Guidance on Year 7 Priority Specialist Places and Sixth Form Scholarships for September 2015 (Revised June 2014)

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1 Guidance on Year 7 Priority Specialist Places and Sixth Form Scholarships for September 2015 (Revised June 2014) Introduction Wymondham College offers up to eight priority specialist places for students applying for Year 7 (age 11+) who demonstrate a particular aptitude in Sport and eight places for students who demonstrate a particular aptitude in Music. These are not scholarships and in the case of the boarding places (or day boarding places) the full fee remains payable. The College also offers Academic Scholarships, Music Scholarships and Sport Scholarships to applicants for boarding places in the Sixth Form. These scholarships can be worth up to the whole boarding fee. Year 7 Priority Specialist Places Four of each of these places are available to boarders and four to day students for entry in September These places will be allocated on the basis of performance in tests of musical and sporting aptitude conducted by the College. Application Procedure Boarding Places In order to be considered for the boarding places, parents/carers must indicate on the Boarding Place Supplementary Form that they wish their child to be considered for either a Music or Sport Priority Specialist Place and submit the form by the deadline given. The Admissions Office will confirm the receipt of the application and the details of the assessment test in writing. Day Places In order to be considered for the day places, parents/carers must submit a Priority Specialist Place Supplementary Application Form by 31 October The Admissions Office will confirm the receipt of the application and the details of the assessment test in writing.

2 There are two opportunities to take each test and candidates must be able to attend the College on one of these dates in order to be considered for one of these places : Tuesday, 14 October 2014, OR Friday, 28 November 2014 Those who apply early enough to be included in the first tests on 14 October will receive notification of whether they have met the required standard before the national closing date for Year 7 Admissions on 31 October Those who apply too late to take the first test or who are unable to attend the October assessments for some other reason, can take the second test on 28 November. Both tests provide the same opportunity to gain a place at the College and there is no advantage to be gained from taking one test rather than the other. Please note that meeting the required standard in a test does not guarantee a place at the College. This is because more candidates may meet the required standard than there are places available to students who do so. If this is the case, places will be allocated according to the oversubscription criteria detailed in the Admissions Policy 2015, in this case, proximity. Music Priority Specialist Places (Year 7) Candidates for these places should have: a proven talent on their main instrument, natural performance skills, a gift for the subject that enables them to learn quickly Aptitude Assessment The assessment has two parts. Part One is a forty five minute listening test that assesses musical aptitude in the following areas: Pitch - Candidates have to tell when a pitch has been lowered, or raised. This test involves recognition of large intervals, semitones and some microtonality. Melody - Candidates have to remember a 2 bar melody in their head and state how it is changed when repeated. Texture - Candidates have to state how many notes are played together. This incorporates recognition of intervals - 2 notes, simple triads - 3 notes and more complex, and sometimes chromatic, chords - 4 notes. Rhythm - Candidates have to remember a 4 beat rhythm in their head and state how it is changed when repeated. The test involves sixty questions worth sixty marks.

3 Part Two involves a twenty minute individual assessment conducted by a member of the Music department. This assessment comprises the following elements: Performing - Candidates demonstrate their aptitude for performing instrumentally, or vocally. Candidates are asked to perform on their main instrument with suitable accompaniment. Candidates are welcome to bring their own accompanist or backing track (Tape, CD or MD) with them. Proficiency in a second instrument is not required, but candidates may perform on a second instrument if they wish. (30 marks) General Musical knowledge - Candidates demonstrate their aptitude for analysing their performance music. (10 marks) Aural Tests - Candidates demonstrate their aptitude to respond to music they have heard through singing, clapping and answering questions. (10 marks) Sight-reading - Candidates demonstrate their aptitude to interpret music notation that they have not seen before. (10 marks). A range of sample pieces are shown at Appendix A. Please note that these will not be used on the actual assessment day, but are given for guidance only. The overall assessment is marked out of 120. Candidates are ranked in order of their musical aptitude as shown on the day of the assessment and places are allocated according to the rank order. Sport Priority Specialist Places (Year 7) This assessment will last for approximately one and a half hours. Candidates for these places should have: 1. A proven talent for sport 2. Natural sporting ability and a good level of fitness 3. A gift for sport that enables them to learn quickly. Aptitude Assessment There is a battery of 6 Tests which asses the aptitude of candidates. None of the tests are related to a specific sport but instead focus upon the generic skills which are integral to all sports. The tests take approximately 90 minutes to complete, depending on the number of students involved. There is no advantage in attempting to prepare for these tests.

4 The tests are divided into 6 categories: Agility Balance Co-Ordination Cardio-respiratory endurance Muscular endurance Elastic strength An assessment is also made of the candidate s ability to follow instructions, although this aspect alone will not influence the assessment of the candidate s aptitude. A score is given for each test related to the time of completion or number of exercises completed. At the end of the tests students are then ranked according to their performances in the tests. Candidates are ranked in order of their aptitude for sport as shown on the day of the assessment and places are allocated according to the rank order. Test results As described earlier, candidates who take the test(s) in October will receive notification of whether they have met the required standard (the benchmark) by 31 October. Meeting the required standard does not guarantee a place at the College. In the case that there are more students who achieve the pass mark than there are places available, the oversubscription criteria detailed in the College Admissions Policy will be used to determine which candidates are allocated the Specialist priority places. The College cannot enter into correspondence or discussion with parents concerning the outcome of the assessment and is not permitted to communicate information concerning whether or not a candidate who has take the second test in November, has met the required standard. This is in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Statutory Schools Admissions Code. The outcome of the assessment will be evident when the allocation of places is communicated to parents by their Local Authority (in the case of applicants in England) or the College (for other candidates).

5 Sixth Form Boarding Scholarships At least one Sixth Form Boarding Scholarship will be available from September 2014 worth up to 100% of the boarding fee and will be tenable, subject to satisfactory performance and conduct, for two years. Further Boarding Scholarships may be available depending on resources. We expect those who are successful in gaining Sixth Form Boarding Scholarships to be amongst the leaders in the year group in their discipline. They will have high personal standards of behaviour, appearance, organisation and commitment to their studies and an enthusiastic approach to life in the Sixth Form. They will be excellent role models for other students and ambassadors for the College and will make a significant contribution to the extra-curricular life of the College. An Academic Scholar will have a proven record of academic achievement throughout their school career, which will result in at least 7 A Grades at GCSE. He/she will study 4 subjects to A2 and will stand a very good chance of gaining admission to the most selective of universities. A Music Scholar will have a proven record of performance at Grade 8 standard in his/her first study instrument and Grade 6 theory. Stronger candidates will be proficient on a second instrument, ideally piano if not the first study instrument. He/she will be an A-Level Music Student who has obtained a high grade at GCSE Music and will make a significant contribution to the musical life of the College. A Sport Scholar will have a proven record of representative achievements (at least County level or above) in a minimum of two different Wymondham College sports. A Wymondham College Sport Scholar will be an A-Level PE/Sport Studies Student who has obtained a high grade at GCSE PE. He/she will make a significant contribution to College representative sport as a performer and to the junior sports programme as a Sports Assistant. Application Procedure for Sixth Form Boarding Scholarships Candidates wishing to apply for a Sixth Form Boarding Scholarship must indicate this on the Sixth Form Boarding Place Application Form. This form must be submitted to the Admissions Office by the published deadline. Candidates must attend the College for assessment as shown below.

6 Academic Scholarships The College seeks confirmation of a candidate s predicted grades from his/her current school. If the predicted grades are at least those required for the award of a scholarship, the candidate will be invited to sit the Scholarship Examination at the College. The examination comprises of a multiple choice examination paper based on reasoning skills. Candidates are then interviewed by the Principal, a Vice Principal or another senior member of staff. The interview will cover both scholarship and boarding issues. The examination day for Academic Scholarships will be Friday 16 January 2015 and the interviews will take place either on 16 or 17 January Candidates may be required to attend on both days. Music Scholarships All candidates must submit a portfolio containing the candidate s music certificates, programmes from concerts they have been involved in and any other pertinent musical information, to the Director of Music no later than 28 November If the information provided confirms that the candidate s achievements are at least at the level required for a scholarship, he/she will be invited for an audition and interview with the Director of Music to assess their suitability to study A level Music. The audition will consist of a short performance on one or two instruments. Candidates will also be invited for a boarding interview, with a senior member of staff. The audition day for Music Scholarships will be Friday 16 January Sport Scholarships All candidates must submit a portfolio containing the candidate s certificates of sporting achievement, press cuttings, letters from sports coaches and any other pertinent sporting information to the Director of Sport no later than Friday 28 November If the information provided confirms that the candidate s achievements are at least at the level required for a scholarship, he/she will be invited for an assessment and interview with the Director of Sport. The assessment consists of a skills and fitness test, which is not gender specific and requires proficiency in no specific type of sport. Candidates will also be invited for a boarding interview, with a senior member of staff. The assessment day for Sports Scholarships will be Friday 16 January 2015.

7 Award and Tenure of Scholarships The award of scholarships is at the discretion of the Principal based on the evidence provided by the assessments and interviews. Scholarships will not be awarded if, in the opinion of the Principal, insufficient of the candidates have met the required standard for a scholarship. Candidates who are unsuccessful in gaining scholarships will be considered for boarding places in the same way as those who have not applied for scholarships. A review of a scholar s performance, commitment and conduct may take place at any time during the tenure of the scholarship. The Principal reserves the right to withdraw a scholarship if this review is unsatisfactory.