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Senior School Admissions
As a leading independent Senior School in Staffordshire, it is always a special moment when we welcome new pupils. Below we have detailed how our admissions process for pupils joining us from Years 7 through to 10 works.
Many pupils join us in Year 7 after both visiting us at our Autumn Open Morning and sitting an entrance examination in November of Year 6. We recommend registering early for this examination and for our range of prestigious Scholarship and Exhibition awards, as interest is always high. We also host Year 7 ‘How to do an Entrance Test’ evenings each year to help children feel confident in taking their entrance examinations.
Pupils are also welcome to join us at the start of Year 8, Year 9 or Year 10. We help pupils to make a smooth transition to their secondary and GCSE studies, as we understand that parents want to ensure their children thrive in this important period in their education.
For pupils who wish to join us mid-year, examinations, tours and other admission arrangements can be made as required – please do not hesitate to get in touch.
The best way to appreciate all that we have to offer is to visit the school for yourself. We also warmly welcome visitors to all parts of the school at any time throughout the year and you are able to book a bespoke tour with our Headmaster.
How to Apply for NULS Senior School
Parents wishing to register prospective pupils for a place in Year 7 – Year 10 are required to complete our Registration Form online or contact our Registrar.
Applicants to our Senior School are required to sit an entrance examination. Candidates take papers in Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics, English, Comprehension and a computer based assessment.
Please find the below outline of our Nursery fees:
Age 3-4 Years
| Service | Hours | Sessions | Cost | |
| Full Week | 8.00am – 6.00pm | 10 | £263.00 | |
| Full Day | 8.00am – 6.00pm | 2 |
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| Short Day | 8.00am – 3.45pm | 2 | £47.15 | |
| Morning | 8.00am – 1.00pm | 1 | £32.80 | |
| Afternoon | 1.00pm – 6.00pm | 1 | £32.80 | |
| Additional Hours | Per Hour | £10.50 |
Effective from 1 November 2025
The option of term-time-only places is also available in the Nursery. It should be noted that term-time is defined as 38 weeks of the year (to match the Early Education Funding regulations).
Please note that Nursery fees are payable monthly in arrears.
Meals
Meals are charged as follows: £7.40 per full day, £5.35 per short day, £4.65 per morning session and £3.70 per afternoon session.
Age 2-3 Years
| Service | Hours | Sessions | Cost |
| Full Week | 8.00am – 6.00pm | 10 | £305.00 |
| Full Day | 8.00am – 6.00pm | 2 | £65.10 |
| Short Day | 8.00am – 3.45pm | 2 | £52.65 |
| Morning | 8.00am – 1.00pm | 1 | £37.80 |
| Afternoon | 1.00pm – 6.00pm | 1 | £37.80 |
| Additional Hours | Per Hour | £10.50 |
Funding
Little NULS Nursery is registered to receive Early Education Funding and the Tax-Free Childcare scheme.
We know that funding is important and beneficial for parents, so we are happy to advise on this procedure. Once we’ve advised you on this during the Little NULS Nursery application process, you can then decide whether you’d like to proceed any further with your application.
We are delighted to introduce a new, simpler and lower fee structure for families with children between Reception and Year 2, from September 2025. The new fee plan also makes things much simpler, incorporating lunch costs all into one single fee. The new fee plan for September 2025 is therefore as follows:
| Year Group | 2025/26 termly fee (inclusive of VAT) | |
| Reception | £3,995 | |
| Year 1 | £4,196 | |
| Year 2 | £4196 | |
| Years 3-6 | £5,107 |
School lunches are £320 per term for pupils in Year 3-6.
Pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are not charged for lunches as this is included within the fees above.
Our termly fees for Senior School are £6,246 per term (inclusive of VAT).
School lunches are £335 per term.
A number of Bursaries are available for pupils applying for entry into the Senior School. Bursaries offer financial assistance with School Fees. This is dependent upon parental income.
Several scholarships for Senior School pupils are also available (Academic, Art and Design, Music, Performing Arts and Sport). For more information please contact our Admissions team – admissions@nuls.org.uk
Our termly fees for Sixth Form are £6,246 per term (inclusive of VAT).
Lunches are optional for Sixth Form pupils and are charged as taken.
Bursaries and Scholarships
A number of Bursaries and Scholarships are available for pupils applying for entry into the Sixth Form. Bursaries offer assistance with School Fees, depending on parental income.
The Registration Form has a section wherein parents may indicate their wish to apply for financial assistance.
In addition, the School offers a range of scholarships. Further details and procedures for applications can be obtained from the Registrar.
Transport
We operate several bus routes offering a convenient and safe method of getting children to and from the Senior School in Staffordshire. The number of routes has increased with demand, collecting children as close as possible to home addresses.
If you don’t see your area covered in our current bus routes, we encourage you to enquire. We’re dedicated to finding solutions that meet the needs of our school community.
Sports and Clubs
We give our pupils the tools they need to succeed – whatever their hobbies or interests.
Sporting provisions at our independent Senior School are exceptional in terms of competitive fixtures and specialist coaching, leading pupils to a lasting passion for sport.
Performing Arts is also at the heart of our co-curricular offer. We are proud to stage three productions a year in our Senior School and pupils also have the opportunity to take LAMDA lessons and exams, delivered by our team of expert peripatetic LAMDA teachers.
We offer a myriad of musical opportunities at NULS, garnering us a reputation for musical excellence. We have a number of choirs and ensembles and offer diverse peripatetic music lessons, preparing pupils for ABRSM examinations. Additionally, we host a vibrant line-up of concerts and performances throughout the school year, celebrating our students’ talents and passion for music.
Inspection Highlights
In April 2024, NULS’ independent Senior School, Nursery, Prep School and Sixth Form received our latest Routine Inspection from ISI. Under their new, very rigorous framework, the inspectors gave a glowing and highly praising report of the school and went further bestowing on the school the accolade of a ‘significant strength’, due to the quality, impact and extent of the School’s co-curricular provision. This is a very rare honour for an independent Senior School in Staffordshire to receive. For a school that is so renowned for its academic strengths, this was a wonderful further accolade to receive and hopefully demonstrates how we succeed in our goal to provide an outstanding and rounded education.
The exceptional outcome of this latest inspection builds wonderfully on that of our school’s last inspection in March 2020, when NULS’ Nursery, Prep School, Senior School and Sixth Form were awarded the very highest gradings possible by ISI, securing a clean sweep of ‘Excellent’ grades in both Achievement and Personal Development; a brilliant testimony to the ability of our academic staff and support teams and the hugely impressive achievements and personal qualities of our pupils.
Want to learn more?
Mount Pleasant, Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 1DB
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