term they join and they must be fully toilet trained.
YEARS R TO 6
Children looking to join the Junior School will be invited to join us for a taster day. During the day, your child will be able to enjoy the same activities and lessons as the rest of the class. They will also spend a little time one to one with a teacher to work through some Maths, Spelling and Writing. We will ask you to share with us their two most recent school reports and will contact your child’s current school for a written reference. We aim to give feedback within a few days.
MIDDLE AND SENIOR SCHOOL (YRS 7-9)
It is within our ethos to look at the whole child. Academic tests help us determine if your child will be able to access the curriculum but places go to those who we feel will also contribute to and thrive at Frensham. To help us get to know your child, along with the teambuilding activities on our assessment day, we will ask you to share with us their two most recent school reports and will contact their current school for a written reference.
INFORMAL INTERVIEWS
Children will be invited in for interviews prior to the assessment day (or on the day itself). They will be interviewed informally in small groups with the Head and the Head of Middle or Senior Schools. While interviews take place, parents are free to stay and chat with admissions staff.
THE ASSESSMENT DAY
Our Years 7 to 9 assessments for entry in September take place in the January before.
Your child will be invited into school to take some short tests in Maths, Spelling, English Reading Comprehension and Creative Writing. Those applying for Years 9 or 10 will also complete an assessment in Science. These tests do not require any prep and just help us gauge how your child is doing academically.
After taking the assessments, the children will have lunch together before taking part in a range of teambuilding activities across the afternoon. Parents are invited to join us for tea at the end of the day.
DEFERRED ENTRY AND PRETESTING
Pretesting offers an opportunity for children to be assessed in the Spring Term of Year 6 for a place in Year 9. By completing assessment at this stage, families can be offered peace of mind and security with regards to their children’s education and the children themselves are free to enjoy their last years at prep school. Note that we still welcome applications from families of children in Year 8 who would prefer to leave assessment until this stage.
If you are interested in a place in Year 10 please contact the Admissions team to find out more.
SIXTH FORM
We ask those looking to join us in Year 12 to complete a 45 minute general paper as part of a taster day in midNovember here at Frensham. Students looking to study Maths or Science at A-Level may be asked to complete an assessment in either Maths or Science as well. There will be an interview with our Head or Head of Sixth Form and we will ask for a reference from their current school and a copy of their most recent school report.
Students must have achieved, or be likely to achieve, at least six GCSE passes at grades 9 - 4, with, where relevant, a grade 6 in the subjects they want to study at A-Level. Students who want to study Mathematics at A-Level should preferably have achieved or be likely to achieve a grade 7 in their Mathematics GCSE. Students who want to pursue Mathematics at A-Level with a grade 6 will still
be considered but may be asked to have a short interview with the Head of Mathematics to determine their suitability for the course.
SCHOLARSHIPS
YEARS 7 - 11
As with most things, we do scholarships a bit differently. Our scholarships are non-monetary and are not applied for in a traditional manner. Scholars are expected to contribute and participate fully in the life of the school and beyond, involving themselves in all activities related to their scholarship as well as supporting other students. As such, scholarships are awarded on the basis of aptitude, attitude, participation and leadership potential.
We feel it isn’t possible to fairly judge for a scholarship when a student first enters the Middle School. We wait until the end of Years 7 and 9, when students have had a chance to settle and find their real passions, before awarding scholarships. Scholarships are awarded by Heads of Departments for Academic, Performing Arts, Creative Arts and Sport and confirmed by the Head.
SIXTH FORM SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS
Prospective scholars will be invited back into school after the assessment day to discuss their scholarship potential with Heads of Department and demonstrate their potential in their chosen area either through auditions, portfolios or further written papers. Further information can be found on our website.
BURSARIES
Means-tested bursaries are available. For more information, please see our website.
OFFERS
We aim to send offers out within one to two weeks of assessment. Offers can come in four forms:
1. GUARANTEED OFFER
Offering a guaranteed place to start the following September (or the start of Year 9 for pre-test candidates). Places must be accepted by the first Monday in March.
2. WAITING LIST OFFER
A guaranteed place will be offered as soon as a place becomes available.
3. RETEST (FOR PRETEST CANDIDATES ONLY)
Children change and develop a lot in two years. If a pretest shows a child would struggle accessing our curriculum, but we feel they would really benefit from a Frensham education, we may invite them to come back for assessments in Year 8.
4. REGRET
If we unfortunately feel that Frensham is not quite the right fit for your child.
DEPOSITS
If you decide to accept an offer, we ask you to pay a deposit to secure your place as follows:
NURSERY £300
RECEPTION TO YEAR 13 Day & Boarders £1000
DEFERRED PLACE
Deferred Year 9 entry: £2,000 (£1,000 of which will be refunded against the first term’s fees)
OVERSEAS BOARDERS
Please request details at admissions@frensham.org
INDIVIDUAL NEEDS
We have an excellent Support for Learning team and we are able to offer support to children with mild learning difficulties. Through our entrance process, we will assess whether we can meet the needs of each child - this is to ensure that all students can flourish and thrive during their time at Frensham. We are unable to provide dedicated teaching assistants or one-toone support in class. We are also unable to support children with moderate or severe learning needs.
If your child has Individual Needs we will need additional information about any known or suspected difficulties or diagnoses relating to your child’s health, wellbeing or learning abilities – such as a formal Educational Psychologist, Medical or Specialist Teacher’s report and possibly an informal conversation with your child’s current school. This information will help us see if we could reasonably meet your child’s needs. Importantly, it will also help us see if your child could thrive and benefit from everything the school has to offer and be able to contribute in full to the life of the school.
For more information please see our SEND policies on our website at www.frensham.org/policies-reports
Visit our website or call 01252 792561 to arrange a tour. Frensham Heights Rd, Rowledge, Farnham GU10 4EA.
PLEASE GET IN TOUCH AT: admissions@frensham.org
WWW.FRENSHAM.ORG
