Making an informed decision
Beginning your Journey
You are assured a warm welcome from the Admissions team at Wycombe Abbey.
Currently, due to Covid-19, this cannot be in person, but we happily welcome individual appointments (email registrar@wycombeabbey.com ). We hosted an Online Open Morning on Saturday 6 June and Saturday 19 September 2020. Please see below for further details.
Our entry points are at age 11, 13 and 16 and we offer scholarships and bursaries at each of these stages. We are looking for potential rather than prior attainment and welcome girls whatever their background and education. We want bright, motivated, engaged girls with an enthusiasm for boarding – girls who will enjoy contributing to all areas of School life. We also offer a limited number of day places each year for candidates living within a 15 mile radius of the School.
We understand the importance of choosing the right school. Our Admissions team are here to answer your questions and guide you throughout this process.
We hope you enjoy browsing our website and if you have any further questions our Director of Admissions, Mrs Catriona Sutherland-Hawes and the Admissions Team are ready to help and can be reached on (+44) (0) 1494 897008 or by emailing registrar@wycombeabbey.com.
Entry Points
Enter your child’s date of birth below to find out when she can join Wycombe Abbey. The age checker will give you a personalised timeline and an overview of our Admissions process.
Your child may enter at any of the following entry points
Unfortunately your child is not eligible to apply
Visit, meet and discover
Open Mornings and Coffee Mornings
Our Open and Coffee Mornings will give you a sense of our culture, community and environment. You will have the opportunity to explore the School, boarding accommodation and our wide range of facilities. They offer you and your daughter the chance to hear from the Headmistress and to engage directly with girls and staff. You will gain a flavour of our academic, pastoral and co-curricular provision and discover what stimulates and inspires life and work at Wycombe Abbey.
The Open Morning on Saturday 6 June and Saturday 19 September 2020 took place online, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. *We expect the Open Morning on Saturday 8 May 2021 to take place on-site, in person. Please go ahead with your booking. We will email all registered families with further details nearer the time.
Dates for our Coffee Mornings for next term will be published in due course.
For directions to Wycombe Abbey click here.
We look forward to extending a very warm welcome to you and your family.
Our Open Mornings are always very busy, often with a long waiting list. In order to allow as many families to attend as possible we request that you only attend an Open Morning once every two academic years and bring a maximum of five people.
Coffee Mornings are limited to a maximum of 10 families. We will confirm your attendance by email.
Taking the next steps
How to Apply
To be considered for a place at Wycombe Abbey, you will need to register your daughter by completing the online registration form (see link below).
The registration deadline for 11+ and 13+ is 1 June in the calendar year prior to entry. Applicants are required to pay a non-refundable registration fee of £250.
For 16+ entry the registration deadline is 1 June in the calendar year prior to entry. No registration fee is required at this stage.
If you have any questions our Admissions team are on hand and ready to help. They can be reached on (+44) (0) 1494 897008 or by emailing registrar@wycombeabbey.com.
Potential and suitability
Assessments
The information below refers to our normal entry process. For 2021 entry our Assessments are all being carried out online and virtually due to current restrictions. We will publish information and dates for the 2022 entry process early next year and very much hope we will be able to revert to holding Assessments days here at Wycombe Abbey in future.
Once your daughter is registered with us, she will be invited to attend an Assessment Day. Our Assessment Day is designed to provide her with a taste of life at the School, whilst enabling us to assess her academic potential and suitability. Following the Assessment Day, conditional offers will be made, subject to success in the Entrance Examinations.
If you have any questions our Admissions team are on hand and ready to help. They can be reached on (+44) (0) 1494 897008 or by emailing registrar@wycombeabbey.com.
Fees
Fees cover the many costs associated with running the School and include tuition, board, lodging, laundry, personal accident insurance, some educational materials and educational visits, and the cost of the weekend activities programme. Individual tuition is charged as an extra.
Recognising excellence and achievement
Scholarships
Wycombe Abbey Scholarships and Exhibition Awards carry considerable prestige both inside and outside of the School but are of limited financial value. They are awarded in recognition of excellence, achievement and potential in academia and the arts.
Scholarship application forms are available upon request.
Investing in talent
Bursaries
Wycombe Abbey aims to be as accessible as possible to girls whose parents could not otherwise afford to meet the full cost of fees by offering means-tested Bursaries.
Our Bursary application forms are available from the Admissions team, and must be completed and returned to the Director of Admissions no later than 1 September in the calendar year preceding entry.
If you would like to find out more about bursaries, please call the Director of Admissions, Mrs Catriona Sutherland-Hawes on (+44) (0) 1494 897008. When applying for a place at Wycombe Abbey, a registration fee of £250 is normally payable. If you are applying for a full bursary and the registration fee presents a difficulty Mrs Sutherland-Hawes will be happy to discuss this with you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should my daughter be prepared for the entrance assessments?
Your daughter does not need to prepare for the assessments – the assessment is not something you pass or fail and it should not be a source of anxiety for your daughter.
Is Visa Sponsorship available?
Yes. Candidates who are citizens outside the European Economic Area who wish to study at Wycombe Abbey for a period of more than six months will need to follow a points-based system in applying for a Tier 4 visa. Further information may be obtained from the UK Government Visas and Home Office website.
What is the induction process for new girls?
We offer a number of induction events to candidates in the year preceding entry from Open Mornings to our ‘Wycombe Abbey Sleepover’.
Do you offer day places?
We offer a limited number of day places each year for candidates living within a 15 mile radius. All day boarders are members of a Senior House and are fully involved in activities throughout the week and at weekends. With the size of the School now at capacity, we cannot guarantee an automatic switch to full boarding but we will try to accommodate those who wish to convert as they progress through the school as long as we have beds available.
How are boarding houses allocated?
Girls entering Wycombe Abbey at 11+ go into Junior House for their first year and are allocated their Senior House towards the end of their first term. From LIV they join one of the nine Senior Houses. Girls entering at 13+ and 16+ will be allocated a Senior House during the admissions process. Girls move from their Senior House into Clarence for their final year of Sixth Form.
Does my daughter need an educational guardian?
Parents who live abroad or who spend long periods of time outside the United Kingdom must appoint an official guardian for their daughter. The guardian must be prepared to take full responsibility for her, i.e., must be available to act in loco parentis if parents are not available, including during Short and Long Leaves and any other period of enforced school closure when girls may not remain in the School.
How often can I see my daughter?
Wycombe Abbey has a modern and sympathetic approach to boarding reflecting the needs and preferences of today’s families. Girls go home regularly and parents are actively involved in the numerous school events.
What happens at weekends?
Most weekends, girls are involved in sports fixtures, performing arts activities or attending one of the many organised outings, such as trips to theme parks, museums, the cinema or theatre. A lot happens here at School too: creative weekend workshops, cooking demonstrations, spas and DVD evenings. Parents and guardians are welcome to visit the School during the weekend to support events or meet your daughter for a drink in our atrium café, The Courtyard.
What are the advantages of mixed-aged bedrooms?
The ‘House Mother/Daughter’ tradition means that every girl in a Senior House is part of a ‘family tree’ of girls who feel connected, look out for each other, and offer advice and a listening ear.
What provision is there for learning needs?
Girls with specific learning needs are well supported at Wycombe Abbey and flourish here. Every girl learns in her own way and our Learning Enhancement Department helps girls by giving the specific support required to assist with the demands of everyday living and learning, sometimes with specific one-to-one lessons or via drop-in sessions.
What sort of girl is Wycombe Abbey looking for?
We are looking for engaged, motivated girls with potential – young women who will enjoy contributing to all areas of Wycombe Abbey life.