Eton New Foundation Scholarship -- girls' equivalent?

[wrapsuperstar]

Disclaimer: This is entirely just idle curiosity. I have one teeny (though spectacularly bright!) two year old DD and another on the way in June, so a long way from scholarships, admissions etc.

I was rhapsodising to my DH about these scholarships last night, saying how wonderful it would be if more independent schools were able/willing to reach out in this way. Now, I know Eton is rather exceptional -- huge school, high fees, enormous, secure endowment and very high profile. So obviously as an institution they are in a great place to do a bit of work to be more accessible (still a bit of a drop in the ocean, but I commend the effort).

It did get me wondering, though, if super-bright but not super-wealthy girls have any access to a similar opportunity. Being rather new to the game of thinking this much about education entirely, I am pretty clueless about what is out there apart from high profile, big name initiatives like this. I did go to an indie as a girl, on full academic/charitable scholarship, but this is very rare as I understand it and the school I went to is no longer working anywhere near as hard to attract pupils like the girl I was.

Do please be gentle with me! Would love to know if any parents of girls have found any exciting opportunities for their talented daughters.

Christ hospital school is probably your best bet

www.christs-hospital.org.uk/

Or there are state boarding schools if you don't like your local secondaries. I don't think the equivalent girls public schools have the level in endowances to pay for full scholarships like Eton.

It's not as rare as it once was. Most boarding schools will take at least two or three full scholarship (by which I mean bursary) children each year.

The processes and selection criteria vary wildly so it's a case of picking a few schools you like the look of and doing lots of research.

Then of course you have to be very lucky, and it obviously helps if your DD is very bright/sporty/arty/dramatic/musical.

There is no 'eton' equivalent, girls education doesn't have such a long history for a start!

But you'll find sisters of Eton boys at a variety of schools, Wycombe Abbey, Downe House, Tudor Hall, Cheltenham Ladies, Sherbourne Girls, or coed options like Marlborough or Stowe.