The Valentine School is a respected institution. Tuition, while not outrageous, is steep; in exchange, students may expect a world-class education from instructors personally invested in their success, all the latest facilities housed in gorgeous buildings which have stood for centuries, and a chance to connect with their peers, who will go on to careers in politics, the sciences, and other important fields the world over.
There's also opportunities to get all of that without the steep tuition, though. There are a handful of generous scholarships, endowed by alumni or by the school itself, for those who work much harder than the average teenager. There are legacy programs in place for alumni who have fallen on hard times but still want their children to have some of the opportunities they had.
And, of course, every year one slot is left open. It loses the school a paltry few thousand pounds, directly compensated by the government and less directly by the prestige of being a qualifying institution, and it means they're prepared for anything that might happen.
Like, for instance, what's about to happen on this covered walkway, down which the Dean of Students is shuffling with great vigor.