Record number of pupils at Exeter Cathedral School offered scholarships to prestigious senior schools

A plethora of major scholarships and exhibitions have been awarded to Year 8 children at the historic Exeter Cathedral School – and its reputation for musical excellence also remains undiminished with a staggering 15 music awards being won to the UK’s leading senior schools this year.

The school – founded in the 12th century and the only school in the city to offer both day and boarding places – also announced this week its 100% success rate for senior pupils passing their national public examinations. The Common Entrance exams, a nationally-recognized kite-mark of quality, have been passed by every single senior leaver (13 years old), meaning that each of them has made the grade to progress to a top senior school in September.

Following the successful appointment in 2016 of a new Assistant Head (Academic), the School’s Headmaster James Featherstone has further strengthened the academic provision by appointing a Head of Scholarships and Enrichment. He said: “I appointed James Meeke (MA, Oxon) to this exciting new post in September. He has been a terrific source of wisdom and guidance for pupils and families wishing to pursue scholarship dreams, and I am thrilled by the unprecedented surge in scholarship success that we've had this year.”

Out of a year group of 23 pupils, 35 scholarships/exhibitions/awards have been offered by some of the country’s finest senior and public schools. Some of these are multiple awards: a hugely impressive 65% of the Year 8 cohort has been offered one of these sought-after prizes.

Academic Scholarships and Prizes have been won by the School’s senior pupils to Exeter School, Taunton School, Plymouth College and the famous Charterhouse School. Music Scholarships have been won to Charterhouse, Exeter School, The Maynard, Blundell’s, Taunton, Canford School, Truro School, Bramdean, Plymouth College and Totnes Progressive School. Sports Scholarships have been won to Wellington School and to Plymouth College. Drama Scholarships have been awarded by Wellington School and The Maynard. Art awards have been won to Blundell’s, The Maynard and King’s College, Taunton.

Hot on the heels of their older counterparts, 3 pupils in Year 7 have already secured themselves unconditional places at the renowned Marlborough College for 2018, and another member of Year 7 has won a guaranteed place at the prestigious Sherborne School for 18 months’ time.

Exeter Cathedral School is an independent day and boarding Prep School for girls and boys aged 3-13. Founded in the 12th century as a choir school, ECS now educates approximately 275 pupils. 36 of these are the boy and girl Choristers of Exeter Cathedral, who continue the centuries-old routine of leading the daily sung worship in the Cathedral. 

Nowadays, the School offers a fully-rounded Prep School education to pupils from a variety of backgrounds and with a range of talents and interests, whether they be sporting, academic, artistic or musical. Located in the heart of the city and in the lee of the magnificent Cathedral, the School has small class sizes, outstanding pastoral care, and a celebrated track record of academic success. The School welcomes visitors at any time of year and has some remaining spaces in some years for this September. Further information is available from Katy Hockings via reception@exetercs.org.