Reported in the Soham Parochial Magazine, June 1896.
The 55th section of the scheme under which the Soham Grammar School is managed is as follows,
The Governors shall apply not less than the sum of £40 yearly in maintaining Scholarships, tenable at the School, and each entitling the holder to a payment or allowance at least equal to the amount of his tuition fee.
These Scholarships shall be competed for by Boys who have been educated for at least 3 years at some Public Elementary School in the School District of Soham, and the Governors shall make such arrangements relative to the elections to these Scholarships as seem to them best adapted to secure the double object of attracting good Scholars to the School of the Foundation, and advancing Education at the Public Elementary Schools.
No Scholarship under this clause shall be granted for which there shall be no Candidate qualified as aforesaid who on Examination shall be adjudged worthy to take it. Any money so left to be disposed of shall be applied in the manner hereinafter directed concerning Unapplied Surplus of Income of the Foundation.
The Governors have ( provisionally ) drawn up the following regulations for the conduct of Examinations under this section.
1. No Boy is to be adjudged worthy of a Scholarship unless he has passed the 3rd standard under the Elementary Schools Day Code, or is well able to pass it.
2. The same papers are to be set to all Candidates.
3. About half of the questions on each paper are to be such as are suitable for a Boy who has passed the 3rd standard and is preparing for the 4th, the remaining questions being adapted to test the work of those who are in the higher standards.
4.If any Candidate answers the easier half of the papers much better than those Candidates who are older in years than himself, he may be recommended for the Scholarship, even though the older Candidates may obtain more marks by answering some of the advanced questions which the younger Boy was not forward enough to attempt, and this is the only way in which allowance is to be made for age, but in this case it is desirable that the Examiner should make a special report to the Chairman of the Governors.
5. A weeks notice of the Examination is to be given at the Elementary Schools.
6. The result of the Examination shall be reported to the Chairman of the Governors, and the successful Candidate shall be deemed to be duly elected unless the Chairman shall consider it desirable to obtain the decision of the Governors.
7. The results shall not be published till it has been accepted by the Chairman.These regulations will be reconsidered and revised on the second Monday in July, and meanwhile Governors will be glad to receive any suggestion for making them better calculated to promote the '' double object '' mentioned in section 55 of the scheme.
source: www.sohamroots.co.uk and reproduced with their permission