Admissions for Year 9 SHERBORNE GIRLS
A DIFFERENT KIND OF CO-EDUCATION AGES 3-18
SHERBORNE GIRLS
Welcome to Sherborne Girls We are one of just a few full-boarding, all-girls schools in the UK and this, together with our strong partnership with Sherborne Boys, is what makes Sherborne Girls special. Our vision is to provide a forward-thinking transformative education that honours tradition while preparing girls for the opportunities and challenges of the future. Through academic excellence, character and innovation, we aim to equip pupils to be change-makers and influential leaders, grounded in the virtues of service, compassion and intellectual curiosity. The Sherborne town itself is an ideal location and provides our pupils with the opportunity to develop in a secure environment whilst encouraging each girl to become self-reliant, confident and ready for the next stage of her education. Girls that join the School in Lower Fifth (Year 9) come from a wide variety of different schools each year, and from all over the world. The Admissions Office is open throughout the year and will be pleased to help with all enquiries relating to applications, scholarships and bursaries. Please email admissions@sherbornegirls.group or contact a member of the team on 01935 818224. 1
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First steps Tour Mornings
Individual Visits
We offer small group visits to Sherborne Girls each term. Welcomed by the Head, you then have a tour of a Boarding House with the Housemistress/ master. Next, pupils take you for a tour of our beautiful campus, before enjoying a light lunch with the Head and other senior staff. This is an opportunity to ask any questions about the School.
We can also arrange individual visits to Sherborne Girls. Your visit will most likely include a tour of the School with pupils and a visit to a Boarding House with a Housemistress/master. If you would also like to meet with any particular members of staff, then please do let us know and we will happily organise this for you.
Virtual meetings can be organised for those unable to visit in person.
Registration Registration is recommended by the end of Year 5, but late registrations are usually possible.
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The Assessment Process Girls that are registered for a Lower Fifth (Year 9) place are assessed for entry in Year 6. Girls are required to sit online assessments which consist of; Part 1- English, Maths, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning, Part 2- Puzzles and Problem- Solving and Creative Comprehension. They will also have an interview with a senior member of our academic staff and carry out further assessment tasks at the Assessment Day in January. Girls’ performances in each of these are then considered along with a confidential reference from the girl’s current school. .
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Year
6
Assessment
Michaelmas Term
January Lent Term
February Lent Term
Take online assessments at current school or at Sherborne Girls
Attend Sherborne Girls for interview and further assessment
Offers made
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What happens after sitting the entry assessments? Our decisions are made considering a girl’s performance in the online assessments, her interview and further assessment tasks. We will also receive a confidential report from her current school which will include other test results, her involvement in school life and her performance across a range of subjects. Girls will be considered in one of the following ways: • An unconditional offer will be made for a Year 9 place. Parents accept the offer by placing a £2,000 acceptance deposit with the School and will formally sign the Acceptance Form accepting a place at the School. This deposit is fully refundable until January of Year 7. For families living overseas, the one-term’s fee deposit (less the acceptance deposit of £2,000) will also be requested at this time. • Girls who may not quite be of the level to be offered a firm place, will be invited to complete further assessment. • In a small number of cases, we may feel that another school would be better placed to meet a girl's individual needs, and we may therefore be unable to offer a place.
Late entry – Years 7 and 8 Subject to places still being available, girls may apply to Sherborne Girls for a Year 9 place.
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Scholarships and Awards Sherborne Girls invites talented and enthusiastic girls to apply for the various scholarships and exhibitions we offer. In return for demonstrating high levels of talent and commitment in their chosen disciplines, award holders are given many opportunities to stretch themselves and develop their abilities through involvement in additional tutoring, coaching, lectures, societies and social activities. Before applying for a scholarship, girls should have accepted an offer of a place. Scholarships and awards are available to candidates in the following areas: • Academic • Art & Design • Drama • Music • Sport Scholarship assessments take place in January/February of Year 8 and our decisions are sent to parents by early March of Year 8. Scholarships carry a maximum of 10% remission of the day or boarding fee (as applicable), excluding extras and VAT.
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Bursaries Scholarships may also be combined with bursarial support. Such means-tested bursaries make possible fee assistance of termly fees, subject to meeting the eligible criteria. Sherborne Girls also awards means-tested bursaries to girls who are likely to benefit significantly from a Sherborne Girls’ education, but who are not applying for a scholarship award. Please contact the Admissions department if you would like to discuss bursaries in more detail.
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Key Admissions Events Sherborne Girls at Work
Sherborne Girls in Action
Girls who are registered with us will be invited to Sherborne Girls at Work in October of Year 6. The purpose of the day is to familiarise girls with the School and to enjoy a day of activities.
Girls who have received and accepted a place in Year 6 will be invited to Sherborne Girls in Action in October of Year 7. The focus of the day is to meet other girls joining Sherborne Girls and to explore the opportunities at the School. A programme for parents is also offered on the day.
Assessment Day The majority of girls registered for Lower Fifth (Year 9 entry) will visit us in January of Year 6 for our Assessment Day.
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Super Saturday
New Girls’ Welcome
In June of Year 7, we invite all girls who have accepted offers, together with their families, to Super Saturday. A fun and sociable day, this family occasion includes activities and workshops for the girls, whilst providing an opportunity to meet others in her cohort. As well as helping to build a sense of belonging within the Sherborne Girls community, the day offers the chance to meet Houseparents and other members of staff who will be on hand throughout the event.
In June of Year 8, new girls and their parents are invited to the School for lunch, presentations, activities and an afternoon tea later in the day in their allocated Boarding House. This gives families another opportunity to meet the Housemistress/master and the House team before starting in September. We hope this event gives girls reassurance and feeds their sense of excitement at the prospect of joining us in September.
Boarding Showcase In the Michaelmas term of Year 8, we invite girls who have accepted places to the School to visit a Boarding House and to attend some fun and engaging activities together before enjoying lunch with their parents in the Merritt Centre. This is a further opportunity for families to learn more about boarding and the opportunities at Sherborne Girls, whilst meeting the other families joining the School.
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House Allocation Life as a boarder at Sherborne is certainly busy. The beauty of our full-time boarding environment is that we are able to provide a rich educational experience that goes far beyond the classroom. Because girls are with us 24 hours a day, seven days a week, there is space in the schedule for them to work, study, play and relax. We believe that all of these are vital for our girls to flourish, be happy and prepared for life in the future. Each of our five mixed-aged Boarding Houses is home to around 70 girls across Years 9 to 12. Day pupils are also allocated to a Boarding House giving them the opportunity to participate fully in House life and enjoy the same strong sense of belonging and camaraderie as their boarding peers. At Sherborne Girls, we take great care when allocating girls to one of our mixed-age Boarding Houses. While we do not offer a guaranteed House preference system, this approach helps us ensure the best possible mix of personalities, interests and backgrounds and supports every girl in building new friendships from day one. 14
We consider a range of factors in the process, including: • Your daughter’s current school • Her interests, strengths and character • Insights from her interview and school reference This gives us a holistic view and enables thoughtful, balanced placements across Houses, which is especially important when large groups of girls join us from the same school. Importantly, girls grow fiercely loyal to the House they’re placed in, and they almost always say theirs is the best. That sense of pride and belonging is part of what makes Sherborne Girls so special. Each House is a true home from home, complete with its own Dining Room and common areas, where girls form strong bonds across year groups. Our family-style lunches and vertical pastoral structure help nurture those relationships and support each girl’s wellbeing. The Houses are the heart of school life and the friendships the girls make here often become a lifelong part of their story.
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Timeline for Lower Fifth entry
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October Year 6
Sherborne Girls at Work
October – December Year 6
Girls to sit online assessments at current school
January Year 6
Assessment Day
October Year 7
Sherborne Girls in Action
June Year 7
Super Saturday
October Year 8
Scholarship application and/ or bursary deadline
November Year 8
Boarding Showcase
January Year 8
Co-Curricular Scholarships
February Year 8
Academic Scholarships
Start of Trinity term
House allocations made
June Year 8
New Girls’ Welcome
SHERBORNE GIRLS
Sherborne Girls Bradford Road Sherborne Dorset DT9 3QN United Kingdom admissions@sherbornegirls.group +44 (0)1935 818224
sherbornegirls.group PART O F TH E SH E R B OR N E S C HO O LS GRO U P Sherborne Schools Group is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales, No. 4002575 and registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, No. 1081228