11+ Scholarships
A Guide for Parents and Students
Contents
Page
Introduction to Scholarships
4
How to apply?
5
Academic Scholarship
6
Music Scholarship
8
Sports Scholarship
12
Art Scholarship
16
Drama Scholarship
20
Chess Scholarship
24
Next Steps
28
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11+ Scholarship Guide September 2027 Entry
How to apply?
St Helen’s is pleased to be able to offer a comprehensive programme
Applications must be submitted via our 11+ Scholarship Application
of Scholarships across a number of disciplines. The majority are
Form. Within the form, you will be asked to indicate which
applied for and offered at 11+ although further opportunities are
scholarships you wish to apply for and to provide the required
available in future years, particularly at 16+ at Sixth Form entry.
information and supporting evidence outlined in this guide. Each scholarship has its own application requirements.
This guide is designed to help you understand what we look for in a Scholar and the application requirements for each scholarship
A link to the application form will be emailed to you by the
category. We hope it will support you in making an informed decision
Admissions Team. Please do not worry if you have not previously
about whether a scholarship application is right for your daughter and
indicated an interest in applying for a Scholarship, as the form is sent
provide all the information you need to complete the process.
to all candidates registered for 11+ entry.
To become and remain a St Helen’s Scholar requires a high level of
There is no limit to the number of scholarships for which a candidate
commitment in school both within the curriculum and through
may apply. However, we recommend that applicants carefully
participation in co-curricular activities. As a school we make a
consider the areas in which their talents and achievements are
commitment in return to enrich, support, nurture and inspire our
strongest, as scholarship recipients are expected to make a lasting
Scholars. Before a Scholarship is accepted, a formal agreement is
contribution to the School.
signed to ensure that expectations are clear and understood by all parties.
The completed application form, together with all required supporting evidence, must be submitted by 12.00pm (midday) on Friday 20
Scholarships are subject to ongoing review. We expect all Scholars to
November 2026. Unfortunately, late applications cannot be
demonstrate consistently high levels of commitment, achievement and
accepted.
ambition throughout their time at the School. If you have any questions at this stage, we encourage you to contact admissions@sthelens.london.
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Academic Scholarship Senior School Academic scholarships are worth up to a maximum of 40% off tuition fees. Scholarship awards are made based on academic ability and are not related to family financial circumstances. In addition to fee remission, our academic scholars will be part of an esteemed group of particularly intellectually curious and ambitious students, and they will have opportunities to socialise and collaborate with fellow scholars, through events such as the Scholars’ Breakfast. They will also participate in enriching experiences that will develop important skills such as public speaking and independent project work. All candidates sitting our entrance tests are considered for an academic scholarship and these are awarded based on the entrance exam and performance at interview. There is no additional scholarship application or exam. Successful candidates will be informed in the offer letters sent on Friday 12 February 2027.
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Music Scholarship At Year 7 entry a Music Scholarship offers up to a 30% reduction on tuition fees per annum. A number of Music Exhibitions (free tuition for one instrument) may also be awarded. In addition to the fee remission, our Music Scholar programme aims to reward those most able performers with experiences and opportunities that will further stretch their ability, for example: all award holders will attend a masterclass series invitations to trips and events, including outreach opportunities inclusion in the annual Award Holders’ Concert leadership opportunities (leading or co-leading extra-curricular groups) personal guidance and development from a member of the Music Department Students applying for a Music Scholarship should: have a passion for music-making in all its forms: We welcome and encourage applications from pupils who play a variety of instruments, including the voice. We do not require candidates to have taken graded exams, with the exception of pianists, who are typically performing at Grade 6 or above be able to demonstrate high ability and potential in musical performance display evidence of a solid commitment to extra-curricular music at school or externally
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Music Scholarship Application Process Please indicate on the 11+ Scholarship Application Form sent by the Admissions Team that you would like your daughter to be considered for a Music Scholarship. Within the form you will be required to submit the following supporting evidence: A summary, in no more than 250 words, outlining your daughter’s interest and suitability for a Music Scholarship. This should include details of most recent exams taken (where relevant), the dates and type of exam (practical or performance), as well as the grades and awards achieved One video recording, up to 2 minutes long, which showcases a performance on the first instrument or voice. The performance can be from any repertoire and in any style, with or without accompaniment. The video file’s label must include your daughter’s full name. When recording, please avoid using very high-quality camera settings to keep file sizes small (max 500MB upload) A reference from the current Head of Music/Music Teacher at your daughter’s school, or from an external 1:1 music teacher, where applicable We regret that due to the volume of applications received, if all the specified requirements outlined are not met, we will be unable to consider your daughter’s application.
Assessment Day Shortlisted candidates will be invited to our Music Scholarship assessment day in January. Further details of the assessment process and arrangements for the day will be provided to shortlisted applicants in December. Candidates should expect to demonstrate their musical ability on their chosen instrument(s) as part of the assessment. 11+ Scholarships | 11
Sport Scholarship The 11+ Sport Scholarship offers up to 30% remission of tuition fees and recognises excellence in sport, alongside evidence of character, leadership potential and creativity in a pupils’ chosen sport(s). In addition to fee remission, our Sport Scholars will: be welcomed to join the Promising Athlete Programme (PAP) which offers guidance through specialist lectures, goal setting and other sporting related topics be provided with links to external sports clubs and partnerships work with a mentor from the PE Department in a group setting, where they will receive guidance, support, and advice to accelerate their development and progression Students applying for a Sport Scholarship should: have a genuine passion and talent for sport demonstrate strength in a sport that is offered at St Helen’s. Examples include, but are not limited to, netball, swimming, tennis, badminton, hockey, football, cricket, athletics, dance and gymnastics ideally, be participating in a sport at an external club and be committed to maximising their potential
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Sport Scholarship Application Process Please indicate on the 11+ Scholarship Application Form sent by the Admissions Team that you would like your daughter to be considered for a Sport Scholarship. Within the form you will be required to submit the following supporting evidence: A summary of no more than 250 words outlining your daughter’s interest and suitability for a Sport Scholarship, including details of current participation in sport, level of achievement, alongside examples of character, creativity and sporting leadership potential A reference from your child’s current Head of PE/PE Teacher or external coach, where applicable We regret that due to the volume of applications received, if all the specified requirements outlined are not met, we will be unable to consider your daughter’s application.
Assessment Day Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend our Sport Scholarship assessment day in January. Further details of the assessment process and arrangements for the day will be provided to shortlisted applicants in December. Candidates should expect to demonstrate their sporting ability in their preferred sport and take part in a range of activities and leadership challenges designed to assess their athletic potential, physical aptitude, character and suitability for a Sport Scholarship.
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Art Scholarship The 11+ Art Scholarship offers up to a maximum 30% reduction on tuition fees per annum and recognises excellence in a wide variety of art forms. Our Scholarship programme includes: an enriched learning environment that enables artistic exploration and experimentation targeted advice and ongoing advice from experienced professionals support for all pupils wanting to pursue a career in creative industries by providing individually tailored advice and support with portfolio preparation Students applying for an Art Scholarship should: be a highly skilled, self-motivated and visually inventive learner who is confident in using art to express themselves place risk-taking and experimentation at the heart of their creative practice have a curiosity about art, artists, crafts, and the surrounding world and regularly make and view artwork outside of school be able to actively represent and promote the department within the school community and to external audiences
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Art Scholarship Application Process Please indicate on the 11+ Scholarship Application Form sent by the Admissions Team that you would like your daughter to be considered for an Art Scholarship. Within the form you will be required to submit the following supporting evidence: A statement of no more than 250 words outlining your daughter’s interest and passion for Art, and suitability for becoming an Art Scholar at St Helen’s A reference from your child’s current Art Teacher, either from her present school or an external Art club that she attends A PowerPoint portfolio* of five pieces of artwork completed between the ages 9 and 11 years that shows a variety of skills using different materials and types of art (for example, include painting, sketches, sculpture, photography). We do not recommend more than one Manga-style or cartoon character drawing in a portfolio and the candidate should choose the pieces of work themselves *Please present each of the five pieces of artwork on a separate slide in the PowerPoint portfolio. You may include text to indicate scale and the material(s) used, if this is not evident. No other text should be included. Please name your PowerPoint file using the format: “Daughter’s Surname - Daughter’s First Name - Current School”. We regret that due to the volume of applications received, if all the specified requirements outlined are not met, we will be unable to consider your daughter’s application.
Assessment Day Shortlisted candidates will be invited to our Art Scholarship group assessment in January. Further details of the assessment process and arrangements for the day will be provided to shortlisted applicants in December. Candidates will be required to bring their physical portfolio containing all the work submitted along with two other unseen pieces (these could be works in progress). 11+ Scholarships | 19
Drama Scholarship At Year 7 entry, a Drama Scholarship offers up to a maximum of 30% reduction on tuition fees per annum in addition to a range of opportunities, including: an invitation to participate in the Middle School play invitation(s) to attend Drama trips the opportunity to be an ambassador for Drama to the school community. personal mentorship with a Drama specialist Students applying for a Drama Scholarship should: have a passion for the Arts and live theatrical performance convey enthusiasm for drama and theatre be an excellent communicator and enjoy working as part of a team
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Drama Scholarship Application Process Please indicate on the 11+ Scholarship Application Form sent by the Admissions Team that you would like your daughter to be considered for a Drama Scholarship. Within the form you will be required to submit the following supporting evidence: One self-tape (video recording), up to 2 minutes long of either a learnt script (taken from a published play) or a presentation of how you would technically support a theatrical production using set, lighting, sound, or costume. When recording, please avoid using very high-quality camera settings in order to keep file sizes small (max 500MB upload) A statement of no more than 250 words outlining your daughter’s interest and passion for Drama, and suitability for becoming a Drama Scholar at St Helen’s A reference from your daughter’s current Drama teacher, either from the present school or an external Drama club you attend We regret that due to the volume of applications received, if all the specified requirements outlined are not met, we will be unable to consider your daughter’s application.
Assessment Day Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend our group Drama Scholarship assessment in January. Further details of the assessment process and arrangements for the day will be provided to shortlisted applicants in December. Candidates should expect to be led in improvisation and devising work as part of the assessment.
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Chess Scholarship At Year 7 entry a Chess Scholarship offers up to a 30% reduction on tuition fees per annum, to recognise outstanding players. In addition to the fee remission, they will receive experiences and opportunities that stretch their ability further, such as: access to the Thursday Chess Club and coaching sessions half-termly 1:1 masterclass with a grandmaster participation in in-person tournaments entry into termly online tournaments Students applying for a Chess Scholarship should: have an English Chess Federation rating of 900 or above have a keen passion for the game and participate regularly in online tournaments ideally be a member of an external chess club
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Chess Scholarship Application Process Please indicate on the 11+ Scholarship Application Form sent by the Admissions Team that you would like your daughter to be considered for a Chess Scholarship. Within the form you will be required to submit the following supporting evidence: A summary of no more than 250 words outlining your daughter’s interest in and passion for chess, and suitability to becoming a Chess Scholar at St Helen’s A reference from the chess club your daughter attends, either at her current school or externally We regret that due to the volume of applications received, if all the specified requirements outlined are not met, we will be unable to consider your daughter’s application.
Assessment Day Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend our Chess Scholarship assessment day in January. Further details of the assessment process and arrangements for the day will be provided to shortlisted applicants in December. Candidates should expect to discuss their interest in and understanding of chess, and to demonstrate their analytical and problem-solving skills as part of the assessment process.
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Next Steps Scholarship applications must be submitted no later than 12.00pm (midday) on Friday 20 November 2026. Parents will be notified by email in early December if their daughter has been shortlisted. Successful candidates will be invited to a group assessment day or interview in January 2027. The assessment dates for shortlisted candidates can be found on our Admissions page. As assessments are conducted in groups, we regret that alternative dates cannot be accommodated. Final scholarship decisions will be communicated as part of the offer letters issued on 12 February 2027. Please note that due to competitive nature of our scholarship programme, only a limited number of applicants will be invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process. We receive a high volume of applications and are therefore unable to provide detailed feedback on individual applications. If you require any further information, please contact the Admissions Department, on 01923 843230 or via email at admissions@sthelens.london.
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St Helen’s School Eastbury Road Northwood Middlesex HA6 3AS admissions@sthelens.london enquiries@sthelens.london 01923 843210 www.sthelens.london
@sthelensnorthwood @sthelensnorthwood St Helen’s School London @StHelensSchoolNorthwood