Bursaries & Scholarships
Life-changing opportunities
Northampton High School is part of the Girls Day School Trust (GDST), the largest group of independent girls’ schools in the UK. As a charity, the GDST awards bursaries and scholarships to the brightest and most deserving girls so that the largest possible number of talented girls can receive the benefit of a GDST education.
In particular, the GDST focuses its support on girls for whom the chance of a GDST education would be a transformative and life-changing experience. If your daughter would benefit from the educational experience that Northampton High offers, but your family is not in a position to cover the full fees, you may be eligible for a GDST Bursary.
Scholarships and bursaries may be held concurrently. Scholarships and bursaries usually stay in place for the time that your daughter remains at Northampton High School.
Scholarships
Our Scholarships are awarded to pupils in recognition of outstanding achievement. Scholarships are awarded to selected students entering Year 7, Year 9 and Sixth Form (Year 12).
Scholarships do not hold a remission in fees and are not means tested. Scholarships normally stay with the pupil throughout their time with us, up to the end of Sixth Form. It is possible to hold more than one Scholarship. Scholarships may be held alongside a Bursary.
Scholars will have access to our Scholars’ Programme, which recognises, rewards and celebrates our pupils’ characteristics, talents, interests and aptitudes, whilst providing them with enrichment and support. We offer ongoing development opportunities for students to build on their talents, model behaviour and represent the school in an ambassadorial manner.
Our Scholars:
- receive an annual award of up to £500, to enhance their academic interests.
- are given dedicated support to guide them in their supra-curricular and cocurricular activities.
- are invited to attend an annual Scholars’ Celebration.
- are invited to attend discussions on pupil-led topics, critical thinking sessions and lectures.
- are invited to attend an annual Scholars’ event. This could be to a museum, exhibition, theatre, lecture or a series of workshops or talks.
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In recognition of excellence in academic results in our entrance assessment, and performance in our Reach Scholarship paper.
The application process for external candidates is as follows:
The candidate’s performance in the entrance academic assessments and the additional Reach Scholarship papers will allow the school to identify the Reach Scholarship awardees.
- Students for Year 7 entry (11+) and Year 9 entry (13+) will be invited to sit for the Reach Scholarship upon achieving a high-scoring performance in our entrance assessment papers.
- Students for Year 12 entry (16+) will be invited to sit an Entrance Assessment examination, which comprises a cognitive ability assessment and an essay paper. Upon achieving a high-scoring performance, applicants will be awarded a Reach Scholarship.
The application process for internal candidates (current Northampton High School students) is as follows:
- Year 7 entry: Current Northampton High School pupils automatically move from the Junior to the Senior School. Current Year 6 pupils are invited to ‘opt in’ for the Reach Scholarship application process.
- Year 9 entry: Current Year 8 pupils are invited to ‘opt in’ for the Reach Scholarship application process.
- Year 12 entry: Current Year 11 students are invited to ‘opt in’ for the Reach Scholarship application process.
All candidates for the Reach Scholarships will be invited for an interview with the Head or a member of the Senior Leadership Team.
Year 7 and Year 9 Reach Scholarship applicants will be invited to sit the Reach Scholarship papers on a specific date in January, which will take place after the Year 7 and Year 9 entrance assessment days.
Year 12 Reach Scholarship applicants will be invited to sit the Reach Scholarship papers in November.
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Flair Scholarship
In recognition of demonstrated talent (Art , Creative Writing Sports, Dance, Drama, Fashion Textiles, Food, Music etc.).
The application process for external and internal candidates is as follows:
- A written piece (by hand or typed, 500 to 1000 words) outlining the key reasons why they are deserving of the scholarship award, some detail about what they have been involved with to demonstrate their endeavour and how they will give back to the life of the school such as mentoring younger students, delivering presentations in assembly, etc.
● A video piece outlining or demonstrating their talent in the activity/activities/interests (maximum 2 minutes). Other formats may be considered – please contact the Admissions team if you would like to discuss your ideas before applying.
Successful shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview with the Head, members of the Senior Leadership Team, and relevant Heads of Faculty or Subject Leaders.
Year 7 and Year 9 Scholarship interviews are held in January.
Year 12 Flair Scholarship interviews are held in November/early December.
- A written piece (by hand or typed, 500 to 1000 words) outlining the key reasons why they are deserving of the scholarship award, some detail about what they have been involved with to demonstrate their endeavour and how they will give back to the life of the school such as mentoring younger students, delivering presentations in assembly, etc.
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In recognition of characteristics prized by the School.
The application process for external and internal candidates is as follows:
- A written piece (by hand or typed, 500 to 1000 words) outlining the key reasons why they are deserving of the scholarship award, some detail about what they have been involved with to demonstrate their endeavour and how they will give back to the life of the school such as running a competition or project, inviting a speaker to give a talk with the aim of promoting awareness and/or interest in a particular topic.
Successful shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview with the Head or a member of the Senior Leadership Team.
Year 7 and Year 9 Scholarship interviews are held in January.
The Head and/or Director of Sixth Form will interview Year 12 Spirit Scholarship applicants in November/early December.
Bursaries
If your daughter would benefit from the educational experience that Northampton High School offers, but your family is not in a position to cover the full fees, you may be eligible for a GDST Bursary. To be considered for a Bursary we ask that all girls are registered with us. Bursaries are only offered to pupils entering Year 7 or Year 12. For entry in September 2024, the deadline for submitting a Bursary application is Saturday 30 November 2024.
When and how should I apply for a Bursary?
If you are interested in applying for a Bursary for your daughter, you should register her for a place with us by the end of October 2024, by completing our online Registration Form.
Once your daughter is registered, you will be able to submit a Bursary application on your parent online registration account.
The online Bursary application should be completed by Saturday 30 November 2024. Applications after this date will regrettably not be considered.
You will be asked to submit proof of your income and assets, such as P60s, payslips, HMRC self-assessment forms, mortgage statements, council tax bills, or recent benefits paperwork. These can be uploaded directly to the site via the Document Phase of the application process.
The outcome of your Bursary application will be communicated to you in mid-February 2025. Please contact Miss Olivia Cheng, Registrar, at o.cheng@nhs.gdst.net with any questions.
Does my daughter qualify for a Bursary?
Bursaries are means tested according to parental income and assets.
All Bursary applicants are required to sit an entrance assessment and may also be invited to sit the Reach Scholarship assessment.
Due to the large number of Bursary applications received, financial eligibility does not guarantee a Bursary award. Academic merit and performance in the assessments are also taken into account when making a decision regarding a Bursary award.
Bursary awards can be up to 100% of the value of the tuition fees and are offered to selected girls entering Year 7 and Year 12.
The amount of the Bursary and number of Bursaries awarded depends on local demand and the funding available.
Bursaries awarded for less than full fees are done so on a graded scale, according to parental income and assets.
For further information on the eligibility, please refer to the GDST Bursary information here.
Bursaries are reassessed annually, in case of a change in circumstances. A bursary award may go up or down to reflect such changes. This ensures those most in need continue to receive our support.