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Original poster

Westminster School Scholarship?

28 replies

silverflowers · 22/08/2018 15:20

My dd is going into year 10 in her grammar school. I know this is early but she's set on getting a scholarship to Westminster School for sixth form. She got full marks in the 11+, has been on the gifted and talented seem since she was old enough and is predicted all 8s and 9s (straight a*s) for her gcses. (a lot brighter than I am haha). I was wondering how hard the scholarship exam is, and what it contains, there is barely any information anywhere and she wants to be prepared.

OP posts:
Original poster
silverflowers · 22/08/2018 20:27

michaelahpurple, yes, westminster is just one of the few my dd is considering but I am worried about how tough it is to get into. Thank you, I'll sit down with her and call the school because I do think it would be good for her to have something to work towards.

needmoresleep, primarily I do mean scholarships. Dd is predicted all a*s at gcse and should be on track to get that, but I know there will be other factors. She is at a state grammar school and if she got a scholarship she would hopefully qualify for a bursary on top (the school's website says they do do this for scholars) and we could be able to hopefully pay the rest as it would only be for two years. Thank you very much, I've always told her she's got nothing to lose so I will let her try for what she wants.

OP posts:
Needmoresleep · 22/08/2018 18:15

Girl scholars are new, the first awarded this year, so you are probably best asking the school about them. I am not sure if there are separate Scholarship exams in the way there are for boys joining at 13.

Do you really mean bursaries? If so, you need to be good enough to get a place, and then meet the bursary criteria, and hope there is enough money in the pot.

My observation, which may be wrong as people tend not to talk about bursaries, is that Westminster do like to see diversity amongst there sixth form intake, and so will take several from state schools, of whom some may well have bursaries. (And will also offer bursaries to some who are in receipt of bursaries at their current private schools.)

I am not convinced you need to be super bright to get into Westminster sixth form, though some clearly are. You need to be A/A* material, but as importantly I think they look for girls who will make a contribution to school life and who will benefit from what the school has to offer. Applicant numbers are high, but someone has to get in, and it is fab school so is worth a shot.

Michaelahpurple · 22/08/2018 17:38

Given how very competitive it is to get a girl's place at Westminster at all, one has to assume that it is spectacularly difficult to get one of the 4 scholarships.
But why is a scholarship necessary? Unusually, the Westminster scholarships do bring significant fee reduction, but scholars have to board, this still leaves a big bill. But I don't believe that you need to have a scholarship to apply for a bursary, so might that be a possiblity.
And if targeting a scholarship is chiefly for "glory", then I think winning a girls' place would fulfil that alone!
But, as with all these things, worth a bash! Call the school when they open later in the month and they will be happy to explain what is involved, I am sure.