Admissions Policy

Greenacre School for Girls is an independent school for pupils from ages 3 to 18 years.
The school has 350 pupils. Deciding on the right school for your child is very important, and we believe that a personal visit is invaluable. We very much hope that you and your child will visit the school. We hold a number of open events throughout the academic year, which give a general introduction to the school. Details are published on our website. We are also very happy to welcome prospective parents and their children at other times. Please contact, our Admissions Registrar, Lesley Armstrong, on 01737 352114 to arrange a visit.

The Entry Procedure
Greenacre School is an academically selective school. Selection is based upon academic merit which is assessed through an entry examination or formal assessment, an interview at the school and references from the candidate’s previous school. Our selection process is designed to identify pupils who are able to benefit from our balanced and well rounded education and to make a positive contribution towards the life of the school.

The usual points of entry are at age 3 into the Nursery, at age 7 into Year 3, at age 11 into Year 7 and at age 16 into the Sixth Form. Pupils may be assessed at any time for entry and they may join the school at any appropriate time provided space is available and they achieve the entry standard. Parents are expected to visit the school and meet with the Headmistress so that they understand the ethos and expectations of the school and so that the Headmistress can assess their needs for their children.

Equal Treatment
Greenacre School’s aim is to encourage applications from candidates with as diverse a range of backgrounds as possible. This enriches our community and is vital in preparing our pupils for today’s world. Bursaries are available to make it possible for girls to join the school who meet the entry criteria and would not otherwise be able to do so. Greenacre School is committed to equal treatment for all, regardless of a candidate’s race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or social background.

Special Needs
Greenacre School does not discriminate in any way regarding entry. The school welcomes pupils with special educational needs, providing that its learning support department can offer them the support that they require. We welcome pupils with disabilities provided that our site can accommodate them. However, we strongly advise parents of children with special educational needs or physical or mental disabilities to discuss their child’s requirements with Greenacre School before she is assessed for entry so that the school can make adequate provision for her. Parents should provide a copy of an educational psychologist’s report or a medical report if they have one.

The school will discuss thoroughly with parents and their medical advisers the adjustments that can reasonably be made for the child if she becomes a pupil at the school.

The Assessment Process
The aim of the process is to identify potential. Greenacre School is looking for well-rounded pupils with a genuine interest in education in the broadest sense of the word, with interests that stretch beyond the confines of the academic curriculum. The school has strong traditions in music, drama, art, debating, community activities and sport. There are many extra-curricular activities, all of which are important in developing a well-balanced, confident individual.

No specific preparation for the entrance exams or formal assessment is needed; all candidates start on an equal footing, with identical opportunities to display their academic aptitude and extra-curricular skills.

Girls from Nursery to Year 2 are assessed informally by spending either a day or a morning session with the current class. The class teacher makes as assessment of that child and her ability to cope academically and socially within the existing class, discusses the child with the Head of Department and the Headmistress.

Girls in Year 3 – 6 are assessed by the class teacher by spending the day at school. The class teacher makes as assessment of that child and her ability to cope academically and socially within the existing class and discusses the child with the Head of Department and the Headmistress. In addition candidates for entry to Year 4 to 6 also complete a Verbal Reasoning test.

Our main 11+ testing is held in January for entry the following September. Pupils entering the school for Year 7 are assessed via our Entrance Examination through written papers in English, Mathematics and Verbal Reasoning and are expected to gain 100+ on their Verbal Reasoning score.

The dates for the Year 7 Entrance Examination are published on the school website, together with the closing date for applications, the date when results are posted to families and the closing date for acceptances.

Candidates for Year 8 and above come in for one day to join in classes for informal assessment within the lessons. Pupils have formal tests in Verbal Reasoning and are interviewed by the Headmistress. Parents are also required to meet with the Headmistress and must bring with them a copy of their daughter’s latest school report and any SEN reports if applicable.

Our offer of places into the Sixth Form is conditional upon a candidate achieving a minimum of 5 pass grades at GCSE, including Grade A or B in the subjects proposed for study at AS and A2.

Sibling Policy
Most siblings join us at Greenacre School. However, admission is not automatic, and there may be occasions where the school judges that a sibling is likely to thrive better in a different school environment.

Scholarships
Each year, Greenacre School offers scholarships for entry to Year 7 and the Sixth Form for excellence in:
• Academic subjects
• Performing Arts
• Sport
• Creative Arts
Purpose of Scholarships
Scholarships are designed to reward excellence and to celebrate exceptional talent. In recognition of this achievement, the scholar is offered a reduction in the fees throughout her time at Greenacre School, subject to satisfactory progress being made. Parents are asked to indicate on the Year 7 and Sixth Form application forms whether they wish to apply for a Scholarship. Details of arrangements will be sent to all who express an interest.

We encourage parents of scholars who anticipate that they will experience difficulty in meeting the balance of the tuition fees, to apply at the same time for one of the school’s means-tested bursaries described below, when they register their child.

All candidates will be interviewed by the Headmistress in addition to sitting examinations papers.

Details of Scholarships
All candidates sitting the entrance examination for the Senior School are automatically considered for academic scholarships (including the Founders’ Scholarship), but separate application is required for Performing Arts, Sports, and Art Scholarship assessment.

• Founder’s Scholarship
The Founder’s Scholarship has a value of 50% of the school fees. It is awarded for academic excellence in the entrance examinations. The value may be split. It is open to all pupils entering the Senior School at Year 7.

Additional Awards
These awards are to the value of 10% for special achievements or performance, the details of which must be given at the time of application for consideration. Categories are as follows:

• Performing Arts Scholarship
These awards are made on the basis of dramatic or musical potential as well as actual achievement. As a guide we would expect potential music scholars to have achieved grade 4 or above on their principal instrument by the start of Year 7, and potential drama scholars to have completed the foundation level (grades 1, 2 and 3) in LAMDA examinations. Auditions take place early in the Spring term during which music candidates are required to perform one substantial piece (or two shorter pieces) on their principal instrument, and one piece on a second instrument (if studied). There are also sight-reading, aural tests and an informal viva voce with the Head of Performing Arts. Drama candidates are required to perform one monologue and an improvisation based on stimuli provided by the assessing teacher during the scholarship examination. All performing arts award holders are expected to be ambassadors for the department taking part in the annual concerts and productions, and playing active roles in the extra-curricular performing arts programme.

• Sports Scholarship
Candidates are expected to show considerable promise in at least one sport and have an established record of achievement in one of Greenacre School’s major sports at their current school, and at club/county level. Candidates will be invited for assessment early in the Spring term and will be required to take part in drills and game situations to show evidence of their positional and tactical awareness as well as skill, agility and fitness level. Records of achievement and school recommendations will be taken into consideration. All sports scholars are expected to be fully committed to the school’s annual sports programme.

• Art Scholarship
Candidates wishing to be considered for a scholarship will initially be asked to submit a portfolio of their work for assessment by the Head of Creative Arts. The portfolio should reflect the breadth and depth of personal interest and may include paintings, prints, drawings and photographs of three-dimensional work. Portfolios will be returned. Successful candidates will be invited to attend a scholarship interview early in the Spring term and to undertake a still life drawing. Sketchbooks and a selection of the work from the portfolio should be made available at the interview. All art scholars are expected to be fully committed to the school’s art programme.

• Sixth Form Scholarships
Candidates for entry to the Sixth Form, both external and internal, may apply to sit the sixth form scholarship examinations which are held in November preceding the year of entry. Two subjects nominated by the candidates that are to be studied for A level will be examined and awards made on the basis of those examination results.

Final decisions regarding all awards are made by the Headmistress and Governing Body.

Bursaries
Greenacre School’s bursary programme is designed to make it possible for as many as possible of those who meet Greenacre School’s entry criteria to take up a place here. The school offers means tested awards annually to entrance at entry to Year 7 where the parents have indicated on the registration form that they require financial support. Bursaries are means tested in accordance with the criteria published on the school’s website. Both parents are required to provide proof of their income and assets. The level of support varies according to parental need. Before the offer of a bursary is confirmed, a member of staff may visit the family at their home.

Bursaries are always offered for 12 months at a time. The family is required to provide fresh information about its circumstances for every year that their child attends the school. Levels of support may vary with fluctuations in income.

The school’s practice is to allocate its entire available bursary funding on entry. The school’s expectation is that parents, who do not choose to apply for a bursary at the time that their child is being assessed, will not require financial support throughout the time that their child attends the school, except in wholly unforeseen circumstances.

Our bursary policy can be viewed on our website or obtained from the Bursar.

Overseas Applicants
We welcome overseas pupils who can study at Greenacre School, provided that she has a relative or legal guardian living in the UK with whom she can reside. However, parents of overseas pupils should appreciate that Greenacre School does not run a short-term study programme, and expects overseas pupils to finish a complete course of study, such as Years 9-11, or Years 12 -13.

Fluency in English
In order to cope with the academic and social demands of Greenacre School, pupils must be fluent English speakers. Normally pupils should have been educated in the English medium for at least two years before coming to the school. Tuition in English as an Additional Language (EAL) can be arranged at the parent’s expense.

Religious Beliefs
Although Greenacre School has Christian roots, the school does not select for entry on the basis of religious belief, and it offers the opportunity for girls to practice their own faiths. However, parents should be aware that all pupils are expected to attend assembly.

The School’s Contractual Terms & Conditions
Copies are on the school’s website and will be made available to parents as part of the admissions process.

Complaints
The school hopes that parents and pupils do not have any complaints about the school’s admissions process; but copies of the school’s complaints procedure can be sent to parents on request and are available on the website.