Above: The Admissions Team at Dame Allan's Schools, Mrs Rebecca Miller (L) and Mrs Kate Edwards (R)
Dame Allan’s Schools has received a coveted industry award for their reimagining of their admission process.
This week, the Schools were awarded the Admissions Impact Award from AMCIS, the Association for Admissions, Marketing and Communications in Independent Schools. This was in recognition of the Senior School’s commitment to an accessible, pupil-friendly, and enjoyable admissions process, a process which has been completely revamped in recent years.
The changes to the process were multifaceted, consisting of the switch from paper exams to digital assessments, integrating interviews into the same day as the assessments, arranging peer support from Sixth Form ‘buddies’ during the day, and bringing an element of fun into the assessment day with the addition of team building games and sport.
Mrs Rebecca Miller, Head of Admissions and Communications at Dame Allan’s Schools said:
“We are thrilled to have been recognised with an AMCIS award! It really is a whole school effort, and a great testimony to the hard work of all of our staff who make our assessment days possible.
After launching our digital format assessments, we followed this up by devising a new structure that allows more time for the ‘fun’ element of assessment day! Our digital exams adapt to the level of each pupil, giving us a strong idea of their academic abilities, without causing undue stress or anxiety, and the day is run in a way to allow for small, friendly group activities.”
“This new format also means that pupils can be assessed in a single day session. Previously, pupils would have to return on two separate occasions - once for the initial written assessment, which could take up to three hours - and again for an interview with staff members. Not only is this less nerve-wracking for pupils undergoing assessment, but logistically it is a lot easier for families too! We really just want to make sure that any prospective pupil will feel happy and comfortable with life at Dame Allan's, both inside and outside the classroom.”
The revised assessment day also includes staggered arrival times to avoid overwhelming prospective pupils with large groups of new people, plus the invitation for prospective pupils to wear their own clothes rather than school uniform, ensuring they feel comfortable from the first moment they arrive at the School.
The news of the award was revealed at the AMCIS Conference, which was held in Cirencester on 12 May 2025. Speaking about their choice, the judges commented:
“The results achieved by reimagining the entrance test day were clear proof of what an impact the change made… the new approach made it much easier to see which children would truly thrive at the School.”