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Arkwright FAQs

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Everything you need to know

Got questions? We've got answers!

This page sets out, in roughly chronological order of the selection and award process, the questions we’re most frequently asked and their answers. You’ll find in-depth information in the Arkwright Handbook and we recommend looking at the Arkwright timeline. If you cant find the answer you need then please contact us.

Absolutely! We’re here to support you every step of the way.
You can contact us anytime at scholarships@smallpeicetrust.org.uk to ask any questions about the application process.

Each school or youth organisation also has access to an outreach specialist – one of our brilliant Liaison Officers who can answer any questions teachers or students may have regarding the application process. Additionally, these fantastic resources are available:

Students specific:

Teacher specific:

Your school or youth community organisation must be affiliated with Arkwright Engineering Scholarships before you can nominate a student. If you’re not yet affiliated, complete the affiliation form – it’s quick, simple, and FREE.

Once affiliated, you’ll receive access to our online application management system (AMS). You can then nominate eligible students during the application window each autumn (check out the timeline for dates for this upcoming year), and they’ll receive an invitation to complete their application online.

Students should be 15/16 years old and apply when they’re in the year that they sit all or the majority of their GCSEs or Scottish National 5s. In the vast majority of cases, that’s Year 11 (England and Wales), S4 (Scotland) and Year 12 (Northern Ireland).

The window for online student applications opens in the autumn (exact dates vary each year but can be seen on the Arkwright timeline).

Students who take some GCSEs/Scottish National 5 qualifications in Year 10 (England and Wales)/S3 (Scotland)/Year 11 (Northern Ireland) and others in Year 11/S4/12 should apply for their Arkwright Engineering Scholarship in Year 11 (England and Wales), S4 (Scotland) and Year 12 (Northern Ireland). Students who complete all their GCSEs/Scottish National 5 qualifications a year early should apply to Arkwright in that year.

Schools and youth organisations can submit as many students as they like, but we encourage you to identify those students with the best chance of success (see our applicant criteria page). Typically, schools submit between 0 and 4 applicants per year. There’s no obligation to submit applicants every year and, conversely, if a school or youth organisation has an outstanding year group, it will occasionally submit more than 4 applicants.

All state schools and youth community organisations receive two free applications per year – that’s our commitment to making scholarships accessible!
Otherwise, the fee is £45.00 for each student application, and you pay on the submission portal at the end of the application process.

The nominating teacher/youth leader can delete a student from the portal if they haven’t yet started their application. If a nominated student has started their application, teachers/youth leaders should simply not submit the student’s application to Arkwright.

If a student’s application has already been submitted to Arkwright by the teacher/youth leader through the online application system, then they must make Arkwright aware by email to scholarships@smallpeicetrust.org.uk of their wish to withdraw the student.

The exam is conducted online and a link to the exam will be emailed to applicants when the exam period opens. The exam can be taken at school or at home – whatever works best for you! Check out the Arkwright timeline for this years exam dates 

Absolutely! Special Educational Needs (SENs) are taken into account for both the aptitude exam and the interview (should the applicant reach the interview stage).
 
SENs must be notified when the teacher/youth leader submits the student’s application in the online application portal.
 

No. All applicants sit the Aptitude Exam first. The exam and the applicant’s initial online application are then assessed. The scores of these two assessments are combined to provide a ranking that enables the Arkwright Selection Panel to select the most promising applicants to progress to the interview stage.

Around 1 month after completion of the exam, we’ll notify candidates whether they’ve successfully made it through to the interview stage. You can this the timing of this on the Arkwright timeline. 

We’ll then send them details of their interview date and time (which they can confirm or ask to reorganise). We’ll also share comprehensive guidance with students on what to expect and how to prepare for their interview. The interview will be a mixture of questions about their interest in STEM and Engineering in particular and why they want to be a Scholar. The student will also talk about their project. 

All applicants and their nominating teacher/youth leader will be informed in May if they’ve successfully passed our selection process and been named an Arkwright Engineering Scholar. Successful applicants won’t find out until the following September whether this is an externally sponsored or Smallpeice virtual scholarship. You can see this years timeline here.

All of our scholarships are Arkwright Engineering Scholarships; however, we offer two brilliant pathways: externally sponsored and Smallpeice virtual scholarships. You can see the difference between these in our comparison table.

No. It’s the sponsors who decide which Scholars to fund, which could be linked to criteria such as their areas of engineering, preferred geographical locations of students, etc. The virtual scholarship is now available to ensure that all students who pass our rigourous application process have access to STEM enrichment and networking opportunities.

Yes! All applicants who successfully pass the selection process will be awarded an Arkwright Engineering Scholarship.

We’ll endeavour to find a suitable sponsor, but where we’re unable to secure sponsorship, those applicants will become virtual scholars.

All funded scholars will be invited to attend a Welcome and Networking Event – one north and one south. This offers fully funded scholars the brilliant chance to connect with their sponsors and other scholars in a more informal, engaging setting, fostering meaningful interactions and collaborations.

Virtual scholars will attend a similar virtual event that’s just as exciting!

The scholarships last for the two years of a student’s A-levels, Scottish Advanced Highers or International Baccalaureate, from 1st September in Year 1 to 31st August in Year 2.

However, the benefits of an Arkwright Engineering Scholarship last a lifetime!

The Arkwright Engineering Scholarships programme has no financial endowment nor significant unrestricted cash reserves. Every funded Scholarship that Arkwright awards must have a sponsor to provide the necessary funding.

As well as direct sponsorship of Scholars by specific organisations, Arkwright operates a Benefactors’ Fund to collect and channel the smaller or anonymous donations that we receive each year.

Students will get as much out of their Scholarship as they’re willing to put into it! We have a variety of brilliant resources that will become available to scholars, including mentoring, in-person Industry Connect Days and virtual events. Scholars who put themselves forward to take part in as much as possible will get access to opportunities that may help them in future careers.

In particular, Scholars who positively engage with and ask questions of their mentor on a regular basis will generally be those who get the most out of their Scholarship.

It is a requirement of the Scholarship that Scholars must engage with their Sponsor (and Mentor if allocated one) at regular intervals. In order to progress to year two of the Scholarship all Scholars must complete an end of year one update via the AMS. A final update is also required from all Scholars at the end of year two. This ensures funders are provided with the information they need, which helps ensure funding is available for future Scholars. 

We are aware of how busy teachers and youth leaders are, so we try and keep commitments to the minimum. But there are some requirements:

  • Talk to students about the Scholarship in the run up to the application window opening so they are aware of it and want to participate.
  • Nominate students when the application window opens and encourage them to complete the application.
  • Review and submit their application before the application deadline 
  • Pay for any applications if relevant (state schools and youth organisations get two free applications per year)
  • Provide a quiet space and a PC with internet access for the students to take the exam if you wish them to undertake it in school time (they can also do it at home)
  • Provide a quiet space and a PC with internet access for the students to take part in the interview if its in school time (we do offer many time slots during school holidays)
  • Support the student should they not be successful at reaching interview stage, or passing the interview. We know they will be disappointed but there is still much to be learnt from just taking part in the application process, no matter how far they got. 
  • Encourage successful applicants to make the most of their Scholarship opportunities
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