Each academic year at Rydal Penrhos, two Year 7 and two Year 12 Fully Funded Places are awarded to bright children who are financially eligible. Occasionally, Fully Funded Places are available in other academic years, and information about these is available from the Admissions Department.

Pupil criteria:

The Year 7 places are awarded with reference to school reports, a Cognitive Ability Test and an interview with a senior member of staff.

The Year 12 places are allocated on the basis of achieved or predicted GCSE grades, a Cognitive Ability Test, school reports and an interview with a senior member of staff.

All pupils awarded a Fully Funded Place receive free school meals. Fully Funded Place pupils may also be eligible for free school transport. The School will use the protocols for Free school transport as published by Conwy Borough Council.

Looked after children will receive the highest priority in the allocation of Fully Funded Places.

Parental and financial criteria:

These are means-tested awards, intended as an ‘opportunity’ for a bright child or young person residing in North Wales who is currently being educated within the state school system. The scheme is transparent and is based upon financial criteria.

If a candidate is eligible, their parents/carers will be subject to a financial assessment which is limited to circumstances in which the combined family income is less than £35,000 per annum, with there being no other significant assets that could be monetised. This process is carried out by an external assessor, and will include publicly-available data which is not part of the submission; in addition, a home visit will be made (in line with any social distancing guidelines which may be in force at the time) so as to establish the family’s suitability for the award.

Once a candidate is awarded a Fully Funded Place, they will retain this benefit until they leave at the end of Year 13, assuming that they remain an exemplary member of the  Rydal Penrhos community and are not subject to any meaningful change in circumstances.

Closing date for September 2023 entry applications is Friday 20 January 2023.

Every  academic year,  Rydal Penrhos School  also  offers  scholarship premiums  to  children  with  ‘exceptional  talent.’ These scholarship premiums are open to pupils already within the School as well as to those joining Rydal Penrhos, and are evidence-based on testing and/or results, interviews and/or work or performance exhibited.

These awards are not means-tested, and there is no limit to the number of them that can be granted. However, each individual Pupil can only receive one of these awards and should they be considered for a second or indeed third these will take the form of an Honorary Scholarship with no Premium attached.

Once a candidate is awarded a Scholarship Premium, they will retain this benefit until they leave at the end of Year 13, assuming that they remain an exemplary member of the Rydal Penrhos community.  Please refer to Appendix 1 for Conditions of Fully Funded Places, Scholarship Premiums, Honorary Scholarships and Bursary awards.

Academic Scholarship Premiums:

These may be awarded to pupils on entry to any academic year from Year 7 upwards following a Cognitive Ability Test and an interview with a senior member of staff. In the case of entrants to Year 12, projected or actual GCSE results are considered, alongside a Cognitive Ability Test and an interview with a senior member of staff.

The reward is the title of scholar, along with a scholarship premium of £500 per annum (or £750 per annum in the Sixth Form) for the pupil to further their academic studies through the purchase of books or equipment. A mentor will be allocated to the pupil for this purpose, and half-termly meetings will be held to discuss the pupil’s progress and to support the latter in spending the money wisely and appropriately.

Art, Drama, Sport & Music Scholarship Premiums:

These may also be awarded to pupils with ‘exceptional talent’ at any point during their School career in Years 7 to 13. The reward is the title of scholar, along with a scholarship premium of £500 per annum (or £750 per annum in the Sixth Form) for the pupil to further their talent through the purchase of books or equipment. A mentor will be allocated to the pupil for this purpose, and half-termly meetings will be held to discuss the pupil’s progress and to support the latter in spending the money wisely and appropriately.

These may be applied for upon receipt of a Scholarship Premium.

If a pupil is awarded a Scholarship Premium in any discipline, they then become eligible to apply for a Bursary (which is effectively fee assistance) if certain criteria are met. The pupil’s parents/carers will be subject to a financial assessment which is limited to circumstances in which the combined family income is less than £60,000 per annum, with there being no other significant assets that could be monetised. This process is carried out by an external assessor and will include publicly available data which is not part of the submission; in addition, a home visit will be made  (in line with any social distancing guidelines which may be in force at the time) so as to establish the family’s suitability for the award.

Following this initial “full” check, a brief financial assessment will take place annually for the following three years using the household income figures provided by  PAYE  P60  forms,  tax returns etc.;  in the fourth year, the “full” assessment by the external assessor will be repeated, and the cycle will start again.

If all the checks indicate that a family is eligible for a bursary, this will be awarded on a sliding scale; the latter starts with a 100% reduction of fees for an income of less than £35,000* per household. Then, for every £2,500* increase in income, there will be a 10% reduction in fees assistance until the £60,000* figure is reached which constitutes the cut-off point for any bursary awards. (* This figure is made up of income, lifestyle choices and assets.)

Once a candidate is awarded a Bursary place, they will retain this benefit until they leave at the end of Year 13, assuming that they remain an exemplary member of the  Rydal Penrhos community and are not subject to any meaningful change in circumstances as considered above. Please refer to Appendix 1 for Conditions of Fully Funded Places, Scholarship Premiums, Honorary Scholarships and Bursary awards.