is everyone on a scholarship?

[brekkiequeen]

Decided to post rather than snoop!
Nearly every poster seems to be talking about their DC's scholarship. Or is it just me? How many scholarships are there at any school. I thought it was perhaps a maximum of 5 (academic)?
No wonder everyone else pays such high fees when we need to subsidise all these scholarships!

[Yey22]

Scholarships can be anything from 5%-50% so schools may offer lots of smaller ones.

[NellyBarney]

About 1/3 of dc at my dd prep school lea've as scholars, and it's about 2/3 at ds's prep. That includes music, sport, drama, sports, all rounder, academic, DT and exhibitions in all above. At most schools, especially girls, those scholarships have a value of 5%, maximum 10%, so pretty much nominal. Or no reduction in fees but free music tuition in 1 or sometimes 2 instruments in case of music scholarships. Often, burseries are dependentd on scholarships though, or e.g. in case of Etons KS, amount of scholarship delends on means testing. I find the pressure at most preps to win a scholarship annoying, and the segregation of pupils into scholarship and CE classes. Often it's also really bizare: e.g. at dd school, a girl who wins a CE place at Wycombe Abbey or a boy who wins a CE place at Winchester won't even get a special mention, there is not even a leavers list for CE places published on the schools website. But a child who wins a dt or sports scholarship to a third tier non selective school will get a feature with all the scholars in the local newspaper and be immortalised on the walls of the school. Also, teaching for scholars is much more individualized and in smaller groups with more extras (trips, extra languages) but all parents pay the same prep school fees.

[Poppyred25]

I do agree that certain SW London schools hand out loads of scholarships with offers some of which are not that big (5 - 10 %) but when the Tiffin / other grammar places are allocated on 1st March the scholarship / private school options are quickly dropped.

[volpemum]

I do know what you mean! I follow a thread where everyone seems to have received multiple scholarships and I was starting to wonder whether we were the only ones that had not been offered one!

[Happysummer]

No scholarship but I did get three blue Peter badges at primary school

[Hoppinggreen]

25% here
DD’s School offer 3 or 4 per year of either 25% or up to 50% if you have been at at The Prep for at least 2 years before taking the exam
No means tested bursaries though

[LeFaye]

Interesting! I had no idea some prep schools prepared for scholarships! Our prep certainly doesn’t. DS1 got an academic scholarship for his next school (Dulwich College), but that was due to doing well at the tests, so not sure how they could’ve prepared specifically for that..?

[brekkiequeen]

I think most schools at 11+ either give scholarships or call back for a scholarship exam on the basis of the 11+ performance. Prep schools with year 7 and 8 specifically prepare some DCs for 13+ scholarship exams, rather than doing Common Entrance. Some schools even have a scholarship class for this purpose.

[LeFaye]

Ok I clearly don’t understand how this works. Would those who get scholarships not have to sit the CE then?

And what happens if they don’t get the scholarship? Surely there must be a higher chance of getting in via CE than via scholarship?

None of the 13+ schools my DS1 applied to had specific scholarship exams, it was all “academic scholarships will be awarded to pupils who excels im the exams”

He’s our eldest and we’re not from the UK originally so it’s all new to me, and I’m genuinely interested in how it all works. I don’t really see how preparing for academic scholarships could be that much different from preparing for CE?

I might sound really stupid, sorry!

[Fazackerley]

Mine's just got one. It's pretty nominal. Rather than moaning about having to 'subsidise' him, you should be grateful that he will almost certainly raise the sporting profile of the school. That's why he got it.

[brekkiequeen]

There's something called "CASE" Common Academic Scholarship Exam., which i think can cover most subjects. Some senior schools use this. If the child sits CASE then they either get the scholarship and then don't sit CE, they don't get a scholarship but are good enough to not sit CE, or they are told to sit CE. The CASE exams are harder than CE. I think when the prep schools pick the right kids then the last scenario isn't very common.
Other senior schools write their own scholarship exams and then have their own individual rules on whether CE is required.
Hope that helps....

[HerdingPigs]

Most independent schools are switching more and more from academic scholarships to offering more bursaries. As an aptitude scholar (music, drama, sports, dance etc.) the student actually also needs to do a lot of work for school to deserve it, and the amount from some most desired schools can be really nominal (few hundreds a year or some book vouchers). The commitments required from these students can easily fill up an A4 page (helping out on open days, organise clubs, coaching younger students etc.).

[BubblesBuddy]

Most parents who are seeking scholarships go to preps that prep for them. That’s partly what you are paying for. DDs old prep gets loads every year. Not London.

My DD1 achieved an academic 6th form scholarship and received £0 off fees. Others got “Principals Awards” based on sport, music and drama and got free coaching and lessons for a year. The very rich parents got this benefit. How was that fair? Still makes me cross now!

[ananas2019]

Not everybody who send the kids to pre schools are rich. However, if you go to a state school and can afford a tutor you may be in a better position to get a place and scholarship at 11 plus over pre-schools. As schools will see these state students as not having being prepared by the schools. Apparently, they may take this into account.

[brekkiequeen]

I'm sure this is true of 11+. However, the private prep schools like to think that the heads have a "relationship", which also needs nurturing!!

At 13+, however, I think it would be a difficult task to have your child in year 8 at a state high school and at the same time tutor them for scholarship year 9 entry at a private school.

[LeFaye]

This is really interesting. None of the (top and second tier public schools in London) schools we applied for had any separate tests for academic scholarships. They were all based on performance in the exams and interviews. One or two had special scholarship interviews once they had taken the general test, the CE ones we applied to (but now ditched as he’s got a place) also had scholarships based on exam performances.

Our prep is not keen on setting/ streaming though, so I doubt they’d want to separate the pupils in that way anyway. But we have a second DS who might not want into the same schools as DS1, so I’ll definitely do more research on this.

DS1’s scholarship is at 15% of fees for his time at the school, so not a huge amount but it’ll still be about £2K per year we can spend on other things for him. But I think the main benefit is that he is feeling that his particular skills are valued by the school.

[LeFaye]

Oh and thank you brekkiequeen for taking the time to explain!

[brekkiequeen]

must be different depending where you live. Perhaps the London schools are dropping 13+ entry?? We are Hampshire/Surrey and Ds's school sends kids to day and also big boarding schools, like Cranleigh.

[OublietteBravo]

No scholarships/bursaries here. I pay full fees for both my DC.

[Petalflowers]

Fat - given the choice between the school having a sportier image, or me paying smaller fees, I would go for smaller fees.

(Purely hypothetical as dc1 has left school, and dc2 is in a six form of a state school)

Can someone explain the difference between a scholarship and a bursary please?

[KaliforniaDreamz]

bursary is financial circumstance (eg parents earn under 53 k for example may get fee reduction)

scholarship is merit based, eg grade 978 violin

[LeFaye]

brekkie - I think quite the contrary. More and more co eds and girls’ schools are opening for 13+ rather than 11+.

Most preps we looked at in our area also mainly preps boys for 13+

[LeFaye]

Petalflowers - Bursaries are means tested, and all public/ private schools that are charities has to award a certain amount of bursaries in order to maintain their charitable status. Bursaries are up to the full tuition fee.

Schools don’t need to award scholarships, but many do in order to attract certain pupils, which in school turn raises the profile of the school. Big sporting schools will be keen to award sporting scholarships to make sure they have the most promising teams, just as schools with a reputation of educating great musicians will want to offer music scholarships to make sure their music department is flourishing. Academic scholarships are offered for the same reasons, to attract highly achieving pupils. Scholarships are usually at 5-50% of tuition fees and will often be subject to certain conditions (x amount of practise hours/ matches/ showcases/ exhibitions/ scholar clubs per month etc). Some scholarships won’t mean any deduction in fees, but rather private lessons or similar. Scholarships aren’t means tested.

[brekkiequeen]

I'm confused Le Faye. I assume you're more London based. How do the preps there get kids in on a 13+ scholarship? Surely it's not based off their test at 11, they must have their own exams if they are not doing CE/CASE ? All the kids going for 13+ scholarships at my Dc's school are doing them between now and June. Either CASE or the senior schools own exams.

[brekkiequeen]

i'm talking about academic scholarship, of course. Though the sport and music ones have mostly just been and gone!