FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
You do not ask applicants for mock grades or predicted grades. Why not?
We use our entrance examinations and interviews to assess an applicant’s potential and suitability to study at our school. We do not ask for an applicant’s mock results, Year 10 results or predicted grades. If they are sent to us, we do not take them into account.
Every secondary school operates its mock examinations and predicted-grade system differently. Results may also be affected by a school’s own practices and judgements. It would therefore be unfair to use them to assess our applicants.
We have found that our entrance examinations, which we write ourselves, and our interviews, which we conduct ourselves, are much more effective ways of assessing applicants. If an applicant sends us information about achievements, awards or previous school reports, we must disregard it.
Why do you have six priority groups?
The priority groups reflect the mission of our school. This is set out in the Statement of Intent in our admissions policy here and in our Values and Ethos here.
Our admissions process is fair and transparent and provides equal opportunity for all to be admitted, within the restrictions that the Sixth Form has a mission to serve children with low incomes and improve their opportunities to access the best university courses, so that the admission arrangements are biased in favour of such applicants.
The six priority groups reflect the reasons we exist as a school: to open the best university courses to young people who are financially disadvantaged, as recognised through current or previous eligibility for means-tested Free School Meals, while building a diverse and inclusive community of scholars that reflects the breadth of London’s backgrounds and neighbourhoods.
Why do you not take an applicant’s SEND or medical needs into account when assigning them to a priority group?
Our admissions policy does not allow us to do this. SEND and/or medical needs may require specialist and tailored support, which we offer, but they do not in themselves indicate financial disadvantage or a low income background.
We take an applicant’s SEND or medical needs into account, if communicated to us, when considering access arrangements for the entrance examinations or interview. However, the nature of our examinations limits the types of access arrangements that we can provide.
How do I send you proof that I am receiving Free School Meals?
Once the application window has closed, we will send you a form. You will need to ask your current school to complete and sign it, and to add the school stamp.
Your school can return the form to us directly, or you can send it yourself. We do not need the original form. An image or PDF copy is sufficient.
What happens if I do not return this form?
Without the form, we cannot place you in the correct priority group. We will therefore have to assign you to priority group 6.
Can I change my choice of four subjects, i.e. three A levels plus another programme, after I have applied?
We understand that students may change their minds. There are designated opportunities for you to request changes to your subjects after applying, particularly before we confirm your two entrance examinations and interview subject.
At enrolment, you may also request changes, provided that:
- you meet the GCSE requirements for the new subject;
- the proposed combination follows our curriculum rules.
Two weeks after the beginning of Year 12, we allow students to change one subject, provided that points 1 and 2 are met and:
- the requested subject change can be accommodated.
What about Westminster School subjects? Can I change to one of those after submitting my application?
There are six subjects that our students may study at Westminster School: Drama and Theatre Studies, German, Ancient Greek, Latin, Music and Russian.
To study one of these subjects, you must also be assessed by Westminster School as being of a sufficient standard. Unless you included the subject in your original application, or tell us in time for the entrance examinations, it is unlikely that we will be able to enter you for the necessary assessment.
Why is your closing date for applications so much earlier than those of other sixth forms?
We need the December deadline, for the exact date see our admissions policy here, so that we have enough time to arrange the entrance examinations and interviews, assess the results and determine which applicants should receive offers.
Our admissions process is distinctive and unique because we are trying to assess applicants’ potential as well as their current ability.
I will not be 16 years old in September 2027. Can I still apply?
Almost all our students are in Year 11 when they apply and will be 16 years old on the first day of Year 12.
Applicants may be younger than this, but they cannot be older than 17 on the first day of Year 12 because we will not receive funding for their two years at the school.
I will be moving to London later in the year. Which address should I put on my application?
You must give your current home address on your application. If you attend a boarding school, give the address of the parent or guardian with whom you stay during the school holidays.
If your address changes later, please let us know. For the purpose of assigning you to a priority group, we must use your address at the point of application.
I am an asylum seeker. Can I apply?
You can apply if you have the right to remain in the UK. This includes having the right to remain while your application for asylum is being considered.
I live abroad. Can I apply?
You can apply if you have the right to remain in the UK.
I am not studying for GCSEs. Do you accept other qualifications?
We accept qualifications that are equivalent to GCSEs and form part of a country’s national qualifications system. We also accept the Middle Years Programme, or MYP, as part of the International Baccalaureate.
At enrolment, we will assess the grades achieved and the content covered in each subject to determine whether they meet our requirements.
I am home-schooled. Which type of school should I put on my application?
The application form gives you a choice between “government-funded school” and “fee-paying school”.
If you are currently home-schooled, select the type of school that you most recently attended, for example, fee-paying or government-funded. If you have never attended a school, select “fee-paying school”.
I did not apply in time and was therefore unable to sit the entrance examinations or attend an interview. Can I be added to a waiting list?
No. The waiting list is for applicants who met our threshold in the entrance examinations and interview but whom we were unable to offer a place because the school was oversubscribed.
Do you take special or exceptional circumstances into account when offering places?
We are bound by the terms of our admissions policy and cannot take circumstances into account unless they are specified in the policy, such as looked-after child status or eligibility for means-tested Free School Meals.
If you have Special Educational Needs or Disabilities, SEND, we may be able to arrange access arrangements for the entrance examinations and interview. As the examinations are completed online, we are limited in the types of access arrangements that we can provide. For example, we cannot provide rest breaks or scribes.
We follow the general guidelines of the JCQ in terms of giving special consideration for exams, so if something occurs during the exam which you think merits special consideration, please let us know immediately the exam is over and we shall consider it in line with JCQ guidance.
Are there bursaries or hardship funds that I can access as a student?
Yes, provided that you or your family have recourse to public funds.
All our bursaries are funded from public funds. If you are entitled to access public funds, for example, if you are permitted to claim Universal Credit, you can apply for a bursary. The support available to you will depend on your family’s particular circumstances.
Do you provide accommodation?
We do not provide either on-site or off-site accommodation. We also cannot advise you about accommodation or help you to secure it.
