Exeter Cathedral School Pupils Win Record Number of Scholarships

A plethora of major scholarships and exhibitions have been awarded to Year 8 children at 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 Common Entrance – a nationally-recognized kite-mark of quality.

Following the 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 Charterhouse.  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 awarded by Wellington School and Plymouth College.  Drama Scholarships have been awarded as well by Wellington School and The Maynard and 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 has some 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.