Admissions Guide 2024 by Lord Wandsworth College

Admissions

A GUIDE FOR PARENTS

Introduction

Each year we welcome 60 children into our Junior House in 1st Form (Year 7), and 60 into the Senior School in 3rd Form (Year 9).

In addition, each year students join us in the Sixth Form from schools both in the local area and from further afield. Entry into other year groups is possible dependent on availability.

We are selective but not ‘highly selective’. All candidates should be capable of achieving 10 good passes at GCSE and be enthusiastic about contributing to the whole school community.

We offer full, weekly, and flexi boarding in all year groups as well as day places, and each year we are able to support a number of means-tested bursaries.

LWC welcomes pupils from all over the world, and we have a thriving international community with students from North America, Africa, Asia, and Europe.

The Lord Wandsworth Foundation supports children who have been bereaved of one or both parents or have lost their support through other circumstances, to benefit from the structure and stability of a boarding environment. If you are considering applying for a Foundation place, please click the button below for further information.

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Visits and Open Days

Our Open Events, held throughout the year, provide an excellent opportunity for you to find out more about us and to explore our stunning 1,200-acre campus, including our Houses, our state-of-the-art Science Centre, and our new Sixth Form Centre. All our events give you the chance to see the College on a normal working day and meet the Headmaster and some of our wonderful pupils.

At our Headmaster’s Receptions, we host up to 20 families. The morning starts with coffee and the opportunity to meet informally with the Headmaster and some of our senior academic and pastoral staff. This is followed by an address from our Headmaster and a tour with some of our pupils.

At our Open Mornings, we host a larger number of families. The mornings start with a pupil-led tour of the campus, where you’ll get the chance to ask questions of those who really know what goes on! This is followed by coffee and a welcome talk from the Headmaster, plus a Q&A session with a panel of students.

Personal visits, which can be tailored to your child’s individual needs and interests,

can also be arranged.

To book a place at our next event, please click here.

OPEN EVENT BOOKINGS

If you are unable to visit us in person, please do take a look at our virtual tour which can be found here.

VIRTUAL TOUR

For more information on our Open Days or to arrange a personal visit on a different day, please email Admissions.

ADMISSIONS

Entry at 1st Form

ADMISSION PROCESS

At 11, students join our fabulous Junior House, home to all our 1st and 2nd Form pupils. Surrounded by its own playing fields and gardens, Junior provides the perfect starting point for the LWC journey.

You may register your child at any time although we recommend the ideal time to be two years prior to entry. The deadline for registration is 1st December prior to the year of entry. If you miss the registration deadline and we still have places available, we are happy to accept late applications. All candidates who have registered are invited to take the LWC Pre-Test which can be taken either at their current school or at the College in the Autumn term of their Year 6. For further information on the LWC Pre-Test and for sample questions, please click here.

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In addition, all candidates are invited to our innovative assessment morning, which allows us to evaluate their full potential in creative thinking, problem solving, analysis and teamwork. For further information on our assessment morning, please click here.

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We also request reports from current schools during the Autumn term of Year 6. Offers are made prior to the February halfterm of Year 6

Scholarships for 1st Form

Each year we offer up to ten scholarships for entry into 1st Form. The majority of scholarships are honorary but a small number carry a financial award of up to 10% reduction in annual school fees. Scholarships can be augmented by a means tested bursary.

For 1st Form the following scholarships are available: Academic, Performing Arts, Sports.

For further details and information on how to apply for scholarship please click here.

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Entry at 3rd Form

ADMISSION PROCESS

Pupils joining us in 3rd Form are all members of one of our seven senior boarding houses, and enjoy the support of their Houseparent, their Resident Tutors, and of course their Matrons!

The ideal time to register is three years prior to entry as we pre-test candidates while they are in Year 6. The deadline for registration is 1st December of Year 6. If you miss the registration deadline and we still have places available, we are happy to consider late applications. All candidates who have registered are invited to take the LWC Pre-Test which can be taken either at their current school or at the College in the Autumn term of their Year 6. For further information on the LWC Pre-Test and for sample questions, please click here.

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We also request reports from current schools during the Autumn term of Year 6. Deferred offers are made prior to the February half-term of Year 6.

Scholarships at 3rd Form

Each year we offer up to ten scholarships for entry in 3rd Form. The majority of scholarships are honorary but a small number will carry a financial award of up to 10% reduction in annual school fees. Scholarships can be augmented by a means tested bursary.

At 13+ the following scholarships are available: Academic, Art, Performing Arts, Sports, All-Rounder.

For further details and information on how to apply for scholarship please click here.

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Entry to Sixth Form

ADMISSION PROCESS

Our Sixth Form students consistently achieve excellent exam results, while still enjoying our extensive co-curricular activities and leadership opportunities. A growing focus on life after school means they develop greater confidence and ambition as they prepare for university and beyond. With the opening of Zanetas, our new Sixth Form Centre, now is a great time to be joining us.

Our current requirement for entry into the Sixth Form is a minimum of six grade 5s at GCSE (or the equivalent) preferably with at least a grade 7 in the subjects to be studied at A Level.

Candidates are invited to attend one of our Sixth Form Assessment Days in the autumn term where they will meet the Sixth Form Leadership Team and College Prefects, giving them the opportunity to find out more about life in the LWC Sixth Form. The deadline for registration is 1st December prior to year of entry and

Scholarships at Sixth Form

places are offered during January in the year prior to entry.

For our full guide to the Sixth Form please click here.

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To register for the Sixth Form please click here.

Each year we offer up to ten scholarships for entry in the Sixth Form. The majority of scholarships are honorary but a small number will carry a financial award of up to 10% reduction in annual school fees. Scholarships can be augmented by a means tested bursary. At sixth form the following scholarships are available: Academic, Art, Performing Arts, Sports, All-Rounder.

For further details and information on how to apply for scholarship please click here.

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International Students

We offer our international boarders a home from home, allowing them to immerse themselves into the British culture in a wonderfully friendly and supportive way.

All students applying for places must have a high level of written and spoken English in order to cope with the academic and social demands of life in a boarding school. Pupils applying whose first language is not English will be asked to undertake an English assessment.

Candidates entering at Sixth Form may be asked to sit tests in subjects they are proposing to study at A Level, and whilst they do not need to have taken an IELTS test prior to entry, the expected level of English for Sixth Form is IELTS 5.5+.

The application process is made up of three components: entrance tests, an informal interview with the Headmaster, a member of the Senior Leadership Team, or the Head of Sixth Form, plus a report from the candidate’s school.

Entrance tests are online and can be taken at the applicants current school. Whilst we would prefer to meet applicants in person we are happy to arrange an

online interview.

All students whose parents do not live in the UK are required to have a UK based guardian. This can be a family member or friend; however, they must be contactable and able to accommodate the pupil in the case of an emergency and when school is closed, for example at half terms and exeat weekends.

The College is a UKVI license holder and can sponsor stundets under the Student Visa scheme.

For further information about life as an international student at LWC please click here.

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To register please click here.

Registration

To register for a place please complete our online form which can be found here.

Whilst we accept registrations throughout the year the following deadlines apply:

For 1st Form entry

December 1st of year prior to entry

For 3rd Form entry

December 1st of Year 6

For Sixth Form entry

December 1st of year prior to entry

A non-refundable registration fee of £250 is payable at this point.

Please note that registration does not guarantee your child a place at the school but does ensure that they are entered into our assessment process.

Further Information

Admission Fees

A non-refundable fee of £250 is payable on registration.

To accept an offer a deposit of £1,000 (or a term’s fees for international pupils) must be paid. If the pupil does not take up the place after acceptance the deposit is nonrefundable.

Deposits are refunded without interest after the pupil has left the school and after all fees and extras have been settled.

Fee Support

Bursarys are available where parents can demonstrate that they would not otherwise be able to send their child to the College because of limited financial means. Discounts are available when three or more siblings attend the College or St Neot’s concurrently.

ADMISSIONS

Curriculum Support

Our Curriculum Support department caters for a variety of learning needs. It is important that we are made aware of any additional learning requirements your child has at the beginning of the application process. We will request learning support reports from your child’s current school and will need to see any specialist reports so that we can make sure we are able to fully support your child.

If you would like to arrange to speak to our Head of Curriculum Support prior to your application please contact Admissions.

ADMISSIONS