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General: 01372 372197

Scholarships

Full details of the scholarships for Year 12, the entry criteria and how we assess your strengths can be seen below.

Scholarships to Downsend Sixth for 2025 entry will be available for applicants with strengths in their chosen area of study, Sport, Music, Drama and ADT.

Please talk to our Admissions team for more details!

Scholarship Information

Who is the Scholarship for?

Applicants for Drama Scholarships, whether internal or external, will have taken every opportunity to contribute to School Drama in the past (e.g. school plays, LAMDA). Applicants may also have had experience of Drama beyond school (youth theatre, auditions etc) – this is not a requirement but is increasingly desirable for older applicants. All applicants, whatever their age group, will show impressive attainment and positive attitude. Candidates for Sixth Form Scholarships should be predicted grade 7 or above at GCSE Drama.

We are looking for the following individual characteristics:

  • Enthusiasm

  • Dedication

  • A sense of fun

  • An understanding of the importance of discipline

  • Creative ambition

  • Good teamwork

  • A love of performance

  • Good behaviour and attitude to learning

What will the Scholar benefit from?

Benefits for Drama scholars will include:

  • Increased performance opportunities

  • Regular workshops alongside other Drama scholars

  • 1:1 support and guidance with honing Drama skills and, if desired, audition assistance

  • Scholars’ voices will be able to give valuable contributions to the future planning of school Drama

  • A percentage discount on tuition fees

Entry Criteria and Expectations

To be considered for a scholarship, applicants will be expected to:

  • Have performed regularly at their current school (e.g. school plays, clubs etc)

  • Have shown a positive attitude and participated enthusiastically in curriculum Drama lessons

  • Possess a genuine excitement for and ambition in Drama

Once you become a Drama scholar, you will be expected to:

  • Take advantage of every opportunity to perform in school plays during their time at Downsend

  • Achieve to the best of their ability in curriculum Drama lessons

  • Take GCSE/A-Level Drama

  • Act as a role model for younger pupils in their Downsend Drama journey

Who is the Scholarship for?

Able sporting performers who have aspirations of playing sport at an elite level. In addition to this, we look for pupils with the following characteristics:

  • Coachable and willing to quickly implement feedback

  • An excellent attitude towards learning both in PE and Sport lessons

  • Ambition and drive towards achieving a personal or team goal

  • Able to make calculated decisions when under pressure

  • Physically resilient and robust

  • Positive emotional intelligence and are able to bounce back from setbacks

  • Willing to take the lead and set an example to their peers

  • Good communication skills

What will the Scholar benefit from?

Able sporting performers who have aspirations of playing sport at an elite level. In addition to this, we look for pupils with the following characteristics:

  • A specific ‘superstar’ mentor who matches the individual needs of the scholar

  • Movement analysis sessions, inclusive of fitness testing (half-termly)

  • Access to physiotherapy/sports rehab sessions

  • Targeted podcasts to help with scholars’ mindset/wellbeing/goal setting

  • Links with National Governing Bodies (NGB) and professional sports clubs

  • Percentage discount off school fees.

Entry Criteria

Holders of Sports Scholarship are expected to make a significant contribution to the extra-curricular sporting calendar.

Downsend School offers a breadth of sporting activities whereby the school competes locally and nationally in the following areas: Football, Hockey, Rugby, Netball, Cricket, Tennis, Swimming and Athletics.

Candidates who excel in at least one, preferably two, of the sports listed above to at minimum ‘A’ team standard are invited to apply for a scholarship. It will also be beneficial to candidates’ applications if they can demonstrate that they represent at district/county level or above in any of these sports.

Alongside this we are looking for the following individual characteristics:

  • Be coachable and willing to quickly implement given feedback

  • Have an excellent attitude towards learning both in PE and Sport lessons

  • Demonstrate ambition and drive towards achieving a personal or team goal

  • Be able to make calculated decisions when under pressure

  • Be physically resilient and robust

  • Have positive emotional intelligence and are able to bounce back from setbacks

  • Be willing to take the lead and set an example to their peers

  • Have good communication skills

  • Have met the academic requirements of the school

Who is the Scholarship for?

Pupils who are passionate about music-making and want to learn more about performance, composition and/or music technology. Music Scholars are expected to contribute to the musical life of the school by participating in a minimum of two ensembles (one should be a vocal ensemble). They should prioritise the rehearsals and performances of these ensembles.

The Music Scholarship Programme contains:

Performance thread

Personal goals for solo performance, involvement in school community performances, participation in instrumental and vocal music.

Creative thread

  • The opportunity to work on composition with a view to a public performance of the piece OR

  • The opportunity to lead a performance (conducting/leading from the front of an ensemble/directing or arranging the music for a performance)

  • Annual creative workshop run by an external provider so that in a 5-year period as a scholar there would be the opportunity to learn more about composition, music history, performance, developments in music technology and other relevant and topical areas

  • Additional access to music technology and performance resources within the Music Department

Theory thread

Setting personal goals which will be monitored

Interaction with other Music Scholars

Termly meetings with the aim of:

  • Providing a platform where scholars can listen to and discuss a broad range of music

  • Get feedback on the performances/compositions they are working on

  • £250 off their termly fee in lieu of tuition on one instrument taken in or out of school

What will the Scholar benefit from?

  • Participation in the Music Scholarship Programme

  • Scholars will attend regular meetings to:

  • Have an opportunity to listen to a broad range of music

  • Build an appropriate vocabulary to use when talking about music

  • Share ideas with other Music Scholars

  • £250 off their termly fee in lieu of tuition on one instrument taken in or out of school

Entry Criteria

  • We are looking for young people who are passionate about Music: keen to learn about it, talk about, listen to it and spend time perfecting their playing of it

  • Grade 6 or above on one instrument. It is not necessary to have taken external grades in performance

  • Two instruments preferable (voice is considered an instrument)

  • Aural and sightreading approximately grade 3 level

Who is the Scholarship for?

Individuals who can demonstrate enthusiasm, passion and commitment to Art and Design Technology with the intention to study and further develop within the field. Alongside this we are looking for the following individual characteristics and requirements:

  • Have demonstrated an independence developing their art and design skills, via sketchbooks and design projects

  • An ability to be disciplined, focussed and efficient with time

  • Have gone above and beyond in their love for ADT, such creating a piece of artwork for a competition or a community project or for a third party

  • Be prepared to take risks and push boundaries of creativity

  • Have positive emotional intelligence and able to bounce back from setbacks.

  • Have good communication skills.

What will the Scholar benefit from?

  • Participation in school clubs, community projects, raising the profile of ADT

  • ADT business enterprise, learning the ropes of what it is to produce/build /sell and create a successful and fulfilling career in ADTl

  • ADT workshop: studio time to explore and build upon skills

  • Termly professional profiles explored; what it is to be a successful artist/designer and education pathways to being a; product designer, freelance designer, illustrator etc

  • Percentage discount off school fees.

Entry Criteria

Candidates are expected to demonstrate a passion for ADT and must be able to display exceptional artistic understanding and a varied skill set, such as:

  • Drawing

  • Photography

  • CAD/CAM skills

  • Sculpture/model making

  • Craft/making skills using variety of materials and tools

Alongside this we are looking for the following individual characteristics and requirements:

  • Have demonstrated an independence developing their art and design skills, via sketchbooks and design projects

  • An ability to be disciplined, focussed and efficient with time

  • Have gone above and beyond in their love for ADT, such creating a piece of artwork for a competition or a community project or for a third party

  • Be prepared to take risks and push boundaries of creativity

  • Have positive emotional intelligence and able to bounce back from setbacks

  • Have good communication skills

  • Have met the academic requirements of the school

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Downsend School

Admissions: 01372 372311
General: 01372 372197