Admissions policy

Admissions at A&J School are based on whether we can serve the pupil well — academically, pastorally, and around the realities of their life. The first conversation is structured, honest, and free of pressure.

A&J School admits pupils aged 13–19 who:

• Want a serious academic education leading to recognised qualifications;
• Have, or are willing to develop, the working habits required for live small-group learning;
• Have a circumstance — schedule, location, learning profile, health — that makes a conventional school setting suboptimal or impossible.

We particularly welcome junior elite athletes, young performers, pupils with SEN profiles, pupils managing chronic illness, and globally mobile families.

The process has four stages:

1. Initial enquiry. You complete the enquiry form on this site or contact admissions directly. We respond within one working day.
2. Admissions conversation. A 30–45 minute video call with a member of the admissions team. We discuss your child's current schooling, your timeline, your goals, and any tournament, performance, treatment, or learning support calendar we will need to plan around.
3. Pupil meeting and baseline. A short conversation with the pupil and a brief, low-pressure baseline assessment in the relevant subjects. The purpose is to plan the right starting point for them in the curriculum.
4. Offer and enrolment. If the school is the right fit, we issue a written offer setting out the proposed programme, fees, term dates, and (where applicable) the draft Personalised Support Plan. Acceptance and payment of the deposit secure the place.

Standard documentation: the pupil's most recent school reports; any external examination results (KS2 SATs, common entrance, school internal exams, etc.); and — for pupils with an existing SEN profile — the most recent educational psychologist's report or equivalent specialist documentation. For pupils on a performance pathway, we ask for the season's competition or production calendar so the schedule can be modelled before enrolment.

We accept mid-year entry where the pupil's age, prior schooling, and the subjects available make it feasible. The same admissions process applies, run on a compressed timeline.

Current fees and inclusions are published on the fees section of our home page. A non-refundable deposit secures the place and is offset against the first term's fees. Bursary support is reviewed case-by-case; sibling discount terms are set out in the offer letter. Fees are billed termly in advance and may be paid by bank transfer or card.

Where a family decides to withdraw a pupil during the school year, we ask for one full term's written notice. Withdrawal without the full notice period attracts a fee in lieu of notice equivalent to one term's fees. The school reserves the right to require a pupil to leave only in serious cases — sustained breach of school behaviour expectations, dishonesty in assessment, or conduct that endangers the welfare of other pupils — and only following a documented process consistent with our complaints and disciplinary procedures.

A&J School admits pupils without regard to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, family structure, nationality, or socioeconomic background. Reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010 are made for pupils with disabilities and SEN profiles. See our SEN & inclusion policy for detail.

Complaints about an admissions decision or process should be sent in writing to the Headteacher within 14 days of the decision. The Headteacher will review the decision and respond in writing within 14 days. Where a complainant is not satisfied with the outcome, they may request external review by the school's appointed independent reviewer.