Which independent secondary schools have scholarships which have real monetary value?

DS had a scholarship of 10% when at prep school.
He is now at Hurstpierpoint and has an academic scholarship of approximately 30% of fees. From experience, that is really the maximum you can get except in very exceptional circumstances.

GrimmaTheNome - Yes, that's exactly what I mean. Bursary decisions are not based on income alone. It's a very very complicated and personalised formula based on what else is being paid for, where choices can be made (for example, if a second home is owned, the family would be expected to consider selling that or equity release to fund fees), and what costs for food/fuel/other expenses. If a family chooses to prioritise something else over an education they could afford if they really needed to that is not essential, well that is their decision.
What I mean is (completely made up figures here) if a family can pay their bills and live on £40,000 and they earn £60,000 after tax they would be expected to pay that £20,000 towards fees.
(THESE ARE MADE-UP FIGURES - not going to argue what people can or cannot survive on - that's for bursars to work out).
stealthsquiggle - My family survived on an income that was officially below the bread-line, and so I was lucky enough to get a full assisted place at school - but that was worked out after I was given the place, as bursaries now are. If your parents earned more, you obviously had more money in your family than I grew up with.
zeolite - I have absolutely no idea what you mean at all.

You can search the Independent School Year Book online
www.isyb.co.uk/index.php

Seeing that as a nation we've always expounded global positioning, if the quality of education provided is good enough, there are more foreigners able to foot full fees without charitable relief than school places, so scholarships should be unsullied by monetary considerations. We can't be protectionist about our schools, they have already become an export item, which boosts their results in turn. Universities have been in that place for a while.

We are the country of level playing fields after all. When we regain some of the living standards others are building with their better work ethic and fewer hang ups about social status, access to fee paying schools will become another consumer good of choice. Education changes lives, schools are only a lifestyle option. What sort of person gets hung up about the brand of watch they buy when they're late for most things?

If you're not eligible, it means you ARE able to afford the fees on the formula bursars use to work out bursaries.

You think? Surely there's a gap between eligibility and really being able to afford full fees. Personally I would think it better this gap be filled (and more bursaries in general) versus large scholarships - I found it slightly odd that DD and another girl were offered 30% off just for being a tadge cleverer even though they had absolutely no need of it (we didn't ask for it, they just award on the basis of results)

You have to think about what's happening now and into the future, NOT what's been the case for pupils currently at the school. With the charity commission guidelines, going forward very small academic scholarships will be the norm. So looking at what's happened last year or what's there for pupils currently at the school is not going to be helpful.

Think of it this way, you say you would not be eligible for a means tested bursary. If you're not eligible, it means you ARE able to afford the fees on the formula bursars use to work out bursaries. If you say you cannot, then you are putting holidays/cars/other items above the school fees. Or other things. What it is in particular does not matter, it's the fact that when some people scrimp and save and never go on holiday to pay the school fees, why should their fees be subsidising others who just put other lifestyle choices above the fees?

I am thrilled that small scholarships are the way forward as it means a better bursary system. And so more pupils will benefit. The "name" of the school should not matter one jot. It's what school would suit your child best that matters - surely??

Pop down to the library and take a look at the Independent Schools Yearbook. It has a list. The one on my desk (07/08) indicates that the following schools give over 10% scholarships:-

Ackworth (up to 50%)
Ampleforth (6 up to 20%)
Bloxham (up to 50%)
Blundell (up to 50%)
Bootham (up to 50%)
Bradfield College (up to 15 at 10-50%)
Canford (10-50%)
Cheltenham College (up to 50%)
Christ College, Brecon (10-50%)
City of London Freemans (at least 10 awards up to 50%)
Clifton (max is 25%)
Culford (up to 25%)
Dulwich (10-33%)
Durham (up to 50%)
Eastbourne college
Felstead (up to 50%)
Fettes (up to 33%)
Framlingham (up to 30%)
Glenalmond College(10-50%)
Gresham's School (25-50%)
Haileybury (max 20%)
Hurstpierpoint (up to 50% of day fees)
Ipswich (up to 50%)
Kent College, Canterbury (up to 50%)
King Edwards School Birmingham (12.5-50%)
King William's College IoM, (10-50%)
KCS, Wimbledon (10-30%)
King's School, Bruton (10-50%)
King's School, Canterbury (up to 25%)
King's School Ely (up to 25% of day fee)
King's, Rochester 5 awards up to 30%
Kingston Grammar (up to 10 at 50%)

Ii got bored at this point, but you get the idea. HMC have an agreement not to go over 50% for a non-means-tested, the most prestigious schools don't go over a nominal amount but there are awards out there.
Tonbridge has one 50% academic scholarship but you can stack music/sports/academic scholarships. Caterham gives out scholarships equal to 10 sets of full fees across the intake with several scholarships of 30-50%.

In our area (north west), the best independent school did lots of bursaries, no scholarships. But another offered quite a few academic and sporting scholarships - the former certainly up to 30%. (Another didn't mention scholarships anywhere in its literature so we were suprised when they offered DD 10%)

I don't see what on earth this has to do with the head of his current school TBH. Its up to you to decide which exams your DS takes - certainly no point taking exams if the fees really are impossible. You can generally find out about scholarships from the secondary schools themselves - remember, you are potential customers and they want bright kids to boost their results!

Just one more thing to throw in - as you mention boarding - there are a few grammar schools which take boarders. Basically you pay the cost of board, the education is free. I don't know if they take children from different counties or the details (the one near us is boys only) but it might just be worth you checking into. Obv he'd need to pass 11+ but that's probably a shade easier than gaining a good scholarship.

SW London, this Sept intake, un-means-tested scholarships of 50% offered by 1 school, 35% by another, 20% upped to 40% by another (when they heard they were in competition with a 50% offer). You can negotiate with them. None of these schools published(accurately) what they'd be offering in advance.

Eton scholarships are 10%
Westminster, Shrewsbury 50%
Dean Close 40%
I think Marlborough is 25%
Winchester is 0%

Probably best to trawl all of the school websites which will be a chore but there isn't really any other way to do it.

I believe the Kings Scholarships at Eton are worth 100% but I could be wrong. There's about 14 or so a year.

BUT - the children who win them are actually ranked with a scholar number according to how well they did and have to wear that number on their gown. I think they might have to live in a scholar's house too (also the case at Winchester). All sounds a bit weird and pressurised to me.

But I'm only getting my info from ex pupils at the prep school where I work and 13 year olds are probably prone to ecaggeration!

Remembered that we just got CLS's latest inspection and it said that over 2/5 are on some sort of fee remission - so might as well try!

Just ask the schools you like, can't hurt.

The school I went to offered two scholarships a year where boarding fees were fully paid for. The school was run by the worshipful company of drapers at the time. It is worth looking at schools run by these groups. In the case of the drapers, since they pulled out of the school I went to those scholarships no longer apply.

I have heard that Haberdashers' has some excellent scholarships available.

DS is on his second private secondary school - both places at 100% of fees paid, with a combination of scholarships and bursary. This only works if you have a bright dc AND a VERY low income, though.

Whitgift and Trinity in Croydon offer lots of scholarships and bursaries (and the amount you can earn before losing a bursary is more generous than many schools)

The biggest scholarship I know of is 50% but I also know boys who've got 50% scholarship (made up of academic and sports awards) plus bursary to make up the rest of the fees.

Westminster and City of London give 50% scholarships but you'll have to board at Westminster.

2 of my dds have academic (non means tested) scholarships worth 75% and 40%. I think we were very lucky to get 75% as that level was only offered for one year - and I think the top offered in dd3's year was 50%. this is a london day school though so probably no use for you.

More and more top schools are giving very small scholarships (5, or 10% absolute max) but the remainder could theoretically be up to 105% of the fees as a means tested bursary as this is based on parental income. In some circs, it's officially known as 105% as things like uniform, music lessons and academic trips are counted in. I even personally know of one case where it was a single parent household, mother working as a cleaner and the school provided a mobile phone for the child, as well as everything else.
As a parent paying independent fees I am thrilled that more scholarships are small but that this means there is MUCH more money available for means tested bursaries and so therefore more children attending who would benefit from that sort of education.
100% and over are incredibly rare as normally parents can afford something, and this is carefully worked out for the means tested bursaries, including property owned, etc.
To answer your question though, 5% scholarships will become increasingly the norm in the future.