School fees help!!!

Only a tiny shortfall? You people are on a different planet. Obviously it is a huge amount to this lady and many others.
Just keep looking and remember, nothing stops, talented, determined children, even if they have to go to a 'poor' school.

Nothing really to add except good luck I understand why you are asking for help.

talktoo I am not exaggerating. I feel for the OP and wanted to ensure she has full picture. Why would I make something up? What a bizarre thing to say. I only have experience of our Prep in South East not London. Extras taught as “optional” lessons in school day but whole class do are tap, ballet, recorder, piano. this week coming as a random example we have science trip and theatre company visit. Games kit alone was almost £300. Blazer new is £70. The uniform alone is c.£500. Compulsory insurance etc etc.

how about the Gerald finzi trust ?

Perhaps there are different policies at different private schools. The then near on £40k a year each at the boarding school and current £18k for a day school included meals and most trips. The trips at the day school are around £12-20 a trip and no international trips are compulsory other than art trips or similar in 6th form.

@RupertStJohnPoo that’s not normal. In most schools the majority of stuff is included in the fees and optional extrasare offered at a fairly cheap price for what they are.

Our private school does have compulsory foreign trips but they split the cost (for all trips) across the year so you pay about £60 per month on top of fees (varies each year depending on the trips). Also on top of fees is lunch which is an additional around £60 per month.

Our Uniform is not much more than the state secondary's. However I know some private schools where it really is.

I don't really understand schools where they only offer small bursaries. Surely this means it's only a very small "borderline" group that this helps? Surely they must know that this puts them beyond the reach of most families?

Our school generally award bursaries of between 80% and 95% which means they genuinely can offer to the wider community, though the reality is that even with 80% once you add the extras it means a bill of several hundred £s a month.

Sadly I don't think you can manage this. Perhaps use your available extra funds to supplement his state education?

Why is everyone having a go at OP. If she doesn’t send her son to this school he’ll go that astate school presumably where, you guessed it, other people would be paying for it. Could you make changes to your work to make up the shortfall? Take a second job or switch to a better paid shift/employer? Or equity release? Most people I know did this to fund school fees at some point.

I don't think it's harsh. And it's certainly not jealousy. It's reality. I think your suggestion is selling false hope.

The companies/people you are talking about (incl Andrew Lloyd Webber) have official charities/causes that they support. These vary from year to year, and are vetted thoroughly.

RupertStJohnPoo oh please. Stop exaggerating. All three of ours have gone through -one still in private education and apart from the year they went on a ski trip (optional, most didn't go) or the trip to Africa (again just didn't go) we were nowhere near £2000 per dc per year. You don't buy new uniform every year.

Everyone is being so harsh to OP!! It’s real jealousy and beating people down when they’re only trying to their best.

Musical charities, find the contact details for CEOs of record companies, see if you can get hold of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s agent - seriously when you speak to the people at the top who are more accessible due to social media/email things get done. It’s not. Huge amount of money for them to forfeit and sponsor! I would try everything and get begging!

(Or get an evening job).

You clearly can't afford it. You can make plenty of opportunities with the money that you were planning to spend on private school.

Accept and move on - with a positive attitude. You don't want your DS feeling that he hasn't fulfilled his potential because you couldn't afford the school. You don't want him feeling like he's in the second best (or worse) option. Take the opportunities that you do have and make the most of it.

In the town where I used to live in there was a charity fund to help children with things like this. Where we live now the neighbouring parish council has something similar whereas this one doesn't so it may well depend on where you live but contacting your local town or parish council might be a good place to start. Both funds had certain criteria you had to fulfil to be eligible. If you are not eligible for a larger bursary I am presuming you may be in too high an income bracket?

I was a child who received a 100% scholarship to a very prestigious faith school 50 years ago.

Fantastic school and was the making of me but even back then the "Extras" were horrendously expensive. I had to leave at 15 for financial reasons.

@Lightsabre The directory of grant making trusts

That's only a tiny shortfall per year. I'm sure you'll find a way.

I know someone who did this, lived on nothing as he son was gifted, he got his exams and did nothing with them, my friend lost her house, and her other children hate her, as they were always going without for the good of the gifted one...

No OP I don't. You habeen offered money off and you can't afford it. You really shouldn't have applied in the circs.

If you want it enough it's up to you to fund it. Various options. Look at expenditure, downsize, or you or your DH get a second job. This is your responsibility not the responsibility of others.

Have a look at helpmusicians.org.uk

There definitely are lots of possibilities for charitable trust funding, his music teachers probably have some ideas of where to look. Some are national, some regional. Have you considered some of the schemes at schools covered by the MDS funding? It might be boarding though, unless you live close enough to be a day pupil.