Admissions Policy and Procedure

Bloxham School admits pupils of a wide range of academic abilities, regardless of
gender, race or creed, provided that they are judged capable of coping with the
Bloxham curriculum (mainstream academic), which will enable them to complete the
Sixth Form and gain entrance to university. Pupils with Specific Learning Difficulties
are admitted with the same proviso. Pupils with educational statements may be
admitted with the same proviso as above and provided that it is judged that the
school can meet their specific needs. The school will provide information to the local
authority concerned to facilitate the annual review of each statemented pupil.
A boy or girl may be registered for the School at any time, although registration does
not provide a guaranteed offer of a place. In the year prior to entry, parents are
normally asked to confirm the registration and pay the deposit; this is a binding
contract between parents and the School.

This policy should be read in conjunction with the SEN and Scholarships and
Bursaries Policies.

Entry at 11+ (day and weekly boarding)
Boys and girls qualify by sitting our Entrance Examination which takes place in
January each year. Scholarships may be awarded for an outstanding performance
in this examination.

Entry at age 13 (day and boarding)
A pupil at age 13 may qualify by sitting Common Entrance, by sitting the School’s
Scholarship Examination, or, for boys and girls who have not been prepared for
these examinations, by sitting other tests. These tests are usually taken at the
School, during the Lent term and the Headmaster would request a report from the
previous school.
Entry is sometimes possible for pupils at age 14 or 15 on the basis of transfer from
other schools, though the Headmaster is likely to ask such candidates to sit entry
tests and would require a report from the previous school.
Entry at age 16 (day and boarding)
Candidates for entry to the Sixth Form are asked to complete a two-part form.
Section A is filled in by the candidate, it should then be passed with Section B to
their present Head, who is asked to give further information and return the
completed form to Bloxham. Candidates are then invited to Bloxham for an
interview with senior members of the staff. There is an inter-school agreement that
no offers should be made before 1st December. Offers are only made to those who
are expected comfortably to achieve the requirement for entry to the Sixth Form of
three B grade and three C grade GCSEs, with at least a B grade in the subjects
they wish to study at AS Level.

Overseas Students
In the case of overseas students, it is our policy for applicants to visit Bloxham for
their interview and entrance exams. All Scholarship examinations must be taken at
Bloxham. Pupils for whom English is an additional language are admitted but must
be able to cope with the Bloxham curriculum; if, following assessment, it is deemed
necessary for a pupil to receive EAL support, this will be provided but charged to
parents. The School makes allowance for those of different cultures and
backgrounds and ensures they are fully integrated. Dietary needs are catered for
and there is sensitivity to prolonged absence from home.

Policy on Scholarships and Bursaries
In line with the charitable objective of Woodard Schools to ‘extend and promote
education’ and with its own mission to ‘to make such an education available to as
many children as possible’, as part of its Vision and Values, Bloxham School seeks
to ‘develop each individual’s talents’ and to ‘recognise commitment and success’ by
means of merit awards and bursaries as long as funds are available.
Merit Awards (for pupils entering Bloxham from September 2011)
At each of the three main points of entry (11+, 13+ and 16+) the School offers a
number of merit awards each year to recognise talent in the following areas:
Academic
Music
Art
Design & Technology

Sport (13+ and 16+ only)
Scholarships are the major merit awards and are worth a reduction in the fees of up
to 20% and are subject to regular review.
Exhibitions are the lesser merit awards which are worth a reduction in the fees of
up to 10% and are subject to regular review.
Parents who wish to do so may redirect the fee reduction back into the School’s
Bursary Fund.
In cases of need these merit awards may be boosted by bursarial support, the level
of which is gauged from evidence from our means testing ‘blue form’, which parents
should request and complete.

Bursaries
Bloxham School seeks to widen access to its mainstream academic education by
offering bursarial support to parents who would not otherwise be able to afford the
fees. The level of support will be judged by evidence from our means testing ‘blue
form’ which parents are required to complete annually. The main proviso is that
such support will only be given to children who will be able to cope with the rigours of
the Bloxham curriculum and who will make a positive contribution to the life of the
School.

The Raymond Trust is able to offer generous support to talented pupils for whose
parents Bloxham’s fees are out of reach. (13+ only)
Generous support is available to children of Armed Forces personnel, Clergy,
Teachers and Old Bloxhamists (who may also be able to apply to the Woodard
Benefit Fund).