Assisted places at private school

Monmouth was indeed the school I was looking at op - the basic information is on the website - just fill out the forms.

We are obviously going to investigate all the local schools but understand you needs get in early if you want a stab at getting financial help with private school.

I don't know about this specific school, but it wouldn't in general be true that you have a better chance by getting in early: all bursary applications received by a given deadline are treated equally, and the deadline for starting in year 7 is usually September/October of year 6. Bear in mind also that many bursary applicants are in rather similar circumstances to you (competition is often harsh, lots of bright children).

At my DC's schools (in a richer area than Monmouth) you wouldn't get a 100% bursary on an income of 40k but maybe Monmouth has a bigger bursary pot. I agree with a pp that the bigger name schools (starting from year 9) tend to have bigger bursary pots than "local" private schools starting at year 7.

"And one does not have to bear boarding. For the right child it is fabulous."

I've just looked at the school website and it's a Haberdasher's.

They're rich. I'd say it's definitely worth a go. They give the contact details for the person who runs the awards and recommend those interested make contact, so you should definitely do so. Just bear in mind that being eligible for an award does not mean that they must offer you one - it will all depend on how much they have to spend that year and how many applicants they have. It does look as though they will make hefty awards.

(It looks like their assisted place scheme is one pot of money for those whose income falls below the threshold in force at the time, and bursaries from a different pot which can be awarded with greater discretion, eg tiding over those already in the school through a specific difficulty, or those with more complex circumstances).

bojo that's why I said yr 4 is a good place to start from. It would give the OP plenty of time to investigate and possibly find an excellent prep for yr 6 (bit tight for yr 5 though just possible).

Explore all possibilities OP.

Some independent schools and foundations introduced their own 'assisted places' after the government abolished its scheme. I have just looked at the websites of two schools (including the one I think the op is looking at) and they both overtly use the term 'assisted places' with fee reductions of up to 100% off tuition fees. Op, the school you might be considering is sometimes featured in the national press amongst other schools offering substantial bursaries/assisted places - there is some helpful information on its website re income levels etc. If you fit the criteria then there is no need to approach the bursar - just ask the admissions office to send you the application forms (including the bursary/assisted places application forms) and fill them out - you have nothing to lose. Gruach is right though - if one school wants your child enough to offer a bursary/assisted place then it is likely that others will as well - no school is going to laugh at the parents of a very able child.

It should be borne in mind that very many top schools for boys start at Y9. Therefore going to a prep school for preparation for Common Entrance may be important. Therefore it could be worth considering prep schools rather than senior schools at this stage. The top schools with deep pockets almost all start at 13, not 11 for boys. Therefore a different strategy should be considered and there is not much time for that.

Fair enuff.

I didn't mind boarding myself - but I am filled with envy seeing the utterly stupendous time children have as boarders now.

If boarding interests you OP we can talk you through the entire process from now (and yr 4 is not a bad place from which to begin your investigations) to the day your clever son is Facetiming you from his dorm/room. (If you haven't considered it do take a look at the Boarders thread for an all round contemporary conversation.)

Gruach, I adored boarding myself, but as a parent I can't 'bear' the thought for my kids, it would not be right for them. But I meant that many parents can't bear the idea of their children being away, that's all, not that it was awful for all boarders.

I feel obliged to add that Christ's Hospital is by no means the only boarding school that offers lifechangingingly magnificent bursaries!

And one does not have to bear boarding. For the right child it is fabulous.

Boring myself now ...

Investigate Christ's Hospital if you could bear boarding school. It is entirely charitable and they charge what parents can afford so everyone pays a different amount. The school is in Sussex.

You ought to check out the financial position of any private school you are considering. Some are quite close to the edge in terms of being going concerns. apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/showcharity/registerofcharities/RegisterHomePage.aspx

Agree with everything said by gruach. I would only add that they are awarded on a sliding scale, so it's not the case you either get 100% or no help. And in my experience it's also worth checking what is included in the fees. Eg dds school has quite steep fees, but except for expensive none compulsory trips abroad, everything else is either included in fees or as cheap ( or cheaper) than local state schools. Whereas some schools do have a lot of extras to pay on top of fees, meaning that if the bursary only covers the fees anyone who qualified for 100% would struggle with the extra costs.

OP Does the school have a website? Have you read it thoroughly? It should be clear about whether bursaries are part of the normal run of business and dealt with efficiently or the occasional one-off after much begging and pleading.

Even if there is no other possible school in your local area you must look up other similar or better places so you can compare what's on offer. If one school wants your child enough to offer a bursary (with or without an academic/music/sports/art scholarship) then it is likely that others will as well.

It pays to do a lot of research. And to be aware that every single school will apply different criteria.

There are schools where the lower figure is around the £25/8k mark HanSolo, provided the other criteria are met.

HanSolo yes obviously I understood that you meant financial need but so often on MN it's made to sound easy for middle income home owning parents to get whopping great bursaries simply because they have a clever or cleverish kid. If you read through the criteria at any of the top schools you'll see that they delve into everything, which is absolutely as it should be. Wanting an independent education for free, or heavily subsidized, for a bright child because you don't fancy the local state option won't be enough. It's not merely a question of under £28k, it's under £28k with no savings or other realizable assets, both parents working (unless there are very small siblings), and no equity to release in the family home. No doubt there are dodgy independents out there prepared to fund a very bright child, but then I'd query whether that was an advantage over the local state school. It would have to be utterly dire for me to opt for a dodgy independent, bursary or not. Is moving house an option OP?

Forgive me- mis-typed. £18k p.a., not £28k!

I mean financial need. You have to complete a huge set of financial forms, and provide evidence. They are used to digging thoroughly though! And look into properties owned, businesses, pension funds, shares, trusts etc.
Allowances are made for siblings (including their school fees), other dependents, etc.
If your income is over £80k p.a. you won't qualify for assistance. If you're on below £28k p.a. then full assistance (including uniform) is available (providing you meet their academic standards).

HanSolo at these schools you're talking about, how do you demonstrate 'need'.

OP what is your joint income, how many dependents do you have and do you have equity in your house?

Oh, and the schools I'm talking about also offer assistance with uniform, trips, equipment etc if need is demonstrated. (sorry- I know it sounds rather victorian, but they're very, very good schools, with cast iron reputations).

Iguana- it's unusual, yes, but hardly unheard of on mumsnet.

Sorry, I didn't mean to smile there, my phone crashed.

I was going to ask if you were tied to the area you're in, or whether you could move for schools?

Some schools charge their fees on a sliding scale according to income. However, if you have assets such as property or large pension funds, they will take these into account when they decide how much you can afford to pay. I have been surprised at how much one can earn whilst still qualifying for a bursary though.

But don't dismiss the state option without further investigation. Have a look at the results their high achievers get, for example.