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Bursaries, Scholarships and Allowances
Means-tested Bursaries are the main form of financial support for children at Woodhouse Grove School. They are not offered at Bronte House (2-11 years).
Bursaries can only be applied for once the full admissions process has been undertaken and a place has been offered. The number of bursary requests for places always exceeds the financial support available, so unfortunately we do have to disappoint a number of families. There are typically around 10 bursaries offered for Year 7 places. Bursary applications for all other years must be submitted by May (before September entry).
Bursaries have to be applied for on an annual basis so that any material changes in circumstances can be taken into account. Please read the Bursary Criteria below for more details.
Bursaries
Please note that the School does not offer Awards to cover 100% of the fee.
Bursary Criteria:
Applicants must have shown an outstanding level of merit through the admissions process, namely in the Entrance Exam, Interview and report from the applicants current school.
Those who meet this criteria will be invited to submit a Bursary Application. Please note the offer of a place doesn't confirm that a bursary application can be submitted. The school awards around 10 bursaries per year to Year 7 pupils.
If your child has been offered a place and you requested bursary support we will assess if your child has met our criteria to be awarded a bursary. If they have, you will be sent a link to fill in a bursary form online, if they have not then your offer is for a full fee place only.
If you have been invited to submit a Bursary application form applications must be;
1. Submitted on time
2. Properly completed with full supporting documentation, any incomplete forms will not be processed. Household gross income, assets and liabilities will be considered.
Awards will be made on a sliding scale according to the families’ financial circumstances at the time of application. As well as income, other elements will be taken into account when deciding the Award percentage. For instance, the Award percentage will be reduced in the following instances;
1. Where there are two parents with only one in employment (unless the non-working parent is incapacitated, restricted by their partner’s employment obligations or prevented from working due to responsibilities as a carer)
2. Where it is the view of the School that the lifestyle of the family in question could be adapted to accommodate school fees. For instance, if this lifestyle includes: the possession of luxury vehicles or similar assets; taking multiple or costly holidays; the payment of school fees to another independent school for another child or children.
For Year 7 places, if your child has been offered a place and meets our bursary criteria, you will receive a link to our online Bursary Form within a couple of days of the offer (if you ticked for financial assistance on your Application Form).
The deadline for Bursary Applications for Year 7 September 2025 entry is Friday 14th February 2025.
Please note that the offer of a place does not confirm that you have met our bursary criteria.
For families in membership of a Methodist Church, means-tested bursaries are also available via a fund administered by the Board of Management of Methodist Schools.
Sixth Form Headmaster's Awards are awarded following an interview; these are subject to actual GCSE grades.
There are a limited number of Headmaster’s Scholarships, awarded annually to exceptional candidates entering the school.
These are awarded as a discount on the full boarding or day fees. These awards can also be supplemented by a means tested bursary should the financial circumstances of the family necessitate it.
Scholarships cannot be applied for and are awarded to exceptional candidates who excel throughout the admissions process (results of the entrance examination, a pupil interview and a report from the applicant’s current school). Late applicants are unlikely to be considered for scholarships due to fund allocation.
Applicants to Year 7 can be awarded Academic Scholarships or Headmaster's Awards, scholarship recipients will be informed of their award in their offer letter. In addition to the honour of a scholarship it will also have a monetary value per annum which will be deducted from the school fees. Scholarships are reviewed on entry to the Sixth Form for existing scholars. The next point at which the Headmaster may consider current students for scholarships is on transition to the Sixth Form.
The exception to this is Music Scholarships, which can be applied for when entering into Y7, more information about these scholarships will be sent out with assessment information. Children must have passed Grade 3 in their chosen instrument to be invited to a scholarship audition.
Headmaster’s Awards are available in the Sixth Form upon application to the Headmaster. These are awarded for recognised contribution that students will make to Grove life, these can be across different aspects of school life.
Scholarship awards are fixed at the same level throughout a pupil’s career at Woodhouse Grove but are subject to the scholar maintaining a satisfactory level of work, behaviour and academic progress.
Click for Allowances information
The Forces Allowance is a small additional award available to parents in the armed services that contributes towards the difference between the MOD allowance, the School Fee and the Minimum Parental Contribution required by the armed services.
For families in membership of a Methodist Church, means-tested bursaries are also available via a fund administered by the Board of Management of Methodist Schools.
For further details of any of the financial support available please contact the Headmaster or Finance Director.
