Fee Assistance
FINANCIAL SUPPORT JUNIOR FOUNDATION AWARDS PROGRAMME TONBRIDGE ONLY CONNECT
“As someone who benefitted from an assisted place myself, I recognise just how transformative the gift of an educational opportunity can be. It is an extraordinary privilege to be able to provide similar opportunities to young people and their families through our programme. Tonbridge truly is a place that makes a home for individuals from a wealth of cultures, backgrounds and life experiences, and we will be keen to welcome you into it.” James Priory, Headmaster
WELCOME TO TONBRIDGE
Tonbridge is one of the leading schools in the UK and is highly respected, both in the UK and internationally, for providing a world-class education. Tonbridge encourages its pupils to make connections - connections between subjects, people, and cultures - with the aim of producing fine minds and good hearts. Our ethos is summed up in just two words: ‘Only Connect’. We strongly believe that diversity opens minds. If you have an academically able son who would relish the opportunity to immerse himself in School life, but are prevented from applying due to insufficient income, we invite you to consider our Junior Foundation Awards (JFA) Programme.
Every year, we offer around 10 means-tested bursaries to boys in Year 6, guaranteeing them entry to Tonbridge in Year 9. Boys currently in state primary schools may be financially supported at an independent prep school for Years 7 and 8, to prepare for entry. Tonbridge may seem a little daunting and you might wonder whether this is a place where your son would belong. However, please rest assured that there are currently over 70 boys at Tonbridge with significant means-tested support and we are experienced in helping them feel at home.
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TIMELINE FOR ENTRY IN YEAR 9 YEAR 5 March – September
Families are encouraged to attend one of our Open Days. Please contact Ros Griffiths, our Foundation Awards Manager, for more information and to register for a place.
YEAR 6 October – November
Boys complete the Tonbridge Admissions 11+ test, and shortlisted candidates are then invited for an experience afternoon. This is an opportunity for boys to meet and interact with our academic staff and current pupils through a carousel of activities, as well as taking part in an informal interview. A preliminary financial assessment is required to confirm eligibility for your son’s place including an informal review.
December
Selected boys are invited to return for a shortlist day. Families are asked to submit further detailed financial documentation to confirm the level of potential award.
February
Shortlist Day: written papers in English and Maths, further interviews, and an opportunity to play for the Director of Music should your son have a serious musical interest.
March
Up to 10 Junior Foundation Awards are awarded.
April – July
Home visits are carried out for Foundation Award recipients. Boys in receipt of a Foundation Award who currently attend a local primary school are invited to The New Beacon prep school for a taster day. Boys who attend primary schools further afield may be introduced to an alternative prep school closer to home. The New Beacon is part of the Tonbridge School group. It welcomes boys and girls into nursery from the age of three, and boys from Reception to Year 8. A significant number of boys transition to Tonbridge in Year 9 and the school benefits from a close relationship with Tonbridge within both academic, enrichment and co-curricular areas. Visit The New Beacon’s website at www.newbeacon.org.uk for further information.
YEAR 7 March – September
YEAR 8 Spring – The Novi Visit
“As someone who benefitted from an assisted place Boys begin Year 7 at a prep school. myself, I recognise just how transformative the gift of an Reports from your son’s current school are requested each term. Our opportunity can be. Foundation Awards Managereducational periodically visits pupils in their prep schools. Depending on preference, boys It areis allocated to either a Boarding orprivilege Day House an extraordinary and are invited to meet their Housemaster and tour their future House. to be able to provide similar opportunities to young people and their families through our Foundation Award All boys joining Tonbridge in September of Year 9 attend our two-day Novi Visit programme. Tonbridge truly event to meet their future peers and to familiarise themselves with the School. Boarders stay overnight in their future gives them a is aboarding placeHouse, thatwhich makes a home chance to get to know their Housemaster, Matron and year group Tutor, as for individuals from a wealth well as sampling a range of activities across our campus. of cultures, backgrounds and All Junior Foundation Award recipients are required to sit and the Academic life experiences, we will be Scholarship in May to ensure their academic level has been maintained, keen to welcome you into it.” although their admission to Tonbridge is not dependent on these results. Headmaster, James Priory
YEAR 9 September
Boys begin their first year (Novi) at Tonbridge.
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05
ARRANGE A VISIT
Families wishing to apply for a place for their son are encouraged to visit the School and register during Year 5. We offer Open Mornings throughout the year, and offer an opportunity to tour the School, meet our boys, Headmaster, Heads of Department and the Admissions team in addition to Ros Griffiths, Foundations Award Manager. Before booking your place at one of our events, we recommend you contact Ros who can provide further information about the JFA requirements and guide you about suitability.
Contact Ros Griffiths, Foundations Award Manager
“A brilliant School that somehow remains totally unsnobby. Boys make the most of world-class opportunities to learn and have fun, but that’s not the best bit – Tonbridge’s modern, proactive approach to social responsibility and bursary funding ensures that they stay firmly grounded whilst doing so. These rounded, engaging young men are destined to go far, we feel – but without a scrap of the entitlement that so often accompanies a top-notch education. Top marks to all involved.” The Good Schools Guide
ros.griffiths@tonbridge-school.org 06
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do I register my son? Registrations can be made online via our website in the Summer term of Year 5. However, we recommend that you speak to us prior to registration. The registration fee may be waived in certain circumstances so please contact our Foundation Awards Manager in the first instance. How much do I need to earn to qualify? Tonbridge offers financial support on a means-tested basis from 10% of the fees to 110% of the fees (in some cases with extras included such as uniform, laptop, educational school trips, exam fees). Joint incomes below £65K p/a may qualify for the top end with significant support, while families on a higher income will be offered support dependent on need. Both parents should be working, unless there are mitigating circumstances for example, incapacitated or acting as a full-time carer. For separated or divorced parents, we would normally expect both parents to contribute financially. What if my financial circumstances change? If your son wins an award, you will be required to submit regular financial circumstances reviews. Should your financial situation change significantly one way or the other, the fee remission would be amended accordingly. 07
My son is at a primary school that finishes at Year 6. As Tonbridge starts at Year 9, can he go to a grammar school for two years? No. If your son wins an award, we will introduce you to a prep school near you, which may be our merged prep school, The New Beacon. This School would be a feeder school for Tonbridge so that when your son joins in Year 9, he is joining with a group of friends he has made through Year 7 and 8. Also, prep schools prepare the boys for the Academic Scholarship, which your son would be required to sit in Year 8. But the grammar schools are free and prep schools are not. As part of the financial assistance, prep school fees would be covered by Tonbridge to match the level of support offered from Year 9 onwards. So, if your son were at a primary school that finished in Year 6 and had won an award with means-tested support of 80% of the fees at Tonbridge, we would match fund 80% of the fees with the prep school.
How academically able does my son need to be? His teachers tell me he is a clever boy but how do I know? For your son to win a Foundation Award, he will need to be at or near the top of his class, exceeding at some levels, keen to learn and to join the many co-curricular opportunities that an education at Tonbridge has to offer. Predicted high scores at 11+ are a good indicator, as are CAT4 scores taken at some schools. Boys who are awarded Foundation status are expected to do their best while at Tonbridge. Most will come as Academic Scholars, although not all, and will be in the top sets for the majority of their subjects, whilst also taking a keen interest in the other aspects of the School. Does it matter whether my son wants to be a day boy or a boarder? No. While we are keen to offer both day or boarding places to local boys, we are happy to award to boys living further afield who wish to board.
Will people in the School know that my son is on a financially supported place at Tonbridge? Our goal is to celebrate the success of boys who have won Foundation Awards and for them to be proud of this significant achievement. A boy’s Housemaster and Matron, as well as key members of the Senior Team and staff, will be made aware. It is otherwise up to the individual boy to share news of his Award with others should he wish, and he is very much encouraged to do so when the time is right. Can Foundation Awards be taken away? This would only happen if the financial circumstances of the family were to change significantly or if there was a serious breach of the School rules. Any further questions? We are determined to support families and boys throughout the application process. You are welcome to contact our Foundation Awards Manager, no matter how big or small your question.
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TONBRIDGE PEOPLE DAVID (HS5) David is currently in the Upper Sixth and is the recipient of the Rank Foundation Leadership Award “Learning about the Rank Foundation made me realise how much support it could offer for my future. Receiving the award was a real confidence boost, as it was the first time I’d been recognised outside of School. It validated my abilities, strengthened my belief in my potential to lead, and gave me the confidence to consider applying to universities like Oxford and Cambridge - opportunities I might not otherwise have imagined.” Anish (SH2) Anish is currently in the Second Year “When hearing about the Foundation Scholars Programme, I just wanted to apply. My family was hesitant, but I just wanted to give it my best shot. And I was over the moon when I found out my results. I would say, as a Foundation Scholar, this School has given me more opportunities than any other school. I think it has been very inspiring because by seeing what can be done, I have now realised what I can do in the future, like going to American universities, or let’s say regular opportunities for work experience, which I never thought was possible before.” DANIEL LEVETT Daniel now attends The University of Cambridge, studying Medicine “My academic journey has been transformative. I entered Tonbridge with a scholarship in modern foreign languages, but through my GCSEs my passion shifted towards the sciences. A placement at St Thomas’s Hospital inspired me to pursue medicine, though at the time I didn’t fully appreciate how significant the experience would be. Looking back, I was almost in disbelief that I could be there. Now, as I reach the end of my time at Tonbridge, I’ve received offers from medical schools.”
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Hear Daniel’s story
OSCAR (OH5) Oscar is currently in the Upper Sixth and is the third member of his family to receive a Tonbridge Education “One of my earliest memories of Tonbridge was attending a Recre8 course when I was six. I remember being amazed by the Chapel and the School, and writing in my journal that it was where I wanted to study. Since then, Tonbridge has shown me that anything feels possible, thanks to the support of inspiring teachers and older pupils whose achievements and character have motivated me throughout my time here.”
Hear Oscar’s story
EMILIA SANDERS Oscar’s parent “Tonbridge School has given my three sons an outstanding education through generous bursaries that made it possible for them to attend. Growing up in Brazil as the 19th of 21 children, I never had the educational opportunities I wanted, so giving my sons the best education has always been my greatest ambition. They have thrived thanks to exceptional teachers, made lifelong friends, and embraced every opportunity. Today, they give back by tutoring younger children, and I am deeply grateful to everyone whose generosity has made this possible.” ALEX BEVERTON-SMITH Alex secured a full scholarship to Princeton Univeristy in his final year at Tonbridge. “Receiving this award has given me the greatest opportunity of my life. While I didn’t fully appreciate it in Year 6, I now realise how much it has shaped my future. The scholarship has given me an outstanding education, inspiring teachers, and opportunities to join clubs and meet new people. It has been a real honour, and I know my life would have been very different without it.” 10
Tonbridge School High Street Tonbridge Kent TN9 1JP +44 (0)1732 304297 ros.griffiths@tonbridge-school.org
TONBRIDGE-SCHOOL.CO.UK
Tonbridge School is a registered charity No. 1097977 The information contained in the brochure is accurate at the time of going to press