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Bursaries and Awards at The Grove
We offer a number of Bursaries and Awards to students entering The Grove from Year 7 to Year 12.
Our Bursaries
Means-tested Bursaries represent the primary form of financial support at Woodhouse Grove School; please note that these are not available for Brontë House (ages 2–11).
Applications for financial support can only be made once the full admissions process is complete and a formal offer of a place has been extended. Because demand consistently exceeds our available funds, we unfortunately cannot approve every request. Typically, we award around 10 bursaries for Year 7 entry each year. For entry into all other year groups, bursary applications must be submitted by May prior to September admission.
To ensure support is allocated fairly, bursaries are reassessed on an annual basis to accommodate any significant changes in financial circumstances. For further details on eligibility and requirements, please review our Bursary Criteria below.
Bursary Allocation & Criteria
Because our bursary funding is limited and demand consistently exceeds availability, we apply strict financial and academic criteria when making awards. Please note that Woodhouse Grove School does not offer 100% fee remission (fully funded places).
Key Information
Academic and Merit Criteria
Securing a formal offer of a place does not automatically mean a child has met the criteria for bursary consideration. If your child meets our high benchmark and you indicated a need for financial assistance on your initial application, you will be invited to apply for a bursary. If they do not meet this benchmark, the offer will remain for a full-fee place only.
The Application Process
Financial Assessment & Sliding Scale
The percentage of financial assistance may be reduced in scenarios such as:
Single-Income Households:
Where there are two parents but only one is in employment (unless the non-working parent is incapacitated, restricted by their partner’s employment obligations, or has full-time caring responsibilities).
Lifestyle Factors:
Where the School determines that household expenditure could be adapted to accommodate school fees. This includes, but is not limited to: the possession of luxury vehicles/assets, multiple or costly holidays, or the payment of fees to other independent schools for siblings.
Methodist Church Bursaries
Awards
Headmaster’s Awards
There are a limited number of Headmaster’s Awards awarded to applicants in Year 7 and Year 12.
In addition to the honour of an Award it will also have a monetary value per annum which will be deducted from the school fees.
These awards can also be supplemented by a means tested bursary should the financial circumstances of the family necessitate it.
Headmaster’s Awards 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 awards due to fund allocation.
Applicants to Year 7 are automatically assessed for Headmaster’s Awards, with recipients informed of their award in their offer letter.
Awards are reviewed on entry to the Sixth Form for existing scholars. The next point at which the Headmaster may consider current students for awards is on transition to the Sixth Form.
Year 7 Shine Awards
Are you consistently top of your class academically?
Do you regularly receive Players’ Player or Coaches’ Player at your club?
Are you involved in productions at your local theatre or performing arts group?
Are you a Grade 3 or above in your favourite instrument?
Have you been selected for a representative or development pathway?
At Woodhouse Grove, we have always been proud to recognise talent and maximise potential. We are now strengthening this commitment by giving Year 7 applicants the opportunity to tell us, from the very beginning of the Admissions Process, what makes them shine.
A range of awards, offering both prestige and financial support, will be offered to applicants who meet our criteria and demonstrate talent and achievement in our three focus categories:
We will not be holding any formal assessment days or interviews for our scholarships. Instead, we will be going out into the community, visiting candidates in their own environments where they feel most at ease, to watch them perform, compete and showcase their talents.
This initiative places pupil voice and individual talent at the heart of our admissions process, celebrating potential from the outset.
Applicants who wish to be considered for an award should demonstrate excellence within their year group, club, performance space, or musical discipline. Applicants will be notified if they have met our criteria and are in consideration for an award in their category.
For detailed criteria for each Award category, please see below:
Academic
Applicants will have the opportunity on the application form to select whether they wish to be considered for an Academic Award. If selected, they will be invited to outline their key academic strengths, achievements, and any additional areas of extension or enrichment.
For Academic Awards, assessment will be based on a combination of evidence sources to ensure a fair and consistent view of each applicant’s ability. This will include:
• A stretch academic assessment completed during our Candidate Day, designed to identify pupils working well above age-related expectations.
• Review of current school reports, with a focus on academic attainment, effort and consistency.
• Consideration of any standardised test data provided by the applicant’s current school (where available).
Applicants should demonstrate one or more of the following:
• Consistently high academic attainment across core subjects within their current school setting.
• Evidence of working above age-related expectations in one or more subject areas.
• Strong reasoning, problem-solving, and analytical skills demonstrated through assessment outcomes.
• A clear enthusiasm for learning, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to apply knowledge in unfamiliar or challenging contexts.
Academic Awards will be determined through this structured assessment and evidence-based review process, ensuring a fair and consistent benchmark for all applicants.
This Award is intended for pupils who clearly excel academically and who demonstrate the potential to thrive in a highly challenging and ambitious academic environment.
Performing Arts & Music
Applicants will have the opportunity on the application form to select whether they wish to be considered for a Performing Arts & Music Award. If selected, they will then be invited to outline their key achievements, performances, qualifications and experiences.
Applicants should meet one or more of the following criteria:
• Be a leading performer within their school productions, ensembles, or performance groups, demonstrating confidence, skill and impact.
• Be actively involved in external performing arts organisations (e.g. theatre groups, dance schools, choirs, orchestras, or bands) and recognised as a key contributor within these settings.
• Have achieved measurable musical or performance milestones, such as graded music examinations (typically Grade 3 or above, or equivalent), significant performance roles, or solo performance experience.
• Demonstrate outstanding achievement in performance-based competitions, shows, festivals, or showcases, with evidence of recognition, awards or selection.
Where applicants are identified as meeting our criteria, the Grove Performing Arts team will take a proactive, outward-facing approach - engaging directly within the community in true Grove style. This allows us to experience young performers in environments where they are most confident and naturally expressive, whether on stage or in rehearsal. We firmly believe that the most authentic insight into talent comes from observing it in the settings where it is genuinely lived and performed.
Externally measured achievements, such as graded music examinations or equivalent qualifications, will be used as clear evidence of ability. In addition, where pupils take part in live performances including shows, productions, or showcases, our team will aim to attend and experience their performance first-hand wherever possible.
Applicants will also be invited to submit a 1-minute showreel (where applicable to their talent), providing an additional opportunity to share their abilities directly with us. We recognise that, due to scheduling and access, it will not always be possible to attend every performance.
This Award is intended for pupils who clearly excel above their peers in Performing Arts & Music and who show the potential to make a vibrant and lasting contribution to the creative life of the school.
Sport
Applicants will have the opportunity on our application form to select whether they wish to be considered for a Sports Award. If selected, they will then be invited to list their actual key sporting achievements, experiences and representative honours.
Applicants should meet one or more of the following criteria:
• Be a key player within their school team, consistently performing at a high level and contributing significantly to team success.
• Regularly play at ‘A team’ level (or above) for their club within their age group, and be recognised as one of the leading players in the team.
• Demonstrate exceptional individual performance through measurable achievement, such as breaking records, achieving standout times, or ranking at the top of their age category in their sport.
• Have been selected for representative level sport (e.g. district, county, regional, or equivalent pathway teams) through competitive trials or selection processes.
For applicants who are felt to meet our criteria, our Grove Games Team will be actively out in the community - this is very much the Grove style - seeing people where they perform at their best. We will observe candidates in real competitive environments to help inform the awarding process, ensuring we see talent in action where it is most naturally expressed.
This Award is intended for pupils who clearly excel above their peers in sport and who demonstrate the potential to make a significant contribution to the sporting life of the school.
To apply for a SHINE Award, Year 7 applicants should fill in the Application Form on our Joining us in Year 7 page.
Specialist Allowances
At The Grove, we offer a select number of specialist allowances for families with specific circumstances.
For further details of any of the financial support available please contact the Headmaster or Finance & Operations Director.
Sibling Allowance
For families with more than three children enrolled at the school, the 10% discount will apply as follows:
4 children enrolled = eldest 2 students receive fee-reduction
5 children enrolled = eldest 3 students receive fee-reduction
Please note: Sibling Allowance is not available for families with two children enrolled. Discount does not include lunch. Fee reduction will begin in Year 1 and conclude in Year 13.
Forces Allowance
Methodist Church Bursaries