FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

I will not be 16 years old in September 2027. Can I still apply?

Almost all of our students are in Year 11 when they apply and will be 16 years old on the first day of Year 12.  Students can be younger than this but students cannot be older than 17 years on the first day of Year 12 because we will not receive funding for them for their two years here. All offer-holders will need to gain the required GCSE grades before we can enrol them.

 

I shall be moving to London later in the year. Which address do I put down on my application?

You must put your current residence on your application. If you are at a boarding school, put down the parental address you go to during vacations. If your address changes later, then let us know this. In terms of your priority group we have to take your address at the point of application.

 

I am an asylum seeker. Can I apply?

If you have the right to remain in the UK then you can apply (and that includes the right to remain while you apply for asylum).

 

I live abroad. Can I apply?

If you have the right to remain in the UK then you can apply.

 

I am not studying for GCSEs. Do you accept other qualifications?

We will accept qualifications which are equivalent to GCSEs and are a country’s national qualifications. We also accept the MYP (as part of the International Baccalaureate). In all cases, at the point of enrolment, we shall have to assess the grades achieved and coverage for subjects, to see if they are sufficient.

 

I am home-schooled. Which type of school do I put down in my application?

On the application form there is choice of “government-funded school” or “fee-paying school”. If you are currently home-schooled then you should put down the type of school you most recently attended i.e. fee-paying or government-funded. If you have never attended a school, then you should put down “fee-paying school”.

 

I did not apply in time and so was not able to sit the entrance exams or interview. Can I be added to a waiting list?

Unfortunately not. The waiting list is for applicants who meet our threshold through their entrance exams and interviews but whom we have not been able to offer them a place due to oversubscription.

 

Do you take into account special or exceptional circumstances when offering places?

We are bound by the terms of our admissions policy and can only take into account circumstances mentioned in our policy i.e. LAC, eligible for government-tested Free School Meals. Therefore we are unable to change an aplicant's priority group based on their SEND status, medical condition or family circumstance.

If you have a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND) we may be able to arrange access-arrangements for the entrance exams. As the exams are online, we are limited in terms of which type of access arrangements we can provide, e.g. 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 I can access as a student?

Yes, if you or your family have the right to recourse to public funds. All our bursaries are funded by public funds so if you have the right to apply for public funds (e.g. you are allowed to apply for universal credit) then you can apply for the bursary. It will then be a matter of your particular family circumstances what you can access.

 

Do you provide accommodation?

We do not provide on-site or off-site accommodation, and we cannot offer you any advice or access to this.