Admissions Information for Malvern St James Families - Malvern College

Admissions Information for Malvern St James Families - Malvern College
A tailored pathway at Malvern for each child.
Malvern St James has recently announced its likelihood to close at the end of the current academic year. We understand how challenging this news will be for families and pupils.
Malvern College and The Downs Malvern are here to support families who wish to continue their child’s education in Malvern from September 2026.
Our priority is simple: to provide a carefully managed, supportive and affordable transition that ensures stability and confidence at a crucial time. We are doing this by
waiving fees for the 2026 Summer Term
for families wanting to move over immediately and by committing to
maintain their current school fee levels from September 2026
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FAQs
Our commitment to MSJ families
We will ensure families have clear next steps and access to a high-quality, sustainable educational pathway within the Malvern College Family of Schools. We will work with MSJ’s academic and pastoral teams to ensure each child’s individual needs are understood and supported.
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About The Downs Malvern (6 months to 13 years)
About Malvern College (13-18 years)
What is being offered for MSJ families
Financial and Admissions Support - fees waived for the 2026 Summer Term
Fees waived for the 2026 Summer Term
From the Autumn Term, fees matched at the 2026/27 level
All existing scholarships, bursaries and other discounts honoured
Registration fees waived
Matched deposits, with payment delayed until MSJ deposits are returned
Early indication of means-tested support beyond the current key stage
Admissions Process
A simplified admissions process, coordinated entirely by the Malvern College Admissions Team
Close liaison with families to ensure a smooth transition of academic and pastoral care
Priority consideration for pupils in key examination years
Practical Support
Priority access to second-hand uniform, where required
Personalised transition planning, including visits and meetings with key staff
A focus on smooth transitions and wellbeing
We recognise that minimising disruption is critical, particularly for pupils approaching important examination points.
Particular care is being taken to:
Place pupils into appropriate academic sets
Ensure availability of subject choices and pathways
Support emotional and pastoral wellbeing throughout
Personalised pathways for every pupil
Protecting your current fee position
Single‑sex houses providing exceptional pastoral care
Supportive Admissions Process
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You are warmly invited
If you are considering your child’s next steps, we warmly invite you to drop in for an informal conversation about Prep or Senior school this Saturday (25
th
April) between 2–4pm at Malvern College.
This relaxed, no-obligation session is a chance to meet members of our staff from both The Downs Malvern and Malvern College, ask questions and explore the options available to you.
📍 The Grub, Malvern College, WR14 3DP
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Enquire Now
Your Next Steps
Step One – Contact us
We encourage MSJ families to speak with our Admissions Team and make an appointment to visit the school so they can experience Malvern College first-hand.
Share details of your child with us by completing our
MSJ Families Enquiry Form
, sending us an email
admissions@malverncollege.org.uk
or calling us on
+44 (0)1684 581 515
Step Two – Campus visit
Experience the magic of Malvern first hand with a personalised tour of the campus to meet staff and pupils.
Step Three – Registration
Following the initial enquiry, prospective MSJ families will need to complete a
Registration Form
, please select ‘Malvern St James’ as current school and the Registration Fee will be waived. We request copies of a pupil’s two most recent school reports so that we can ensure that Malvern College is a place where they will thrive.
Step Four – Offer
Once all elements of the admissions process have been completed, successful applicants will then be offered a place.
Step Five – Enrolment
Once a place has been accepted, our Admissions Team will work closely with families to complete enrolment and prepare for a smooth transition into school life. Families will also receive guidance on practical next steps, including priority access to second‑hand uniform where appropriate.
Enquiry Form for MSJ Families
FAQs
What does this mean for my child?
We understand that the news of the potential closure of MSJ will be difficult and unsettling.
Malvern College and The Downs Malvern can offer a pathway of education, with individual guidance to support integration into the Malvern family of schools for the start of the 2026/2027 school year.
Is my child guaranteed a place at Malvern College or The Downs Malvern?
We hope to provide a pathway for all children who wish to join us, subject to individual discussions.
Our Admissions Team are on hand to support families on an individual basis, and so please contact them as soon as possible to discuss your family’s needs.
How will the difference in fees be managed? What about my child’s current scholarship / bursary award?
To support an education pathway for pupils, we will be working with families on the following basis:
Waiving fees for the 2026 Summer Term for families who want to move immediately
Day, Flexible or Full boarding fees at Malvern College and The Downs Malvern will be matched with the corresponding 2026/27 Malvern St James fees (including the compulsory fee charged for lunch)
Honouring of any fee concession a child already has (e.g. scholarship or bursary award)
Standard registration fees are waived
Deposits will be matched, with payment delayed until deposits are returned from Malvern St James
Priority access to second-hand uniform, where necessary
How long will fees be matched for?
Fees will be matched, aside of annual fee increases, until the end of the current key-stage:
EYFS and Key Stage 1 (KS1)
– Reception and Years 1–2 (up to age 7)
Key Stage 2 (KS2)
– Years 3–6 (ages 7–11)
Key Stage 3 (KS3)
– Years 7–9 (ages 11–14)
Key Stage 4 (KS4)
– Years 10–11 (ages 14–16)
Key Stage 5 (KS5)
– Years 12-13 (ages 16-18)
As a child moves towards the end of the key stage, parents will be supported through our means-tested bursary review process.
Parents who are keen to receive early reassurance of continued financial support can choose to be fast-tracked through this process via our admissions team over the coming weeks.
What happens at the end of the key stage – will my fee concession continue?
We understand that parents may be concerned about continuity of financial support once their child’s current key stage comes to an end. While existing fee arrangements cannot automatically continue beyond this point, you may be eligible to apply for a means-tested bursary.
To help parents plan ahead, we are happy to offer a desktop bursary assessment, providing an early indication of likely eligibility. This initial assessment is straightforward, requires no supporting documents, and we aim to provide an indication within one week of receiving a completed form.
What happens to deposits already paid to Malvern St James and will I need to pay a deposit to Malvern College / The Downs Malvern?
Your current deposit with Malvern St James should be returned to you, as per your Parent Contract.
Upon accepting the offer to join Malvern College / The Downs Malvern, you will be asked to sign a new Parent Contract and a deposit is required to confirm enrolment. The payment of this new deposit can be deferred until such time as your previous deposit is returned, if this assists you financially.
What is the first step I should take to fnd out more?
Families should contact the Malvern College Admissions Team by sending us an email
admissions@malverncollege.org.uk
or calling us on
+44 (0)1684 581 515
. Kelly Rogers, Head of Admissions, and her team are available Monday to Friday 8.30am-6pm and will aim to reply to families within the same day, where possible.
Families can also complete a
dedicated enquiry form
on our website.
Do I have to complete the full admissions process?
We have simplified our application process for current MSJ families. As such, once you have had all your questions answered by our admissions team, you will be asked to:
Complete our Registration Form online (link provided by admissions)
Provide 2 recent school reports
Families of children with specific needs or concerns are advised to speak to us as soon as possible to ensure that The Downs Malvern / Malvern College will be the best fit for your family.
Will my child be able to continue with the same subjects? How will differences in curriculum be managed? What about children in exam years?
The Academic Team at Malvern College have completed initial subject and timetable mapping to ensure as much continuity of education can be provided. Our Admissions Team will work with families on a 1:1 basis to coordinate discussions with the academic team at Malvern College ahead of enrolment.
What happens if I do not think Malvern College or The Downs Malvern is a good fit for my child?
The choice of school is understandably individual to each family, and there is no obligation to consider Malvern College / The Downs Malvern as a next step.
However, there is also no downside to starting an application with Malvern College / the Downs Malvern and then ultimately choosing not to join.
An offer of enrolment will be made once the application process has been completed. Parents will then sign a new contract with Malvern College to confirm acceptance of the offer. If they choose to decline the offer, then they would simply need to complete the withdrawal process from Malvern St James, as instructed by them.
Can I arrange a visit / arrange to speak with members of staff before making a decision?
Of course, this is highly recommended. Please contact Kelly Rogers who is on hand to book visits and coordinate contact with our Academic and Pastoral Teams.
If my child joins Malvern College / The Downs Malvern, will my child be with others from their current year group at MSJ?
At The Downs Malvern, children will join their current year group class. As such, they will be with other children from Malvern St James if more than one child joins us.
At Malvern College, children will be allocated to one of our 11 single-sex boarding houses, and so may be in Houses with other MSJ pupils including with children who joined our family in September 2025.
If families / children have a preference of friends they would like to be with, or friendship groups they would rather they were not allocated with, please make this clear to our admissions team. Depending on their subject choices, pupils will also see each other in class and during sport / co-curricular activities.
How will friendship groups be maintained?
Our admissions team will work with families on their preferences in relation to friendship groups and House allocations for Malvern College. Where possible, we will do all that we can to allocate pupils (of the same sex) who want to stay together to the same House.
How will you support my child emotionally through this change?
We understand that this may be a very unsettling time for your child, and that each child will process this news differently.
Malvern College has a reputation for exceptional pastoral care, as well as being highly-experienced in welcoming new pupils to its community. Each child will be under the care of their House team, as well as academic tutors and will be able to access a range of well-being and support services to support their transition.
When will the move happen?
For most children, their first day at Malvern College or The Downs Malvern will be the first day of term in September 2026. There are different start dates during the first week of term depending on the year of entry and details will be communicated with each family.
Will transport arrangements change?
Malvern College and The Downs Malvern already operate a daily bus service to and from school. We will aim to ensure that these routes are enhanced to provide transport to all pupils joining from Malvern St James.
Please share details of your current route with our admissions team and enhanced routes will be confirmed once demand has been reviewed.
Will I need to buy a new school uniform?
In order to assimilate into the new school communities, we recommend that children joining in September wear the correct Malvern College and The Downs Malvern uniform.
We are mindful of the financial investment and so for those families wishing to access it, we will prioritise the availability of items from our second-hand uniform shops.
A full list of uniform for Malvern College and The Downs Malvern can be found
here
Will boarding/day options change?
Both The Downs Malvern and Malvern College have a long tradition of providing excellent boarding provisions, including flexible options for those families who require this support.
At The Downs Malvern, we have a small full-boarding community, and a large number of pupils who board on a flexible basis.
At Malvern College, we have a mix of Day, Day Boarding (up to 3 days per week), and Full Boarding pupils. Day pupils have up to 15 nights of boarding including in their fee point and House team work with our full-boarding families to ensure responsiveness to each family’s need.
Our Admissions Team are on hand to discuss what may work best for each family.
Who can we speak to if we have concerns?
Our Admissions Team, led by Mrs Kelly Rogers is the best place to start. She will coordinate connections with any member of staff who parents would like to speak to, including our Headmaster and Senior Leadership Team.
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FAQs
How We Help Children Grow into Confident, Resilient Learners
Co-Educational Boarding: Blending the Best of Both Worlds
What makes a Malvern College education different?
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Title
You are warmly invited
Drop in for an informal conversation about Prep or Senior school this Saturday (2–4pm) at Malvern College. A chance to meet our staff and explore your options.
📍 The Grub, Malvern College, WR14 3DP
///horses.same.loops