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Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Primary education

Sports Scholarships

17 replies

lifechangermum · 19/10/2015 14:08

Help please - sports scholarships often ask for 2 sports. Has anyone received one with excellence in one? I would be grateful for any information please. Thank you

OP posts:

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Lonecatwithkitten · 19/10/2015 15:54

Friends daughter got one from national development squad for swimming and consistent A team netball player ( no time for county).
So yes possible, but you really need to be national level in your sport.

Micah · 19/10/2015 16:05

For what? Private school?

If so, be wary. I've looked into it as one of mine is national level.

A). It's not much money. They tend to be "honorary"- I've seen one which was £100/year, the maximum I think was 15%.

B). if a child is on a sports scholarship, they are usually expected to represent the school as much as possible. If your child excels at one particular sport, the insistence that the child plays in all the school netball games, swim meets, track events, and participates in a lot of school sport, can interfere with their training. Particularly if the school don't offer that sport to that level (e.g gymnastics, or ice skating).

I'm afraid I've abandoned the idea of private school. Fortunately dc and their sport is fully supported at their current state primary. They really work with us to accommodate days off for comps, training schedule etc.

AnotherNewt · 19/10/2015 16:12

It really very much depends on the school. Did you have a chance to talk to the head of games when you visited? Or can you get in touch to ask about this?

Some schools really do want evidence of high level via clubs, country squads etc, but others don't and assess on both potential and achievement. You can only find out be asking. I've a vague impression that some schools are only interested in pre-formed high achievers, whereas others are confident in their coaching standards and are looking for potential and attitude.

You might like to ask whether they do have a programme for their scholars in particular and/or their top squads generally. Or is it just capture some strong performers by a nice discount to the fees, but offer nothing beyond their ordinary PE curriculum. There's a fair amount of variation. Also see how many teacher and coaches there are in the games department, and how many fixtures they have and how many teams they can put out.

Typically, you need to show a real strength in at least one of the main sports of the school plus other sporting interests. So if it's a school that has gymnastics as a major sport, then being an excellent gymnast plus generally sporty may well get them through the door for the assessment. Some schools will consider the good all-rounder - the type who is A team for everything, has committed participation (outside of school) and is fit/strong/co-ordinated. (They may also have an eye on whether the truly outstanding at county/national level will genuinely be available for weekend fixtures and early morning or after school coaching).

Also there may also be fitness tests (has your DC ever done a bleep test?)

lifechangermum · 19/10/2015 16:38

Thank you so much everyone for the valuable information its really helped me.

What's a bleep test????

OP posts:

Tiredemma · 19/10/2015 16:43

My son received a Sports Scholarship for excellence in one sport- he did also do well in another sport but the school was more interested in his first sport.

Agree with previous poster- big emphasis on being 'available' to represent the school most weekends etc.

great opportunity though.

AnotherNewt · 19/10/2015 16:46

It's a type of fitness test, used for quite a lot of sports and in quite a lot of schools.

Basically it's a shuttle run between two points (usually 20m apart) which you have to reach before the next beep. The interval between beeps decreases each time, so you have to run faster as the test goes on. The score is based on how many length you do before you can no longer beat the clock. You'll have google for what is considered a good score (over 20m, and probably other distances too) as I'm afraid I don't know off-hand.

Other sorts of physical jerks can be used for assessments, but I'm getting out of my depth here with the the detail.

LIZS · 19/10/2015 16:46

A bleep test is a fitness and stamina test. You run between 2 markers in time to a bleep sound which gradually decreases in intervals.

Usually you would need to show evidence of performance in one sports and good potential in another. I've known county level athletes who haven't got them as they didn't demonstrate enough potential in any other sport and another who did who was deemed super fit and only had one sport at elite level, at the same school!

Agree it may be a nominal £ amount and demand huge time commitment to train and represent the school.

TeddTess · 19/10/2015 19:22

it's not always based on a sport which the school excels in. I know one girl who excels in football with a sports scholarship to a school with hockey as the main sport (and no girls' football). transferrable skill/talent and generally high sports aptitude.

findingschools · 21/10/2015 22:42

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peacheym · 30/10/2017 19:22

Does anyone have a template for a sports scholarship cv? Thanks

GinGarden · 30/10/2017 23:28

peacheym I’m not sure such a thing exists? We just wrote down all his sporting achievements with the dates and results in chronological order. If you can include a photo or two and at least one valid reference then that helps.

Hersetta427 · 31/10/2017 09:44

Our local Indy offers sports scholarships (but only a reduction of 10-15% of fees). The applicant has to demonstrate an ability in one of the school's core sports (netball, rugby, swimming, hockey) which is bad news for DD as she plays regional level basketball and is on the performance development programme for girls cricket.

She instead sat the sports aptitude test for a top 10 in the country comp (which included 8-10 stations including a full bleep test) and we got her results last week and luckily she scored so highly she is now guaranteed a place so that's a huge relief for us.

Hoppinggreen · 31/10/2017 09:46

I know quite a few kids at DD's school who have a sports scholarship based on 1 sports but it's only worth 25%
I do know a boy at a different Private school with 100% on a rugby scholarship but the school is very very rugby focussed

GinGarden · 31/10/2017 09:54

10-15% is the norm with rest made up of a bursary. Most Sports Scholars are strong in one main sport (at least County level) and above average in at least one more.

Orangealien · 31/10/2017 10:05

I would just write the schools an email each

Eg: my dc is county level at xxx sport. Is this enough for him/her to be considered for a sports scholarship...

It's so variable so you need specific info

BubblesBuddy · 31/10/2017 17:36

Schools that offer a sports scholarship should have info about how to apply if you speak to the admissions officer. They may even have details on their web site. They may not award a sports scholarship at 11 though. Some will wait until 13 to get a better picture of capabilities and aptitude.

peacheym · 01/11/2017 09:09

Thank you Gingarden. I just assumed since they all ask for one there might me a standard format

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