Admissions > Entry Requirements & Fees Entry Requirements Our Admissions process seeks to establish that Milton Abbey is the right 'fit' for a child. We are both selective in choosing pupils who will benefit from, and contribute to, their time at Milton Abbey, and inclusive, being able to cater for a broad range of abilities, subject preferences and future aspirations. In order to apply, students are required to register, by completing this form so that the necessary admissions process, including reference request, can be undertaken. Third Form Most pupils join the School at age 13 in our Third Form (Year 9). We aim to give quick and unconditional offers to prospective pupils, after they undertake an individual Admissions Visit. This provides clarity and certainty for families. Our offer will be dependent on a satisfactory current school reference, including CAT4 or equivalent cognitive test scores, and the Admissions Visit interview with the Head or Deputy Head. Should pupils be following the Common Entrance curriculum, offers will not depend on Common Entrance results. However, we make it clear to all applicants receiving an offer that we expect them to maintain high levels of effort and application throughout their prep school years. Prospective pupils with Special Educational Needs will be asked to supply further information for our Head of Learning Development to review before entry, to make sure that the School can offer them the correct level of support with reasonable adjustments. Upon arrival we will review the level of Learning Development support recommended and will communicate this and any relevant costs accordingly. Fourth Form/Fifth Form If space is available, it may be possible to join the Fourth Form, following an Admissions Visit and assessment outlined above. This option is particularly popular for international pupils from countries where school ages differ. Sixth Form Students seeking to join Milton Abbey in the Sixth Form are judged on individual merit regarding their suitability for our courses. Course choices are made in consultation with the Head or Deputy Head, and the Head of Sixth Form. For A-Level students we usually require a student to have studied the relevant GCSE subjects, but we are always open to discuss individual circumstances. We also have a popular range of more vocational BTEC courses, which have more flexible admission requirements. For entry into the Sixth Form, candidates' Admissions Visits will include an interview with the Head or Deputy, and a meeting with the Head of Sixth Form. They will also be given a tour of the school, be able to meet current Sixth Formers, and visit a Boarding House. Fees Milton Abbey is a deliberately small school, which offers a breadth of courses in small class sizes, providing excellent pastoral care and a full programme of sport and co-curricular activities, all in a beautiful rural setting. Together with the Head and the Senior Leadership Team, the Governors strive to deliver Milton Abbey's unique education as cost effectively as possible, while maintaining one of the lowest staff-pupil ratios in the sector. The unique attributes of Milton Abbey have always been its broad range of A-levels, GCSEs and BTECS, its small class sizes with nurturing support for learning differences, its truly ‘full’ boarding provision and its wide range of sports and activities on its superb grounds. Simply put, we do not want any of that to change. On 29 July the new UK government announced its intention to impose a 20% VAT charge on independent school fees from January 2025 and to remove business rates relief for charitable schools from April 2025. Although the government is now in ‘consultation’ for seven weeks, before a Budget announcement and a Finance Bill to confirm the changes in October, we are expecting these measures to go through largely as announced. With all that in mind, rather than the 20% headline VAT figure, we propose to add 13.8% to both the day and boarding fees (after discounting any individual scholarships and bursaries) for 2024/25 from January 2025. Considering these factors, Governors have set the school fees for the 2024/25 Academic Year as follows: Termly fees Michaelmas fee - September 2024 Lent & Summer Fee from Jan 2025 with 13.8% modified VAT Boarding £17,500 £19,915 Day £9,190 £10,458 Sixth Form Supplement £500 £569 Extras will be subject to VAT at the applicable rate One-off fees Registration fee paid when first registering a child at the school: £330 Acceptance fee / Deposit paid when a place is offered and accepted, returned after payment of your final bill from the school: 1. If contracting fee payer has a permanent residency - and/or is ordinarily resident in - the UK, the EU, or the EEA: £2,000 2. Or otherwise: Equivalent to the fee for one term (see above)