Admission FAQ

Our designated catchment follows the Bray Parish boundary (please see our Admissions Policy for further details).

For all year groups, after priority places have been allocated, both day and boarding places are allocated based on geographical proximity (straight-line distance) to the College.

Absolutely not.  All preferences are treated equally and the order of preferences is only considered when a pupil is eligible for more than one place.  In these cases, RBWM will offer the highest ranked preference. If applicants place Holyport College as their first preferred school and they are unsuccessful, their remaining preferences will not be affected.  ‘First preference first’ is specifically banned by the Admission Regulations as a means of resolving oversubscription.

The School Admission Appeals Timetable can be found here:
School admissions appeal timetable

No.  Funding for the education of your child is made directly by the Department for Education.  As a day pupil, there are charges for meals (a cooked lunch and a morning and afternoon snack), iPads for years 7 to 10, bus if applicable and any trips or extras. Meals are not optional as we are a boarding school, we eat lunch together as a community.  

No. Holyport College has an inclusive admissions policy and is not selective on academic ability. This does not apply to Sixth Form applications.

Like any state maintained school, Holyport College has a number of criteria in its admissions arrangements that give priority to certain children in the event of the College being oversubscribed. These include children who are in care or looked after (all schools must have this as a top priority). Also, children whose Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) names a particular school will be admitted.

Admission to State Boarding Schools in the UK is limited to children who are nationals of the UK and are eligible to hold a full UK passport, or those who have the right of residence in the UK. Please note that the holding of a BN(O) passport does not make the child eligible for a State Boarding School in the UK.

Children can be collected at the end of the school day on a Friday and return on the Sunday evening. Please note there is no reduction in fees for weekly boarding.

Our fee for the academic year 2024/2025 is £17,370 for years 7 to 11 and £18,444 for sixth form. Fees are payable in advance of the start of each term. A monthly direct scheme which runs from July through to June is also available.

Each year Holyport College offers a boarding bursary for a new entrant into the College, including children from low-income families who would be expected to thrive in a boarding environment.

Decisions on allocation of these places will be made by the Bursary Committee of the Governing Body, and will include close consultation with and reports from the child’s current school in an assessment of capacity to benefit from boarding provision at Holyport College. We will work closely with students, parents and staff to ensure that all boarding admissions represent the right decision for all parties. The cost of these bursaries will be funded by Holyport College and external sources. See appendix 1 of our Admissions Policy for more information.

Parents or carers who wish to apply for a bursary funded boarding place should complete our bursary application form before the application deadline and email any supplementary information which will be helpful to us. It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide as much information as they deem necessary for us to assess the merits of the application.

Bursary applications and all supporting documentation must be received by the College before 31st October the year before the year of entry.  We cannot consider bursary applications received after the closing date.

Yes, we hold waiting lists for both day (all year groups) and boarding places (some year groups). If your application for a place at Holyport College is unsuccessful you can request to join our waiting list. Places from the waiting list will be allocated strictly in accordance with our admissions policy. A child must be resident in the UK to join the waiting list for a day place.

An international application can be made to join the boarding waiting list, but any available places will be allocated in accordance with our admissions policy, therefore children on the waiting list living closer to the College will get priority.