ADMISSIONS A Guide for Prospective Pupils and Families
CONTENTS
1. Admissions policy statement
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2. Admissions journey
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3. Years of entry
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4. Admission process overview
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5. Type of place, house preference, allocation and waiting list 8
6. Deposits, fees and extras
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7. Bursaries and scholarships
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8. Learning enrichment or medical needs
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9. English as an additional language (EAL)
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10. Guardians for overseas pupils
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11. Visa regulations
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12. Questions?
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ADMISSIONS POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR PUPILS 2026
1. ADMISSIONS POLICY STATEMENT
The aim of this document is to provide you with a brief profile of Eastbourne College and to guide you through our admissions process. Eastbourne College is one of the UK’s leading day and boarding schools for pupils aged 13 to 18. We have a reputation for academic and co-curricular excellence, top-quality teaching and a positive school culture, and we are committed to providing a values-led, all- round education to our pupils in our nurturing environment. The College performs among the best schools nationally for academic value-added, which means all pupils, regardless of ability, strongly outperform expectation compared to the national average. This approach to education is both rare and special, and Eastbournians are right to celebrate it. We encourage our pupils to participate as widely as possible in school life and we promote their social development and welfare through a strong house system. Eastbourne College is a selective school and offers places based primarily on underlying academic ability and personal character. But we are also looking for pupils wishing to seize every opportunity and to add to and benefit from the co-curricular opportunities and wider community involvement offered by the school. Offers are subject to appropriate places being available. Our admissions policy reflects our dedication to maintaining a diverse and vibrant pupil body and ensures fairness, transparency and equal opportunities for all applicants.
Unlock their extraordinary
ADMISSIONS POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR PUPILS 2026
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2. ADMISSIONS JOURNEY
We encourage all families to join our next open event, or to visit the College for a personal tour.
To accept the offer , parents must complete the Guaranteed Place Form and return it to the College with the acceptance deposit. Upon completion of the Guaranteed Place Form, parents accept the payment terms and acknowledge that the offer maybe conditional on relevant final examinations.
The first formal stage of the admissions process is registration , which is open to children of any age. Once the registration form has been completed and returned to the College, along with the non-refundable £190 registration fee, applicants can be considered for entry. Prospective pupils and their families will then be invited to have a personal tour whereby they will meet a member of our Senior Leadership Team, have a house tour by a Housemistress or Housemaster, a tour of the school by a current pupil and then have a chat with a member of our admissions team who will address any questions and discuss next steps. Once a pupil has been registered, admissions will request a reference from their current school. Parents will be required to provide copies of the pupil’s two most recent school reports, a full birth certificate and valid passport. Those whose first language is not English will need to sit an online independent test for international pupils. It will measure the following principal areas: English, non-verbal, verbal, and quantitative and spatial reasoning. Offers to attend the College will then be sent out dependent on year group/year of entry and conditional on performance in relevant examinations and entry criteria.
In the September of Year 8, pupils’ will have the opportunity to apply for a range of scholarships. Applying to a scholarship gives families access to the means-tested bursary application process. If the means-tested bursary team establish that there is a financial need, a decision will be made by our finance team on how much fee remission they can award a pupil. If there is any financial concern, parents should not sign the Guaranteed Place Form until they receive this outcome.
In the event of cancellation or withdrawal , fees may have to be paid in lieu, or applicants may lose their deposit. Please refer to the College Terms and Conditions for more information about notice periods and associated penalties.
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ADMISSIONS POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR PUPILS 2026
3. YEARS OF ENTRY
Entry into Year 9 (age 13+)
Entry into sixth form (age 16+)
Offers for a place in Year 9 will be made to pupils in Year 6-8 on receipt of all required documentation including a satisfactory reference from their Headteacher with data showing academic ability, as well as a meeting between the College and the prospective pupil. Results from Common Entrance, baccalaureates, Bridge Curriculum (exclusive to St Andrew’s Prep, Eastbourne) diplomas or equivalent, will be requested in Year 8 and will be used to aid setting in core Year 9 subjects. For prospective pupils who attend a school where Common Entrance, Prep School Baccalaureate, or a home-grown equivalent is not available, the College will work with families to determine the most appropriate way to assess academic ability, which may include age-appropriate assessments
Applications for Lower Sixth (Year 12) are assessed in the winter term of Year 11. Sixth form entry is based on GCSE grade outcomes (see page 7).
Entry at age 14+ into Year 10 (and exceptionally at age 15+ into Year 11)
Entry for pupils into Year 10 (and exceptionally Year 11) will be considered as long as space is available. A reference will be needed from the Headteacher of the previous school, alongside an interview. Testing may be required to assess the candidate’s academic suitability.
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4. ADMISSION PROCESS OVERVIEW
YEAR 9 EARLY OFFER
TIMELINE
Applying for secondary school is a big decision and can be stressful at times. That is why we have introduced early applications for Eastbourne College, where a child may be registered by December of Year 6, for a place in Year 9. Families will have peace of mind that a place is secured, and have the time to get to know us ahead of joining. We’ve outlined the process in the timeline here. Should a family enquire or register after the early offer process, excluding the timings, the same admissions process applies.
If you want to have a more informal look around the College before you make a decision, attend one of our termly open events where you can see the facilities, meet key members of staff and hear from the Headmaster.
Open Events in February, May or October
Once you register, we will contact your child’s school to ask for a reference and you will be required to send us two recent school reports. If reports are unavailable, your child may need to do an academic assessment. You will also be invited for a visit.
You need to register by 1 December of Year 6 to take advantage of our early offer process
Year 9 Scholarships and Bursaries
By the Spring of Year 6, you and your child should have visited for an informal interview, as well as a personalised tour with one of our pupils.
Before Lent half-term of Year 6
In September of Year 8, pupils can apply for various scholarships. Those who apply for a scholarship may then apply for a means-tested bursary. If financial need is confirmed, the finance team will decide on the level of fee remission. Parents with financial concerns should wait to sign the Guaranteed Place Form until they know the outcome of both the scholarship and bursary processes.
By the end of March, we will send out the offer outcome. All offers are accepted by returning the Guaranteed Place Form, complete with parental signatures and the relevant deposit. By signing, you agree to our terms and conditions.
By the end of March of Year 6
Now for the exciting part! In both Year 7 and Year 8 your child will be invited to taster events, where they can come to the school and meet their new teachers and peers.
March of Year 7 and June in Year 8
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ADMISSIONS POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR PUPILS 2026
SIXTH FORM
SEPTEMBER
Competition for entry to our sixth form is strong and as well as academic ability, we seek pupils who wish to be part of a vibrant community, to which they will contribute fully. Our pupils leave Eastbourne College with a clear sense of who they are, what they can achieve and friendships that last a lifetime.
After registration, the College will write to a prospective pupil’s school for a reference which will include predicted GCSE grades. Entrance requirements include a GCSE predicted average of 6 or above and 7–9 in subjects planned for A-level. All prospective pupils should have an informal interview with a senior member of College staff.
If applying for a scholarship, pupils must be registered before they can be considered for an award.
The deadline for scholarship applications will be in the October of Year 11 - please refer to the scholarship and bursaries page on our website for more details.
Pupils might need to sit assessments pending predicted grades from their school.
1 DECEMBER ONWARDS
ADMISSIONS POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR PUPILS 2026
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5. TYPE OF PLACE, HOUSE PREFERENCE, AND ALLOCATION
Type of Place
House preference and allocation
Please note, at any time, the College may close the list of a house in the best interests of new pupils. The admissions office will endeavour to inform parents at registration or upon acceptance that the list for their preferred house is closed and that they should indicate an alternative preference. However, expressing a preference does not guarantee a place in the house . If a second house is not indicated on the Guaranteed Place Form, then an allocation will be made by the Admissions team
Parents will express their preference for the type of place they are seeking for their child during the registration process. We offer four options for the type of place a pupil applies for at the College, where the differences between them apply only to the extent of evening and overnight provision included: • Day pupils enjoy the full programme of academic, co- curricular and pastoral provision, departing at 6pm each weekday. • Day+ pupils add the option of supervised prep, supper and evening recreational activities, departing by 9pm each weekday. • Flexi3 pupils add the option of staying overnight in their allocated study bedroom on any three out of seven nights each week. • Full boarding pupils stay up to seven nights each week, having full access to every aspect of the school programme, all week. Our day houses accommodate Day pupils, while our boarding houses are allocated to Full Boarders, Flexi3 Boarders and Day+ pupils.
Parents can indicate a house on the Guaranteed Place Form when accepting our offer.
Those who accept through our early offer process will be given priority for house choice wherever possible. Offers accepted outside the early offer process will be placed on a general list. House allocations will be confirmed in the summer of Year 8. Key factors taken into consideration by the College when confirming house allocation for accepted pupils are (in no particular order): • Existing sibling(s) in a house or an Old Eastbournian connection to that house. • Ensuring a good mix of pupils from different entry schools. • Ensuring a good mix of pupils with different interests. If there are issues (such as additional testing requirements, learning support, means-tested bursaries etc) connected with a prospective pupil that might delay the acceptance of an offered place, parents are strongly advised to contact the admissions team to discuss the matter.
Final house allocation decisions rest with the College.
If the College is full parents can add their children’s names to a general waiting list, by completing a registration form and paying the non-refundable £190 registration fee.
Scan the QR code for more details on our house provision
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ADMISSIONS POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR PUPILS 2026
6. DEPOSITS AND FEES
Deposits To accept the offer of a place at the College, a deposit is required, which varies depending on pupils’ residence:
Refunds
Our scheme for advance payment of school fees allows those families, who might find it helpful, to pay some or all of their likely school fees in advance. The finance team can advise on the lump sums required to cover future fee liability and fees paid in advance currently attract a discount per annum.
If a candidate does not meet the entry requirements and Eastbourne College declines to accept that candidate on academic grounds (ie the prospective pupil does not get the expected marks or grades for entry), the parents will not be liable for the first term’s fees and Eastbourne College will refund the acceptance/guaranteed place deposit. More information on refunds can be found in the College’s Terms and Conditions.
£2,000 UK £20,000 International
The College normally classes a pupil as ‘international’ if one or both parents normally resides abroad and/or, more importantly, if the income of the parent or parents who are responsible for paying the school fees is generated overseas. Ownership of property in the UK can help to show that a family may reside in this country, but the finance office reserves the right to make a decision based on the country of employment in the first instance. The acceptance / guaranteed place deposit is non-refundable until the end of a pupil’s course and will be credited to the final extras bill.
Fees and extras (as of August 2026)
Please refer to the schedule of fees on our website.
How to pay
Fee invoices are raised termly and are payable in advance of the term starting or by joining the Direct Debit Scheme, which takes the annual fees in 10 equal instalments starting in August and ending in May the following year.
Cancellation and withdrawals
Please refer to the College’s Terms and Conditions for further information about notice periods and associated penalties.
Full details of how to pay will be included on each fee invoice.
For further billing and invoicing enquiries, please contact our billing team on billing@eastbourne-college.co.uk or telephone 01323 452300 ext 1925
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7. BURSARIES AND SCHOLARSHIPS
Every year the College gives financial support in the form of means-tested bursaries for families of pupils who would not otherwise be able to attend and whose main family residence is in the UK. In order to access bursary support a pupil must also be in receipt of a scholarship award. This process of “dual- qualification” ensures that our capacity for fee remission is focused on prospective pupils with exceptional talents who would not otherwise be in a position to access our educational opportunities. Any prospective pupil hoping to secure bursary support must indicate this intention at the time of applying for the scholarship, by checking the relevant box on the application form. This should allow the means testing process to take place concurrently with the scholarship assessment(s), enabling us to make bursary offers to eligible applicants who have also secured a scholarship award. Please note that the college does not offer fully-funded places as part of its bursary programme, with families always expected to contribute meaningfully to the fees for their children.
In order for the College to process a bursary application, it is necessary for the child to be registered with us. Parents should request and complete a Financial Circumstances Form which will be sent to families by the Bursary. After Bursary Administration Limited complete their assessment, this will be evaluated by the Finance Director in line with the Independent Schools Bursars’ Association guidelines. For advice on financial assistance or bursaries, please contact Mr Chris Bentley-Mawer at the College on 01323 461918 .
Scholarships are awarded as a result of strictly moderated open competition and assessment.
We offer a variety of scholarship awards that recognise exceptional talent and provide tailored enrichment programmes for awarded pupils. More detail on the scholarships available can be found on our website.
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ADMISSIONS POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR PUPILS 2026
8. LEARNING ENRICHMENT OR MEDICAL NEEDS
At the registration stage, parents must inform the College of any information regarding special educational needs, medical conditions (physical and emotional), allergies and disabilities. It is important that the College obtains this information to establish if a pupil’s needs can be met and to ensure that we are able to make the necessary reasonable adjustments. Information may be requested again at the acceptance stage of the admissions process, to ensure that Eastbourne College has provided opportunities to the parents for disclosure of relevant and up to date information.
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9. ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE (EAL)
English as an Additional Language (EAL)
Years 10 and 11
The course that our sixth form international pupils follow leads to an IELTS (International Language Testing System) qualification, which is recognised as the standard test for those wishing to continue their higher education in an English-speaking environment. It develops their speaking, listening, reading, and writing, with particular focus on the type of tasks that are encountered at university. The cost of the course changes annually and payment for the whole year is made at the start of the academic year with the school fees. In the event the College decides that a pupil no longer requires EAL tuition, any unused charges paid in advance will be duly refunded. Charges are listed under the Schedule of Fees.
Eastbourne College welcomes all pupils for whom English is a second (or additional) language, so long as they have the aptitude and ability to cope with being taught in English. To support them in becoming stronger in English and so they can benefit fully from all the educational opportunities on offer, the English as an Additional Language (EAL) programme provides compulsory tuition for international pupils throughout their time at the College. In accepting a place at the College, parents agree to the provision of EAL tuition as a mandatory chargeable extra if a pupil’s first language is not English. As and when the EAL department feels a pupil no longer needs the additional support, they will be unenrolled (although they will always be welcome to continue to take EAL lessons if they so wish).
Places for entry are predominantly sought by some European pupils, and priority is given to those seeking a minimum study period of three terms. A copy of the most recent school report is required, together with a handwritten English essay and a recommendation from a trusted agent. Pupils have five/six periods over a two-week cycle. These lessons are taken alongside three other option subjects. Pupils sitting GCSE examinations will take the IGCSE ESL exam, in addition to their courses in IGCSE English Literature and GCSE English Language.
Sixth form
The programme:
The level of English required for sixth form entry depends to some extent on the subjects the pupil wishes to study, but in general they need to be at a level of competence that is equivalent to IELTS Level 5.5. International sixth form pupils will sit the IELTS exam, in addition to at least three A levels. Pupils have one or two periods over a two-week cycle depending on the individual’s needs and timetable restrictions. In addition to working towards a good grade in IELTS, linguistic support in A-level subjects can be given if needed.
Year 9
For Year 9 entry the English requirement is generally classified as an Upper Intermediate level. This is so that the pupil can benefit from education in all subjects and play a full part in the life of the school. Pupils have five periods of specialist tuition over a two-week cycle from a qualified English specialist. During these lessons they are taught English intensively.
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ADMISSIONS POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR PUPILS 2026
10.GUARDIANS FOR OVERSEAS PUPILS
Whilst communication with parents living overseas is much more straightforward than it once was, it is a condition of entry to the College that every pupil whose parents are resident abroad has a suitable guardian living in this country. They can be friends, relatives, or nominated friends of an overseas family. Where parents find it difficult to nominate a relative or good acquaintance for this purpose, suggestions of reliable local guardianship agencies approved by AEGIS (Association for the Education and Guardianship of International Students) can be found on their website. The final choice of a guardian is the responsibility of the parents. More information, including the criteria that must be met for a suitable guardian and when a child needs to stay with guardians, can be found within the Guardian Policy.
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11. VISA REGULATIONS
The College complies with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) regulations and can issue Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) for pupils requiring visa entry to the UK. On acceptance of a place (by completion of the Guaranteed Place Form and acceptance deposit payment being received) parents of pupils seeking Child / Student Visa sponsorship will be contacted by Sable Education who will send a CAS consent and information letter for completion and return. A management fee will apply. More information is provided at this stage.
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ADMISSIONS POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR PUPILS 2026
12. QUESTIONS?
Choosing a school can be a daunting experience, but we are here to help. Please find the contacts below for specific departments. If unsure, please contact Admissions.
Admissions Office – UK Telephone: 01323 452323 Email: admissions@eastbourne-college.co.uk
Admissions Office – International Telephone 01323 452323 Email: intladmissions@eastbourne-college.co.uk
Finance Department / Bursary Telephone 01323 461918 Email finance@eastbourne-college.co.uk
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For more information please visit www.eastbourne-college.co.uk
+44 1323 452323 admissions@eastbourne-college.co.uk Old Wish Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 4JY ©2026 Eastbourne College | Registered Charity Number 307071
LAST UPDATED AUGUST 2026
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