Regent House Grammar School signs exciting partnership with FirstPoint USA to create scholarship opportunities for its pupils.
Top grammar school Regent House becomes the first school in Northern Ireland to sign a partnership agreement with world-leading US sports scholarship agency FirstPoint USA to create sports opportunities and scholarships in the US for its pupils.
This partnership with Regent House highlights FirstPoints’ proposition of finding sports scholarships in the US for talented pupils irrespective of their financial background, diversity or social mobility.
FirstPoint states that being awarded a sports scholarship in the US can be life changing for students as they can perform at the highest level of sport, whilst undertaking graduate and post graduate courses in their chosen subject.
Regent House caters for 1450 pupils between the ages of 11- 19 years and students come from a diverse range of backgrounds throughout North Down and Ards. The school provides a broad and balanced education that enables its pupils to leave the school ready for the world and has an excellent sports curriculum that covers 20 sports and it is consistently ranked in the top15 of academic schools in Northern Ireland. The school believes that sport plays an important role in its pupils’ development, testimony in the appointment in 2017 of ex Scotland Rugby Union captain and former Director of Rugby at Northampton Saints, Budge Pountney.
Michael Carville, Head of Regent House says: “Sport enables our pupils to develop the resilience to cope with the challenging environment we all live and work in today. It not only delivers many health benefits, but also encourages pupils to become leaders and effective team members”. He continues: “We are delighted to be the first school in Northern Ireland to be involved with FirstPoint and I can’t wait to see which of our talented pupils begin a university career at a college in the US”.
Andrew Kean, Chief Executive Officer for First Point - and a former ‘All American’ soccer champion and scholarship success story himself, says; “I am pleased to welcome Regent House to the FirstPoint family. Through our partnership, we will set out to foster the values of commitment, hard work and community. And deliver on our common vision to help talented young men and women be the best that they can be regardless of their financial background.”
To show its commitment to the school, FirstPoint has already provided a pro-bono placement for a pupil at Regent House, wavering all its fees.
Andrew says: “The needs of our partners, students and families come first and this is demonstrated by our pro-bono scholarships which support pupils in accessing the life changing experience that a college sports scholarship can bring when cost might otherwise prohibit them”.
The partnership with FirstPoint will enable Regent House to provide staff, children and parents from year 10 upwards with information about further education outside of the UK, including the opportunities available through FirstPoint’s full and part scholarships programme which is linked to 2,500 colleges and universities in the US, including the likes of Harvard, Princeton, Yale and UCL.
Ian Hunter, Strategic Partner for FirstPoint and a former international rugby player and team mate of Budge Pountney says: “Over the past 17 years, we’ve forged some truly great school partnerships and we have helped thousands of talented young people achieve their potential through sports in the US, securing a staggering $200,000,000 in scholarships money”. He continues: “I’m really excited about Regent House and the opportunity of teaming up with Budge again - albeit now off the rugby pitch. The work Budge and Michael have done with the sport and academic department at Regent House is incredible and this is demonstrated in the school’s results year on year”.
Editorial Notes
About First Point UA
First Point USA is the world’s leading US sports scholarship agency. Since 2001 the company has changed the lives of over 8,000 talented young sportsmen whilst empowering their futures and protecting their welfare. It provides students in the UK with scouting opportunities to over 2,500 American universities and it partners with many schools in the UK including: Millfield, Sedbergh, Langley, Felsted and Cheadle Hulme.
About Regent House Grammar School
Regent House Grammar School is a co-educational, non-denominated controlled grammar school for pupils aged between 4- 19 years old (including senior and prep). It is consistently ranked in the top 10 grammar schools in Northern Ireland and is ranked 18 including both state and independent schools. Pupils at the school come from a diverse range of backgrounds and can participate in a broad academic curriculum plus more than 20 sports and clubs, some of which are unique in Northern Ireland.
* Pro-bono opportunities are awarded at the discretion of First Point USA based on a specific set of criteria. Clients are assessed by both FPUSA and the individual school based on suitability and eligibility
