SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS
SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS
At St Swithun’s, through our scholarships, we formally recognise achievement and attitude in the following areas: the academic life of the school, music, drama, art and sport. In addition, a maths scholarship is available both at year 9 (13+) and in year 12 (sixth-form).
Scholarships confer a small fee remission of 5% or 10%. If prospective students are unable to afford our fees, they are encouraged to apply for a bursary of up to 100% of fees. Further details are available here.
Being a scholar is an honour and a privilege, and thus scholarships at St Swithun’s are highly prized and competitive. Accordingly, a scholarship comes with both opportunities and responsibilities.
Some schools offer a scholarship programme that is available only to scholars, but that approach is not in keeping with our ethos. As the number
of scholarships is limited and the appetite for scholarship is high, we believe in making enriching and challenging opportunities available to all our students.
Nevertheless, we recognise that our scholars show particular and consistent commitment and aptitude in their areas of expertise, and we therefore allocate them a school mentor and offer them plenty of opportunities for development. We expect our scholars to serve as role models and for their approach to reflect the principles of High Performance Learning. The HPL skills and behaviours can be viewed here..
Once a scholarship has been awarded it is retained to the end of the upper sixth, subject to annual review.
All scholarships at year 9 (13+) and year 12 (sixth-form) are available to both internal and external candidates. Revised for 2024 entry.
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ACADEMIC
Year 7 entry (11+) candidates are invited to attend scholarship selection on the basis of their pre-test scores, school reference and their written entry papers. Candidates from St Swithun’s prep school are invited to attend scholarship selection on the strength of their pre-test scores and their school reference. Selected candidates are invited for interview in January of the year of entry.
Academic scholars will receive:
• Opportunities to be involved in and to lead intellectually enriching activities
• Opportunities to present to peers and adults about their academic interests
• A scholarship mentor who will:
- Direct students to opportunities to extend and deepen their academic interests and skills
- Encourage students to take part in academic competitions
- Encourage students to lead academic activities
- Advise on managing a balance between academic interests and other opportunities
Academic scholars are expected to:
• Act as role models by willingly being involved in academically enriching opportunities such as lectures, clubs and competitions.
• Where appropriate initiate new intellectually stimulating clubs and activities
• Show an intellectually curious approach to all areas of the curriculum
Year 9 (13+) candidates are selected on the basis of their pre-test scores and school references, and they are invited to take Common Academic Scholarship Examination (CASE) papers and for interview in the spring of their year of entry. Internal candidates for year 9 scholarships are selected for interview based on their academic performance in U4, their scores in school assessments and aptitude tests, and feedback from teaching staff. They are invited for interview in the spring of U4.
Year 12 (sixth-form) scholarships are awarded based on interview and on performance in the sixth-form entrance assessments taken in the November preceding the year of entry. Candidates take examinations in three subjects that they plan to study for A level. Internal candidates may also put themselves forward for these assessments. Both external applicants and internal candidates compete for the available sixth-form scholarship awards.
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MUSIC
Music scholarships and exhibitions may be awarded each year to suitable applicants at year 7 (11+), year 9 (13+) and year 12 (sixth-form) entry. Scholarships carry a fee subsidy of 5% or 10% and cover music tuition on up to two instruments, per annum, for the duration of the award. Music exhibitions cover music tuition on one instrument, per annum, for the duration of the award.
The minimum Associated Board standard required for music scholarships and exhibitions is Grade 5 at year 7 (11+), Grade 6 at year 9 (13+) and Grade 7 at year 12 (sixth-for m) on the first instrument. Candidates must offer at least two instruments at audition, although the second instrument may be at a lower performance standard.
All candidates who are offered a music scholarship or exhibition must also fulfil the school’s academic entrance requirements. Auditions are held in January (11+ and 13+) and in November (16+).
Music scholars and exhibitioners will receive:
• Free tuition on two instruments (Exhibitioners receive free tuition on one instrument)
• Access to masterclasses and competitions
• Chamber music tuition
• Concert trips
• A wide range of solo performing opportunities both in and outside of school each term
• A scholarship mentor who will:
- Direct students to opportunities to extend and deepen their musical interests and skills
- Encourage students to lead musical activities
- Advise on managing a balance between musical interests and other studies and opportunities
Music scholars and exhibitioners are expected to:
• Maintain high standards of musical excellence
• Take a full part in ensembles and concerts
• Be ambassadors for music throughout the school showing a positive approach to participation
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ART
Art scholarships may be awarded each year to suitable applicants for year 9 (13+) and year 12 (sixth-form) entry. Scholarships carry a fee subsidy of 5% or 10%. Once a scholarship has been awarded, it is retained to the end of the upper sixth subject to annual review.
Candidates are invited to attend an interview and will be asked to share their portfolio.
Art scholars will receive:
• Opportunities to develop their craft
• A scholarship mentor who will:
- Direct students to opportunities to extend and deepen their artistic interests and skills
- Encourage students to take part in and / or support artistic events
- Encourage students to lead artistic activities
- Advise on managing a balance between artistic interests and other studies and opportunities
- Share ideas and monitor and target ambitious progression
Art scholars are expected to:
• Study art GCSE and A level
• Lead by example through participating in artistic events such as exhibitions, talks and other cultural activities over the year as well as showing a willingness to offer help to the art department such as through the curation of exhibitions
• Demonstrate an interest and independence of thought beyond the classroom and school through wider engagement. This might include television programmes, magazine and news articles and visiting galleries.
Act as ambassadors for art by:
• Demonstrating intellectual confidence by supporting or delivering whole school assemblies
• Disseminating ideas and thoughts following their own wider engagement (as above)
• Encouraging others to engage with the subject
• Suggesting ideas that might improve the art department.
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DRAMA
Drama scholarships may be awarded each year to suitable applicants at year 9 (13+) and year 12 (sixthform) entry. Scholarships carry a fee subsidy of 5% or 10%. Once a scholarship has been awarded, it is retained to the end of the upper sixth subject to annual review.
Candidates are invited to attend an interview and an audition.
Drama scholars will receive:
• Opportunities to develop their craft
• A scholarship mentor who will:
- Direct students to opportunities to extend and deepen their dramatic interests and skills
- Encourage students to take part in and / or support dramatic performances
- Encourage students to lead dramatic activities
- Advise on managing a balance between dramatic interests and other opportunities
Drama scholars are expected to:
• Study drama at GCSE or A level
• Take part in at least one production a year whether on stage, working backstage or helping to promote the production.
• Take part in at least one drama club a year whether as a participant or in organising and leading it
• Willingly and collaboratively take part in the inter-house drama competition
• Keep up to date with theatrical trends and developments through independently attending performances and / or reading plays
• Promote the work of the drama department
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SPORT
Scholarships may be awarded each year to suitable applicants at year 9 (13+) and year 12 (sixth-form) entry to a value of 5% or 10%. Once a scholarship has been awarded, it is retained to the end of the upper sixth subject to annual review.
Successful applicants will be playing at county level or above for one of the school’s major sports (lacrosse, netball, cricket, tennis and athletics). Ideally, they will also offer a second major sport to school A-team standard or have reached county level or above in one of the other sports played at St Swithun’s.
There is an expectation that sports scholars are fully committed to sport at St Swithun’s, which includes attendance at matches and team practices. All candidates who are offered a sports scholarship must also fulfil the school’s academic entrance requirements.
Candidates are invited to an interview and an assessment day.
Sports scholars will receive:
• Access to specialist sport coaching
• Access to lunchtime clubs, sports lectures and virtual events
• Weekly strength and conditioning sessions
• A scholarship mentor who will:
- Oversee the student’s physical, technical and psychological sporting development
- Direct and advise students along their chosen sporting pathway, inside and outside school.
- Encourage students to take leadership roles within sport
- Advise on managing a balance between sporting interests and other commitments both inside and outside school
- Advise on keeping healthy and uninjured, or on rehabilitation in the case of injury
Sports scholars are expected to:
• Be outstanding performers at a high level
• Strive consistently for improvement
• Commit to representing the school and attending practices regularly
• Understand the importance of training, teamwork, the components of fitness and goal setting
• Be ambassadors for St Swithun’s sport
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Maths
One maths scholarships may be awarded each year to a suitable applicant at year 9 (13+) and year 12 (sixth-form) to a value of 5% or 10% fee remission. Once a scholarship has been awarded, it is retained to the end of the upper sixth subject to annual review.
Candidates are invited to attend an interview with the head of mathematics.
Maths scholars will receive:
• Opportunities to be involved in and to lead challenging and enriching mathematical activities
• Opportunities to take part in mathematical competitions
• The opportunity to be part of a network of committed mathematicians at and beyond St Swithun’s
• A scholarship mentor who will:
- Direct students to opportunities to extend and deepen their mathematical interests and skills
- Encourage students to take part in mathematical competitions
- Encourage students to lead mathematical activities
- Advise on managing a balance between mathematical interests and other opportunities
Maths scholars are expected to:
• Act as role models by willingly being involved in mathematically enriching opportunities such as lectures, clubs and competitions.
• Where appropriate initiate new intellectually stimulating mathematical clubs or activities
• Show an intellectually curious approach to mathematics
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10 St Swithun’s School, Alresford Road, Winchester, SO21 1HA 01962 835700 office@stswithuns.com www.stswithuns.com Registered Charity Number 307335
