FAQS Year 7 and Year 9 Entry

How do I apply for a place?

The first step is to apply for a place and pay the £75 registration fee, we are able to waiver the £75 registration fee, if you can provide evidence that you are in receipt of full housing benefit.

This puts the child’s name on our lists 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 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 by Friday 13 September 2024, if you are going to apply for bursary (i.e. financial) support.

How are children selected for places?

Christ’s Hospital is academically selective and there is a two stage process. Firstly, an Initial Assessment that uses computer based tests (verbal, quantitative, non-verbal and spatial reasoning). Followed by, for those that pass, a residential assessment where there is academic testing and where we also assess a child’s suitability for boarding. As a guide, children joining CH are working towards the higher end of the ability range in both Maths and English National Curriculum syllabuses (ie predicted more than 100 in the Key Stage 2 tests and working above the expected standard). Year 9 entrants will be expected to be predicted to achieve an average of about 60% at Common Entrance.

What is the timetable?

Broadly speaking, the Initial Assessments take place in mid-October and the Residential Assessment takes place just before the start of the Christ’s Hospital term starts in January.

What is a Bursary and how do I get a one?

CH is committed to providing a first class education to talented boys and girls from a broad social and financial background by offering means-tested financial support with the payment of school fees. Such support is known as a bursary and may be awarded in the form of a discount of up to 100% on fees payable. When you first complete the registration form you must tick the box asking about bursary support. Once you have done that we will send you all of the relevant forms for you to fill in to explain your circumstances – these become increasingly detailed and require proof (e.g. in the form of bank statements etc.) as the applicant goes further through the admissions process.

What is the difference between a bursary and a scholarship?

Bursaries are given on the basis of need, whereas scholarships reward outstanding achievements and talent in, for example, academic work, music, sport, art or drama. Scholarships may be offered to give a discount of up to 20% of the assessed fee level. Pupils may be awarded both a bursary and a scholarship at the same time. Bursaries make places at Christ’s Hospital affordable, scholarships are the cherry on the icing on the cake for a very few outstanding students!

Scholarships are awarded for academic excellence and for outstanding ability in music, art, drama and sport. The awards are offered to existing pupils as well as those entering the school at 13+ and Sixth Form with a value of between 5% and 20%.

How do I apply for a scholarship? (Not available at Year 7)

When you first complete the registration form you should tick the box that indicates your interest in a particular scholarship. All scholars still have to meet our academic criteria so we will not invite anyone to come for a scholarship assessment unless they have been offered a place as a result of our academic assessments. Because CH is a nationally and internationally famous school, competition for scholarships is intense and we will look for evidence in your 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 and how do I get one?

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 pupils 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?

Although CH is predominantly boarding, our day pupils are integrated into the Houses alongside their boarding peers and enjoy exactly the same routine as the boarders, including Saturday morning lessons and Saturday afternoon activities. They feel very much part of the CH community but they may hassle you to be allowed to stay over-night (which we allow, for a fee, up to a maximum of 20 nights per year).

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, pupils 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 will not move an application forward through the various stages until we have complete information.
• Moving house or changing e-mail address and forgetting to tell us.
•  Providing incomplete or old information.

Where can I find out more?
We hope you our FAQS Year 7 and Year 9 Entry page helpful – Do not hesitate to contact us, 01403 246555, if you have any questions specific to your own circumstances.