2020-2021
Additional Information
Courage. Courtesy. Compassion.
ST COLUMBA’S COLLEGE AND PREPARATORY SCHOOL IS AN INDEPENDENT CATHOLIC DAY SCHOOL FOR PUPILS AGED 4-18 IN ST ALBANS, HERTFORDSHIRE. INSPIRED BY THE CHARISM OF THE BROTHERS OF THE SACRED HEART, THE COLLEGE PROVIDES A HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION IN A NURTURING ENVIRONMENT TO YOUNG PEOPLE OF ALL FAITHS AND NONE.
Admissions OPEN EVENTS AND VISITS: 2020/2021 October 2020 Saturday 3 October November 2020 Tuesday 10 November
Virtual Whole College Open Morning Sixth Form Preview Evening
February 2021 Tuesday 23 February
11+ Taster
March 2021 Tuesday 2 March
Prep School Open Afternoon
June 2021 Friday 11 June Wednesday 16 June
Senior School Open School Working Day Prep School Open Evening
June 2021 Tuesday 29 June
11+ Taster
Prep School ‘Stay and Play’ events Parents are invited, along with their children aged 3+ years, to our ‘Stay and Play’ events which take place at regular intervals throughout the school year. During these events, the children join our Reception pupils for activities, including ‘Forest Friday’, while their parents have a tour of the school and meet our staff. Sixth Form ‘Friday Lates’ Year 10 and Year 11 students are invited to visit our Sixth Form throughout the year on Fridays from 6-7pm. Please check our website for upcoming dates. Booking an event For more information about upcoming events please go to the Visit Us section of our website or contact us at: admissions@stcolumbascollege.org. Private Visits If you would like to arrange a private visit to St Columba’s College please contact the Admissions Registrar, Mrs Hilary Causer, at 01727 892040 or admissions@stcolumbascollege.org.
Admissions Process From 2021, we are welcoming girls as well as boys into the Lower Prep School (Reception, Year 1 and Year 2) and Sixth Form, as we begin a phased transition to full co-education. We welcome applications at many different entry points across the Prep School, Senior School and Sixth Form, whenever vacancies arise. Admissions normally take place in September, but it is sometimes possible to start at other points in the year so do contact us to see if places are available. To register your child for a place at St Columba’s College please complete the registration form on the Admissions page of our website. You can also contact our Admissions Registrar, who will be happy to assist you.
Prep School LOWER PREP Admission to our Lower Prep School (Reception, Year 1 and Year 2) is by an informal assessment where your child will spend about an hour with us, usually in October or January. He or she will be put at ease and made to feel very welcome by our staff.
UPPER PREP Admission to the Upper Prep School (Years 3, 4, 5 and 6) is by ageappropriate Maths, English and reasoning assessments. A reference and the latest report will also be requested from an applicant’s current school. Assessment dates for September 2021 entry:
Reception, Year 1 and Year 2
Friday 16 October 2020 - Morning or Saturday 9 January 2021 - Morning
Years 3, 4, 5 and 6
Saturday 9 January 2021 - Morning
Senior School 11+ AND 13+ Admission to the Senior School is by assessment in Maths, English and verbal/ non-verbal reasoning. No other curriculum subjects are tested. There is also an interview, for which no preparation is required. In addition, we take into consideration the applicant’s school report and school reference. Assessment dates for September 2021 entry:
11+ Assessment
Saturday 9 January 2021 - Morning or Saturday 16 January 2021 - Morning
11+ Interview
Wednesday 20 January 2021 - Evening
13+ Assessment Day
Friday 29 January 2021 - All day
Key dates for September 2021 entry: Deadline for 11+ and 13+ applications
Friday 4 December 2020
11+ offers
Posted on 11 February and/or emailed on 12 February 2021
13+ offers
Posted on 11 February and/or emailed on 12 February 2021
Final deadline for acceptance of 13+ offers
Thursday 25 February 2021
Final deadline for acceptance of 11+ offers
Wednesday 3 March 2021
ASSESSMENT REGISTRATION To register for an assessment, please go the Admissions page on our website. Here you will enter your child(s) date of birth in the Admissions Calculator for online entrance assessment and registration forms.
Sixth Form (16+) All external candidates must complete the Sixth Form application form and attend an interview with the Head of Sixth Form. The application form can be found on our website at www.stcolumbascollege.org/sixth-form For more information about our admissions process and forms please visit the Admissions section of the website. Contact us: E: admissions@stcolumbascollege.org T: +44 (0) 1727 892040
Fees School fees cover all tuition and costs except public exam fees, trips, uniform, swimming lessons, music tuition and some extra-curricular activities. School fees for the following academic year are published on our website in May. Current school fees and other information on fees can be found at www.stcolumbascollege.org/admissions.
Bursaries A number of means-tested bursaries offering up to 100% financial assistance with fees are available to Senior School students. Parents who wish to apply for a bursary should request a bursary application pack at the time of registration. The Bursary Policy is available on our website: https://www.stcolumbascollege.org/admissions/fees-bursaries-scholarships
Scholarships Application forms can be found under ‘Fees, Scholarships and Bursaries’ on the Admissions page of our website. St Columba’s College offers two types of scholarship: • Major scholarship: 15% of the tuition fee • Minor scholarship: 10% of the tuition fee
SCHOLARSHIPS: 11+ AND 13+ Academic and music scholarships are offered to external applicants and St Columba’s College Prep School pupils at 11+ and to external applicants at 13+. Academic scholarships are awarded on the basis of performance in the 11+ and 13+ entrance examinations, and are at the discretion of the Headmaster. There is no separate application process. Applicants wishing to apply for a music scholarship are required to complete an application form and attend an audition.
SCHOLARSHIPS AT 16+ Academic, music and sport scholarships are offered to St Columba’s students and external applicants. Academic scholarships are given in recognition of excellent academic performance and are at the discretion of the Headmaster. Music scholarships are dependent on the applicant’s audition and satisfying the current academic entry requirement into the Sixth Form. Sports scholarships are awarded to students in recognition of sporting excellence, talent and future potential. Applicants for sports scholarships should be established performers in at least two sports and must satisfy the current academic entry requirement into the Sixth Form. The value of the sports scholarship is usually a 10 to 15% reduction of the tuition fees with additional funding available subject to the Headmaster’s discretion. Registered candidates applying for music and sports scholarships should complete the relevant application forms which can be found on the College website at: www.stcolumbascollege.org/admissions/fees-bursariesscholarships
Timing of the School Day Lower Prep
8:20am – 3:30pm (3:15pm on Friday)
Upper Prep
8:20am – 3:45pm (3:30pm on Friday for Prep 3 and 4)
Senior School and Sixth Form
8:25am – 3:45pm
Extra-Curricular Activities The Prep School, Senior School and Sixth Form offer more than 60 extracurricular activities and clubs which take place at lunchtime and after school. The clubs can vary each term so that pupils can try different activities.
PREP SCHOOL
SENIOR SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM
Art Brainiac Chamber Choir Chess Computers Construction Kit Cookery Cricket Cross-Country Fencing Football Funky Fingers and Puzzles Golf Junior Orchestra LAMDA Lego club Mindfulness Prep Band Prep Bell choir Prep Choir Prep Strings Rugbytots Rugby Samba Science Club Tennis Club Ukulele Warhammer
Recycling Art Red Mile Astronomy Rugby Barbershop Schola Cantorum Basketball Scrabble BBC Young Reporter Senior Choir Bell Choirs Swimming Chamber Ensembles Tennis Chess Voxpops CCF Warhammer Cookery Wind Band Creative Writing Cricket Cross Country Design & Make/Engineering Drama Dragon’s Apprentice Challenge Duke of Edinburgh Award Eco-Schools Expressive Portraits Football Fencing Film Jazz Band Junior Choir LAMDA Mindfulness Model United Nations Philosophy, Ethics and Debating Public Speaking
Wrap-Around Care for Prep School Pupils Breakfast Club begins at 7:30am. Early Morning Care in the Prep studio opens at 8am. After School Care and Homework Club runs until 5:30pm.
School Uniform School uniform is available to purchase from Stevensons at www.stevensons.co.uk. PE and Games uniform is available to purchase at Tylers Sportswear at www.tylers-sportswear.co.uk Second hand uniform is available to buy from our Prep and Senior Parents’ Associations. They run sales at coffee mornings, school BBQs and other events throughout the year.
Parents’ Associations Our thriving Prep and Senior Parents’ Associations are run by groups of parents who organise regular events with the aim of bringing our community together and, where possible, to raise funds for the school and for charity.
Columban Network The Columban Network is composed of our Alumni (‘Old Columbans’), current and former parents and staff, and friends of St Columba’s College. It creates lifelong friendship and support for our members as well as the school. Opportunities include mentoring, careers advice and work experience placements as well as the chance to network and meet up with old friends at social events throughout the year.
For more information on our school uniform please visit the Admissions page on our website.
School Policies School policies can be viewed on our website www.stcolumbascollege.org/about-us/policies
How to Find us St Columba’s College is located in the city of St Albans, Hertfordshire. We are on King Harry’s Lane, close to both the M1 (Junction 6) and M25 (Junctions 21A and 22).
COACHES Our school coach routes are under constant review and every effort is made to accommodate parents’ requests. All morning coaches are timed to arrive at Westminster Lodge car park, which is adjacent to the rear entrance to St Columba’s College by 8:15am. In the afternoon, coaches leave Westminster Lodge at 4:05pm. Coach Routes Bushey
Harrow - Uxbridge - Stanmore - Bushey Watford - SCC
Barnet
Barnet - Hadley Green - Potters Bar - SCC
Luton
Luton - Harpenden - SCC
Tring
Tring - Berkhamsted - Hemel Hempstead - Leverstock Green - SCC
Enfield
Enfield - Cockfosters - SCC
Winchmore Hill
Winchmore Hill - Southgate - Cockfosters - SCC
Mill Hill
Mill Hill - Edgware - Elstree - Radlett Park Street - SCC
Welwyn Garden City
Welwyn Garden City - Welwyn - Hatfield - SCC
Cuffley
Cuffley - Potters Bar - Brookmans Park Colney Heath - SCC
For further information on coach routes, cost and booking form please visit the Admissions page on our website.
Leavers’ Destinations 2020 We are proud to present the destinations of our 2020 Leavers. Destination
Subject
Destination
Subject
University of Aberdeen
Law with options in Business Management
University of Nottingham
Aberystwyth University
Computer Graphics, Vision and Games
Industrial Economics Politics and International Relations Sociology
The Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM)
Creative Music Production
Nottingham Trent Media Communications University and Culture Real Estate
University of Bath
Economics
Classics
University of Birmingham
English
University of Oxford Oxford Brookes University
Real Estate
University of Bristol
Philosophy and French
University of Reading
City, University of London
Business Management
Business Economics Computer Science History Quantity Surveying
Royal Holloway, University of London
Mathematics and Music
University of Sheffield
Law Materials Science and Engineering
University of Southampton
Aeronautics and Astronautics/Spacecraft Engineering Economics and Management Sciences Politics and International Relations
Staffordshire University
AI and Robotics Computer Games Design
University of Surrey
Creative Music Technology
University of Sussex
Computer Science Mechanical Engineering
University of Warwick
Mathematics Mathematics, Operational Research, Statistics, Economics (MORSE) Politics and International Studies
West Herts College
Art Foundation
University College Politics, Sociology and Eastern European Studies London Coventry University
Automotive and Transport Design
University of Edinburgh
Architecture French and Spanish
University of Exeter
Biological Sciences
Falmouth University
Illustration
University of Gloucestershire
Cyber and Computer Security
King’s College London
Business Management
Economics
Religion, Politics and Society
University of Leeds Civil Engineering Mathematics and Statistics University of Liverpool
Business Management Psychology
Liverpool John Moores University
Criminology
Loughborough University
Economics Finance and Management Geography History Politics Product Design Engineering
Army Fire Service Royal Airforce
St Columba’s College King Harry Lane St Albans Hertfordshire AL3 4AW www.stcolumbascollege.org admissions@stcolumbascollege.org Prep: 01727 862616 Senior: 01727 855185 Admissions: 01727 892040 : StColumbasHerts : StColumbasCollege : stcolumbascollege
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