Fees, Scholarships & Bursaries

Co-curricular and subject specific Scholarships

We are pleased to offer scholarships in Art, Design Technology, Drama, Music, Sport to allow those pupils most committed to activities in these areas to flourish to their fullest potential.

For year 7 and year 9 entry, the scholarship application form, available on request from our admissions office, must be completed by 1st November in year of entry. Our scholarships assessment day is then held in February. For sixth form entry, no further application form is required and achievements in these areas will be considered within our overall application process.

Bursaries

King Edward’s Witley has always had, and continues to have, a strong belief in social responsibility. The School was founded in 1553 on compassion and generosity towards the less fortunate– please read more about our history here. To continue the supporting mission of the School we offer means-tested bursaries to children from challenging backgrounds, and thereby give them an opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential.

Funding for our bursary support is from the School’s parent Foundation: Bridewell Royal Hospital and the City of London and usually to a maximum of 50% of the fees. At any one time, we may have between 5 and 10 Foundation Bursary pupils in each year group.

Bursary support is generally offered to families where boarding or our style of education is a particular need. Applicants must satisfy the normal academic criteria for entry. Examples of qualifying circumstances usually include some form of trauma in the family such as the loss of a parent, where one or both parents are seriously ill or where there is a chronically ill or disabled sibling demanding much attention and time, with the result that the parent is unable to devote enough time to the child’s needs. The children of clergy, missionaries, along with those experiencing exceptional circumstances, may also be considered.

The level of bursary awarded depends on the family’s total income and assets and need as outlined. Our objective is to ensure that assistance is sufficient to cover the child’s continuance at the School.

Each case is assessed annually in the light of any changed circumstances and, whilst there is no undertaking to align any increases with any rise in the school fees, once awarded, a bursary normally applies for the duration of a pupil’s school career at King Edward’s.

Strong links with the City Livery Companies and other charitable institutions enable us to recommend other sources of funding in cases of additional need. These can help raise the level of support for those in greatest need to something approaching 100% of fees. Additional means-tested support is available to current pupils for some school trips and instrumental music lessons.

Bursaries for Boarding Pupils

The ‘boarding need’ is a measure of illness, disability, or other trauma in the home – where it would be beneficial for the child to be away from home for a few weeks at a time, enabling them to concentrate on their academic studies during the day and to participate in other activities after School or at the weekends.

For a situation where we offer a 50% bursary to a child with a high boarding need, we have strong links with a number of other charities who might be able to provide additional financial support. In such a situation several charities might each be able to grant an award, and these will accumulate to cover some, most or even all of the fees remaining.

The School, or a third-party supporting charity, may require a home visit to take place.

Bursaries for Day Pupils

Bursary applications for day pupils, still need to demonstrate a strong reason for coming to the School, what we might call the ‘potential to benefit’ from coming to King Edward’s. Assessing the financial circumstances of the family (income and assets), will still be required in this application.

Again, bursaries for day pupils might reach 50% of the school fees, but in these applications there will not be additional third-party charity support, so it is more relevant for the family to have some regular income to cover the remaining School fees.

If you would like more information on our Foundation Bursaries, please contact Mr Dan Rogers, on bursaries@kesw.org or telephone 01428 686700. The deadline for all bursary applications is November 1st.

Our Fees

King Edward’s Witley follows the UK academic year from September to July over three terms. During each term there are usually two exeat weekends from Friday to Sunday when boarders will stay with family, friends or guardians. Each term has a half term which is two weeks in the longer Autumn Term, and one week in the Spring and Summer Terms.

New pupil registration fee

A non-refundable registration fee of £180 is payable when a pupil’s name is first registered.

Deposit and acceptance fee

On acceptance all pupils are charged a non-refundable fee of £360.

All UK and EU pupils on acceptance pay £1000 which is held as a deposit and refunded on leaving the School once all debts are settled.

Overseas deposit and acceptance fee

Overseas pupils on acceptance of a place must pay a deposit (in addition to the acceptance fee) of one term’s fees which will be refunded on the pupil’s departure from the School once all debts are settled.

School fees

School fees are set on an annual rate, split into three equal termly payments due in advance of the first day of term.

All school fees include a 5% discount to lessen the impact to parents, following the introduction of VAT on fees from January 2025. If you are a parent/guardian of a pupil in receipt of a scholarship or bursary, this reduction we be allocated against the discounted fee value.

All day pupil fees include lunch and the option to take all meals at School without additional charge.