The Keys Award

The Radley Keys Award is available to boys studying at a school in the state sector. We expect that the award will, in the most part, go to boys from less advantaged backgrounds where there is a genuine financial need for assistance with fees.

Families with higher incomes or with boys currently educated at a prep school may still be eligible for funding support but should look at our other awards. If you are unsure about whether this is the best programme for your family, the calculator below may help to give you an indication of the best award for you.

The amount of help with fees, depends on each family’s circumstances and assets, income, liabilities and lifestyle will all be taken into consideration. Please contact our Admissions Team who will be able to offer further advice.

In the Summer Term of Year 5, applicants and their families will be invited to Radley to meet the Director of Admissions and Communications, Sophie Langdale for an informal chat, which will include detailed discussion of the assessment process.

In October of Year 6, we hold an Open Day for Keys Award applicants where there will be a talk by the Warden (Headmaster), a current award holder and a tour of the campus with our pupils.

Entry Forms are available by contacting admissions@radley.org.uk from July in Year 5 and should be submitted by the end of October along with a Confidential Statement of Financial Circumstances. No entry fee is payable. On receipt of the application, Radley will request a reference from your son’s current school.

In November of Year 6, there will be an Assessment Day at Radley where boys will sit an English, Maths and Verbal Reasoning paper. Boys who perform well will return to Radley to participate in a number of fun and collaborative observed activities which will assess attitudes to learning, character, critical thinking, communication and the qualities of leadership, curiosity, initiative and creativity.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited back the following week for interviews with the Warden or another member of the Senior Management Team. In December, offers will be made to successful candidates. Following acceptance of the award and the completion of the means-testing process, we will discuss potential prep schools for Year 7 and 8 with you and make introductions.

The application process in November of Year 11 is the same for all Sixth Form candidates who sit papers in two of their potential A Level subjects. They will have one subject specific interview and one with a Member of the Senior Management Team.

The application process opens at the start of June (Year 10). Entry Forms are available by contacting admissions@radley.org.uk and should be submitted by the end of October along with a Confidential Statement of Financial Circumstances. No entry fee is payable. On receipt of the application Radley will request a reference from your son’s current school.

Unconditional offers will be sent to successful candidates at the beginning of December and funding will be confirmed upon completion of the means-testing process.

Please visit here for further information about the Sixth Form application process and key dates.

All awards are reviewable periodically. In practice, we commit to the award for the duration of your son’s time at Radley, but subject to a review and re-confirmation of the amount, as a minimum in the GCSE year or if triggered by a change in circumstances.

Only those living in the UK, who hold a UK or ROI passport, or who hold valid UK residency documentation can apply for funding at Radley.

Yes.

There are up to six Radley Keys Award places available for Year 7 and up to six places available for Sixth Form entry each year.

We understand the perception that schools like ours are only for the ‘elite’. The truth is that the Radley community is a place for everyone and our boys and staff have a wide range of interests, backgrounds and experiences. In 2023, 37 boys paid no fees with a total of 120 boys receiving some level of means-tested financial support ranging from 10% – 95%. This equates to 13.5% of the school and this figure will increase year-on-year. The Radley Keys Award is purposefully designed to remove financial barriers, allowing boys to focus on reaching their goals and maximising the opportunities on offer.

We will support parents with travel costs to and from Radley. Parents are welcome to attend weekly sports fixtures, concerts and plays, as well as Social (boarding house) events. Boys go home about every third weekend and can take two extra weekends on top of that if they wish, in addition to extended school holidays.

Everyone! Radley is renowned for pastoral care, and the whole community – boys, staff and other parents – will make sure your son is happy and well cared for. Your son’s Tutor (Housemaster) takes the lead and also acts as the main point of contact with you. Tutors are experienced senior teachers who look after approximately 60 boys. They are supported by a Pastoral Housemistress (PHM), who makes sure the boys are happy, safe and well looked after. There are plenty of opportunities to meet the Tutor before your son arrives at Radley.

We know that parents and boys will have lots of questions. If there’s anything you would like to know or need some advice on, please do contact us via the enquiry form below, by email, or by telephone. We want to make this experience as pleasant and enjoyable as possible.