Issuu

2026/2027

At Mount Pleasant, we hugely value our longstanding partnership with King Edward’s. Our children especially enjoy visiting KES for the science club, and it is wonderful to see them developing their subject and social skills in a different setting. I’m extremely proud of our past pupils, who have come to King Edward’s as Bursary Award holders. Our school motto is ‘Path to Success’ and we expect every member of our school community to feel that they are on a journey of improvement with a clear destination of achievement: for some of our pupils, joining King Edward’s is the right next step. We look forward to following their progress for years to come as they take the next steps in their exciting journey at KES.

Emma Kerrigan-Draper, Executive Headteacher, Mount Pleasant Federation of Schools

Creating Opportunities

Our School was founded on the principle of creating educational opportunities in Southampton.

This founding ethos remains as important to us as ever. We are proud to offer a number of Bursary Awards every year and we currently have 57 Bursary Award holders at King Edward’s.

What do we mean by a Bursary Award?

A Bursary Award either completely or partially covers a pupil’s school fees. They are awarded to pupils who perform strongly in our entrance examinations and would not otherwise be able to access a King Edward’s education. If you have the motivation to succeed, a Bursary Award at KES can provide the financial support to help you to fulfil your ambitions.

Extra costs in addition to school fees

Thanks to a generous gift from the Frank Misselbrook Foundation, from the 2025-2026 academic year onwards, new 100% Bursary Award holders will be eligible to receive

support with extra costs. This includes:

• £300 for uniform

• School lunches

• Travel on school buses, when living more than two miles from the School

• A device for learning (usually an Ipad)

• A £2,000 allowance to spend on school trips at any time whilst at KES

EPA Science Bursary Awards

Thanks to the generous support of the EPA Cephalosporin Fund, we are pleased to offer the EPA Bursary Award.

This additional science bursary is in memory of Sir Edward Penley Abraham (EPA), who studied at King Edward’s from 1924-32 and went on to become a noted biochemist. Sir Edward was instrumental in the development of the first antibiotics penicillin and cephalosporin.

The EPA Cephalosporin Fund, a charitable trust Sir Edward established before his death, wish to support promising young scientists in Southampton who would like to study at KES, but may not have the financial means to do so.

If you have a passion for science, please consider applying for this bursary in addition to our normal bursaries.

Awarding Criteria

The School offers a number of Bursary Awards every year to external applicants at 11+, 13+ and Sixth Form.

In the 2026-27 academic year, subject to your capital assets, if your gross family income is below £46,000 you may qualify for a full Bursary Award, covering 100% of fees. Between £46,000 and £92,000, a sliding scale operates for partial Bursary Awards. This scale is subject to annual review.

We aim to assist as many families with bursaries as possible. However, there is always significant demand and we are not usually able to offer support to all of those who are eligible.

The EPA Science Bursary Award covers 100% of school fees, so you will need to have a household income below £46,000 to apply. The selected pupil will perform highly in an additional science entrance examination, as well as the English and mathematics papers, and show a strong aptitude for science.

How to apply

To apply for a Bursary Award, please contact our Admissions Team, who will send the application form to you. Families will need to pay a reduced non-refundable application fee of £36 alongside application.

In assessing eligibility of the Bursary Award, we partner with Bursary Administration Limited. They will request information on all relevant sources of income and capital assets and pass this to the School.

Following the results of the admissions examinations, families will be notified if they have been successful in securing a Bursary Award in February. Once awarded, the entitlement to a Bursary Award will remain with a pupil throughout his or her time at the School, subject to financial circumstances being reviewed annually and appropriate behaviour and engagement.

If you wish to apply for the additional EPA Bursary Award, you should apply for this in addition to our normal bursaries. This will give you a greater chance of securing a bursary. To be considered, you will need to sit a 30-minute science examination in addition to the English and maths examination papers.

KEY DATES:

Applications Open - September

Applications Close - November

Interviews & Assessments - January

Offers Emailed - February

Acceptance - Early March

The Process

Whilst we aim to make the application process for King Edward’s as smooth as possible, we understand that selecting a school for your child is a significant decision.

We recommend thinking about the process in six key stages:

Stage 1Information Gathering

It is never too early to start finding out about our School. There is lots of helpful information on our website, social media channels and in our prospectus documents. You can learn about our approach to pastoral care, academics, the creative arts, sports and co-curricular activities.

Stage 2Submit Your Details

You can fill in our enquiry form at any time. This will notify us of your interest in our School and provide us with details on what point of entry and year you are looking at. From here on, we will be able to keep you notified on key dates and events you might be interested in.

Stage 3Visit Us

We cannot recommend visiting us enough. This will allow you and your family to experience the true atmosphere of our school and decide if King Edward’s is the right school for your child. There are a number of ways in which families can visit us:

INDIVIDUAL TOURS

Senior members of staff are always delighted to show families around the school at a date and time that suits you. We run these during term time, so that families can see the school in action. If your child is particularly keen on a subject, or area of the school, please let us know and we’ll make sure to spend a bit more time there.

These are bookable at any time throughout the year. Please contact our Admissions Team by emailing admissions@kes.school

TASTER MORNINGS

These are extremely popular among families, and provide a real taste of school life to both parents and children. The morning will be filled with mini-taster lessons, a tour of the school, a talk by the Head, a chance to chat with current students, ending with a typical school lunch.

If you are registered, we will notify you as soon as these are open for

booking. They are held in the summer term of Years 5 and 7 and the autumn term of Years 6 and 8.

OPEN EVENING

In October we open our doors to families from across the region to our annual Open Evening. This evening is a celebration of all things King Edward’s. Families will be able to chat to members of staff, current students, tour the school, attend talks from the Head, and engage in activities.

Families of children of all ages are welcome, and we encourage you to bring your children along with you.

YEAR 4 AND BELOW OPEN MORNING

This takes place annually in the summer term and is for families with children in Year 4 or younger. You will have the chance to explore the school, meet the current pupils and staff, and get to know more about KES life.

Stage 4Submit Your Application

Application forms are available from September, and need to be completed and returned in November. For bursaries, families will need to pay a reduced non-refundable application fee of £36 alongside the application.

Stage 5Entrance Procedure

All applicants will be interviewed and sit our entrance exams, which are held in the School on a Saturday in January. As the date for the entrance examination draws closer, our Admissions Team will keep you

informed of all requirements and processes. Please note, there is no special preparation required and we do not provide past exam papers.

Stage 6The Offer

If your child has been successful, you’ll receive a formal offer for completion, which must be returned by the given date, alongside a deposit. We hope by this stage you have decided that King Edward’s is the right school for your child, but we encourage families to be absolutely sure before accepting. Families are welcome to chat to members of staff, attend another tour, meet with the Head and use our website for further information.

Pastoral Care

King Edward’s is committed to providing pastoral care of the highest quality to all of its pupils. The School takes a whole school approach to focusing on each individual emotionally and physically, and installs an ethos among pupils of supporting one another.

Each child at King Edward’s is closely monitored through the role of tutors, teaching staff and non-teaching staff. Each pupil also has a range of resources, communities and people to go to for support:

Tutors

The role of the tutor is absolutely vital in the process of pastoral care. Each pupil has a personal tutor who guides their development on a day-today basis, forming a close bond as a result.

Tutors keep records of attendance and academic progress for each pupil

in their group, and are also aware of individual circumstances and needs. Concerns about day-to-day administration, work, co-curricular activities or other related matters are addressed to the tutor in the first instance. Heads of Year and other colleagues are also available for support when needed.

Tutor Groups

A typical Year 7 tutor group has approximately 22 pupils. In the Lower School the numbers are similar but comprise of a mixture of Year 8 and Year 9 pupils. A similar arrangement exists in the Upper School where each group has a balance of Year 10 and Year 11 pupils. In the Sixth Form each tutor group has approximately twelve students, with a mixture of both year groups. All pupils in Year 8 to Year 11 inclusive, as well as being a member of a tutor group, belong to a form for their academic studies.

Houses

The House System is an important part of life at King Edward’s. Upon entry, each pupil is assigned a House and will remain with it for the duration of their time at the School. Each house has a Head of House (staff) and two Upper Sixth House Captains, appointed annually by the Head.

Counselling and Nursing

At any time pupils may need some emotional support. They can speak to our school counsellor, Mrs Davison.

We also have a fully-staffed and stocked Medical Room on site at King Edward’s, which is open Monday to Friday, 8.15 am - 5.30 pm. Staffed with a team of qualified nurses, students can drop in at any time for medical needs, help, advice or support.

Peer support

We are fortunate to have a number of great Bursary Award holders in our Sixth Form, who have been at King Edward’s since they were 11 years old. New Bursary Award holders can access optional peer mentoring with an older pupil, who can be on hand to help with adjusting to life at King Edward’s.

Supporting your family

We realise that coming to King Edward’s may feel daunting. Our Registrar, Mrs Sheppard, is our dedicated point of contact for all families of Bursary Award holders. If you ever have any questions or your child needs any extra support, Mrs Sheppard will help to get this sorted.

Our former Bursary Award holders

We hope reading this brochure will inspire you to consider applying for a Bursary Award at King Edward’s.

No-one understands the benefits a Bursary Award can bring better than our former pupils. We asked several of them what they would say to their 11 year old self:

“The bursary allows any judgments or predispositions to take a backseat, and for the stage to fall to you and you alone. If you believe you can do it, the bursary gives you a chance to prove you can, with nothing to get in your way. Go for it – KES gave me a secondary education that I will never stop being thankful for.”

- Dominik

KES 2011-2018, now working in dream job as a Guest Experience Host at Marwell Zoo

“If you are an 11-year-old considering applying to KES for a bursary – I’d say go for it! It’s a brilliant, friendly school and if your experience is anything like mine, you won’t regret it!”

- Michael

KES 2010-2017, Trainee Solicitor at Watson Farley and Williams

“Aged 11, it is so hard to know which is the right school for you. With the benefit of hindsight, I’m so glad my parents took the opportunity for me to attend KES. I’d encourage any parents or guardians of a young person with a passion for learning and co-curricular activities to apply for a bursary. My interests were science and dance, and KES helped nurture and develop those, but yours might be different. That’s one of the best things about KES – there is such a wide variety of opportunities and a place for you whatever your interests are. If even a small part of you thinks you can do this (and I hope you know that you ARE capable), KES can be the place to help you grow.”

- Emily KES

2013-2020, currently studying Veterinary Science at Surrey University

I would encourage anyone thinking of applying for a bursary to attend KES to ‘Go for it’. Although it might all seem a little daunting, joining a brand new school, and leaving behind a lot of your friends, there were so many benefits to coming to KES, some that I’m only realising now, and I can’t imagine myself having been anywhere else.

- Afjal KES 2017-2024, currently studying Mathematics at Imperial College, London

If you would like more detail about the financial options available to you or information on future events please speak with Mrs Sheppard, our Registrar. Please phone 023 8079 9216 or email admissions@kes.school