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Sherborne Girls welcomes applicants from international families (and their education agents) living overseas. We are a full-boarding school, with 90% of pupils being full boarders, offering a busy and engaging student life throughout the whole week.
There is an energetic programme of weekend activities and a member of staff designated to look after the needs of international pupils. Currently, around 10% of pupils are British expatriates and about 15% are foreign nationals.
International parents must complete the registration form, pay a non-returnable fee of £300 to secure a place for their daughter to enter the admissions and assessment process. Parents are very welcome to visit the School before registration.
Candidates for whom English is their first language will be required to sit the normal entrance tests. Please see our admissions page for more details.
For students whose first language is not English, we will assess her language skills as part of our usual entrance assessments. If we are concerned about her ability to access the curriculum due to her level of English proficiency, we reserve the right to request she sits UKiset tests. If she has already sat these tests prior to registering for the School, her results should be provided to Admissions on registration.
The UKiset online tests are offered by Gabbitas. Details of the tests can be found at UKiset
Pupils for whom English is a second language may be recommended for English support through one-to-one lessons each week to assist their learning. Please see Fees for details of these costs.
Offers are made throughout the year depending on the availability of space. Places will be offered on merit. If offered a place at the School, a deposit of one terms’ boarding fee is payable by international applicants.
Payment of the deposit and completion of the Acceptance Form guarantees the girl's place.
If a pupil has a UK passport, they will not require a visa to study in the UK. If they do not have a UK passport, even if they live in the UK, they may still require a visa. Please check a non-UK passport carefully to see whether they have RIGHT OF ABODE in the UK.
If a pupil is from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, they will need to apply for a visa to study in the UK.
Parents must ensure that their child is in possession of a valid visa before the start of the child’s first term. Parents must also ensure that their child’s passport and visa are renewed as required. More information and advice on the process is available on the UK Visas and Immigration section of the gov.uk website (this was formally part of the UK Border Agency).
A child intending to study at Sherborne Girls should apply under the child student visa route. This visa has replaced the Tier 4 Child Student Visa. If you are applying from outside the UK, the earliest you can apply for a visa is six months before staring at Sherborne Girls.
If you do not live in the UK, your daughter will need a guardian to act on her behalf and represent her interests. It may be necessary for your daughter to stay with her guardian for some Exeats and holidays if she is unable to return home. The School is not able to recommend agencies or individuals but we do ask families to formally notify us of their guardianship arrangements in advance of the student starting at Sherborne Girls.
Guardianship is a serious responsibility and guardians must live no further than 3 hours from the School, be aged over 25 and speak English proficiently. They must provide a safe, comfortable home when the student is staying with them. They are also required to inform the School of plans for exeats and holidays and must be available during student emergencies, illness or if the School closes for any unforeseen reason.
Further information will be sent once a girl is confirmed to join the School.