FAQs for sixth form entry

How do I apply for a place?

The first step is to apply for a place and pay the registration fee, we are able to waiver the registration fee, if you can provide evidence that you are in receipt of full housing benefit.

Once we have received your completed application form this puts your child’s name on our admissions database and we will then take you through the various stages of the application process, letting you know what is required at the different stages and making you aware of all the important dates for your diary.

When should I apply?

Ideally you should start the process at least eighteen months before your child is due to enter the school. So, for entry in 2025, your registration needs to be with us before 28 October 2024, if you are going to apply for a bursary (i.e. financial) support.

How are children selected for places?

The school is academically selective and we run a two stage assessment process.  Generally speaking the first assessment will take place in November and will comprise of computer based tests. Successful candidates will then be invited back for interviews in December.

All students applying should be on course to achieve a minimum of 4 level 7 grades and 4 level 6 grades at GCSE.

Following our assessment process, offers are made which are conditional on achieved performance at GCSE. We recommend candidates should achieve level 7 in the subjects most relevant to their subject choices at A level.

When do I have to choose my subjects for study?

When you register we will ask you for early indications of the subjects in which candidates are interested. We ask you to firm up choices by the end of April. If the applicant does not do as well as expected in GCSEs in their chosen A level subjects they may wish to change the mix of subjects at that point or we may ask them to do so.

Bursaries and scholarships at Christ’s Hospital

Bursaries: A bursary is means-assessed financial assistance given to help support a family who would not otherwise be able to afford some or all of the school fees. Bursaries at Christ’s Hospital are available to applicants for boarding places only.

Scholarships: A scholarship rewards outstanding achievements and talent in, for example, academic work, music, sport, art or drama. Scholarships may be honorary or may provide a discount of up to 20% of the assessed fee level.*

Scholarships are awarded to students who are entering the school at Year 7, Year 9 and Year 12 and to existing students who are moving into Year 9 and Year 12. Bursaries make places at Christ’s Hospital affordable; scholarships are an additional bonus for a limited number of outstanding students.

Students may be awarded both a bursary and a scholarship at the same time.

We welcome fee paying day students who are within a commutable distance from the school. Should a day applicant be successful in receiving a scholarship we can occasionally, depending on individual circumstances, offer a small amount of additional fee assistance to support the scholar in taking up their place at the school.

Head’s Award
The Head Teacher has a discretionary award for all-round academic and broader curricular achievement and/or significant potential. This is awarded at the end of the assessment process, can be honorary or financial and can be awarded to a boarding student as well as to a day student.

* If a significant bursary is awarded, parents should not assume that a scholarship will provide additional financial support.

 

How do I apply for a scholarship?

When you first complete the registration form you tick the box that indicates your interest in a particular scholarship. All scholars still have to meet our academic entry criteria. We will look for evidence in a scholarship application of outstanding achievement – we only ask a selected number of scholarship candidates to undertake the scholarship assessments so even if you have applied for a scholarship your child might not necessarily be assessed for one.

What are Donation Governors?

Donation governors are people or organisations who support Christ’s Hospital financially and, as a result, are able to “present” a child and become their governor and mentor. There is no financial advantage in having a Donation Governor; presentees still need to be deemed successful academically and to be suitable candidates for boarding. The Admissions department match prospective students with donation governors during the admissions process.

My child has SEN, what should I do?

Educational, behavioural or other special needs do not preclude application for a place at CH. We will make reasonable adjustments to enable candidates with SEN to participate in the assessment process and, if successful, will then consider what reasonable adjustments might be made to enable the applicant to thrive at the School. Parents are advised to speak to the school about their child’s SEN before making an application and you must tell us in writing on the Registration Form and provide copies of any relevant referrals or reports.

Do you take day students and how do they fit in?

We welcome fee paying day students who are within a commutable distance from the school. Should a day applicant be successful in receiving a scholarship we can occasionally, depending on individual circumstances, offer a small amount of additional fee assistance to support the scholar in taking up their place at the school.

Can my child weekly board?

The general pattern of our boarding is that every third weekend is designated as a “leave weekend”, a half term break or an end of term holiday. On leave weekends, students go home or to guardians on the Friday afternoon and return late on the Sunday evening or, with special permission, early on Monday mornings. For the other two weekends, there are, additional, opportunities to leave the site and/or go home with the correct permissions. Further information regarding weekends at Christ’s Hospital is available on our website.

What goes wrong most often during the admissions process?
  • Missing deadlines. We cannot move an application forward through the various stages until we have complete information.
  • Moving house or changing email address and forgetting to tell us.
  •  Providing incomplete or old information.
  •  Not giving us your GCSE results (with evidence) quickly on results day.
Where can I find out more?

Do not hesitate to contact us, 01403 246555 / hello@christs-hospital.org.uk

Related content

Key dates

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Entry Process

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Year 7 and year 9 entry

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Sixth form entry

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International entry

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Historic Methods of Entry

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Download our prospectus

Our School Prospectus provides an introduction to life at Christ’s Hospital. You can request a printed copy which includes an application form by completing the form and/or you can download a pdf of the prospectus.