Prospective parents
Admissions Secretary Telephone: 020 8891 2898 ext 250 Facsimile: 020 8744 9629 Email: admissions@stcatherineschool.co.uk
We currently have a waiting list for Reception Class - September 2008
Entrance Procedures
Ages of Entry
The usual ages of entry are 3 and 11. Occasional vacancies occur at other ages.
Registration
Early registration is advised for entry at all ages. There are Open Afternoons throughout the year to which we invite prospective pupils and their parents. Visits can also be arranged at other times. The school can accept applications from any area and is happy to accept advance registrations for younger children at any time. Pupils of other ages may also be accepted into the school, particularly if their family has moved into the area.
Admission to the Prep Department
Parents and pupils are invited to visit the school and meet the staff. Arrangements are then made for pupil assessment, which will become more formal depending on the age of the pupil. Information regarding the pupil’s current education is required prior to an offer of a place being made and the school will request a reference from the pupil’s current school.
Admission to the Senior School
Most pupils from our Prep department will proceed into the Senior School. For external candidates, entry to the Senior School is by written examination in January before entry in September. The closing date for registration is in November. Applicants take one-hour papers in Mathematics and English. All papers are designed to bring out the skills and potential of the candidates, whatever they may have covered in the past. Places are offered on the basis of performance in the examination, a report from the girl’s present school and an informal interview with the Headmistress.
Awards
Academic Scholarships These are available to pupils joining the school at 11+. Academic exhibitions are also available. Scholarships and exhibitions are awarded on the basis of the entrance examination and are available to internal and external candidates. Music Scholarships They are available to pupils joining the school at 11+. They are awarded on the basis of a practical examination and interview with the Head of Music. Candidates are expected to have reached a high standard on an orchestral or keyboard instrument. Consideration will be given to musical potential as well as actual achievement. Auditions will take place early in the Spring Term. Candidates are required to perform one substantial or two shorter pieces, on their principal instrument, and one piece on a second instrument (if studied). There are also sight-reading and aural tests. The examination will be held during January and is additional to the Year 7 entrance examination. It is expected that the holders of Music Scholarships will play a full role in the musical life of the School. Application forms for the music scholarships are available from the Admissions Secretary. Sports Scholarship This is available to pupils joining the school at 11+, and who have met the entry requirements in the entry examination. Sports scholarships are worth up to a quarter of the fees. Candidates are expected to have reached a high standard in at least one sport. They are required to attend an interview with the Head of PE and an assessment of practical skills will be carried out. It is expected that holders of a Sports Scholarship will play a full role in sporting life at the school. In addition, an Art Scholarship is available to pupils joining the school at 11+. Girls who are awarded scholarships will be expected to complete their education at St Catherine’s. The School reserves the right not to award scholarships in a particular year. Girls will be eligible for scholarship examination/interview only if they are committed/firm candidates for the Senior School. Scholarships are subject to an annual review and may be withdrawn if a scholar fails to meet the required standard or level of commitment. A major review takes place at the end of Year 11. Bursaries A small number of Bursary awards are available in the senior school to those girls who show good academic ability and whose parents are in need of financial assistance to meet fees.
Sibling Discounts
A reduction of 5% is made in the case of the second, and 10% in the case of the third or subsequent members of the same family, all of whom are in attendance as fee paying pupils at one and the same time.
School Information
School Uniform
All girls up to Year 11 wear the School uniform. The rules regarding uniform at St Catherine’s have a very clear rationale, and that is that we are a community with a corporate identity. Girls who look smart will have a positive self-image, and this will inevitably have an impact on their behaviour and the quality of their work. Staff and parents need to work together to achieve consistency with regards to the regulations.