Bursaries

How did you get on OP? My DD is in the same position - we had a bursary offer from SHSK plus scholarship. Be nice to speak to someone in the same boat!

But how do you know? If they get a large bursary and their income doesn’t change much for the next 8 years then their child will still get the bursary. Why shouldn’t she pursue it?

Couldn’t agree more! The above posts are appalling, they clearly don’t have a clue but think it’s ok to comment therefore giving an impression to the OP that she doesn’t have a chance. In reality, she has every chance of getting a large bursary but the reality is that she won’t know till she applies.

@user578006 because it sounded funny as if it was a secret whilst most schools have it on the admission page

Because you were responding to a comment from another poster which said 'it's a very self selecting group of people who are even aware of the existence of bursaries', and your comment was 'like the school keep it a secret - that made me laugh'. Apologies if I misunderstood that exchange.

-many people don't have any awareness of what private schools there are in their local area, and whether they're any good, would suit their child

@user578006 Why suddenly you are talking about entire population? I am talking about people who applied for bursary and the outcome of their application to the local private schools.
Why on Earth are suddenly talking about everybody?;

If I were you, I wouldn't pursue this - very little will be available and you would have to have a bursary means-tested annually. Why have the financial worry.

It is not quite as clear cut as the name suggests. Each school has its own policy and who they want to spend the money on.

We pay full fee for one of our kids but still have 100% bursary for another due to their talent in academic and sports.

@PeachSalad i think you're hugely overestimating the awareness of bursaries. I think most (not all) have an awareness of the concept of a private school discount, yes. But...

• many (most?) people confuse bursaries with scholarships and think you need to be exceptional to get one

• schools are sometimes very sketchy in what they put on their websites - they might mention bursaries but give no detail on income levels or the assessment process, which makes it all seem very impenetrable

And even if you're a parent who has good awareness, it can be very daunting to take the step of actually picking up the phone or applying, if this isn't remotely your 'world' as a family. And then add in all the concerns about will my child fit in, can I afford the extras etc.

There are lots and lots of reasons why far fewer people apply for bursaries than are potentially eligible - even among those who might like the idea of private school.

That’s only the people you know though.

Of course

People on bursaries aren’t meant to discuss them, so it’s all very private.

They discussed it with me, and they have friends too and friends have other friends and I even spoke to one lady who is working in a body that visits homes...sheer accident that I came across her and found out what is her job.

I say I can only speak for my locality @WomensRightsRenegade and not entire UK. Can you?

It’s a real myth that bursaries are all or mostly taken up by ‘council house kids’ that have been plucked from extreme poverty.

What you are basing that notion on if apparently as you said...People on bursaries aren’t meant to discuss them, so it’s all very private.

It’s a very self-selecting group of families that would even be aware of the existence of bursaries

? ?? Like the school keeps it as a secret? You made me laugh here

It is widely known fact that a parent apply on behalf of a kid for a bursary and it is on the admission pages of the school website if the school offers bursaries. No secrets here. The process is described and some schools even give hypothetical examples

It's also the case that the potential pool of bursary applicants can vary hugely. In a city (eg London) you might have quite a dense concentration of schools which offer bursaries, and a wide range of housing types within a reasonable commuting distance (including flats, social housing etc), and the awareness of bursaries among lower income families (and subsequent applicant numbers) might be quite high. In a less central location, that's much less true. Schools in less urban areas (particularly affluent rural areas) can find it more difficult to find candidates who tick all the boxes of being financially eligible, academically high-achieving (if the school is academically selective), and also aware of bursary opportunities and motivated to apply.

Yes. It’s a real myth that bursaries are all or mostly taken up by ‘council house kids’ that have been plucked from extreme poverty. It’s a very self-selecting group of families that would even be aware of the existence of bursaries, let alone how to apply for them. You’d have to be confident your child would fit in well at a school of mostly very well-off kids too.

That’s only the people you know though. People on bursaries aren’t meant to discuss them, so it’s all very private.

I know people on more than 70k getting full bursaries. It is related to disposable income and fixed outgoings, not just income. This is in super selective schools - schools with huge endowment funds. Maybe those children are also highly desired by the school, and maybe it’s because they know these kids will alternatively have gone to Tiffin or similar.

I mean if you think about it, offering a single mother nurse a 50pc bursary is essentially constructive dismissal. Unless she has no mortgage or rent to pay, and/ or a large inheritance etc the school will
know there’s simply no way she can pay the other 50pc of the fees. So it’s a ‘no’. Just a much crueller way of doing it.

All of the people we know that receive or will receive bursaries for senior schools are two income middle class families.

Why don’t you contact the school and ask them?

In my experience schools will try to make it possible for children they want to attend the school.
Good luck.

Sorry this isn't strictly true information for all schools.

@WomensRightsRenegade I can only speak about people I know and local private schools- London South West. I cannot say anything about UK wide practices. The bursaries were not given to families on £70kpa. One of the schools visits homes and asseses also the possessions etc. This year I know a single mum nurse who got 50 perc bursary and that is a salary of thirty something per year. The family of 5 kids and similar income, renting did not get bursary. My friend whose family income is around 90 k, mortgage, two kids also didn't get a bursary. I know only one person this year. Ah and the schools I have in mind don't need to entice anybody. These are superselective schools. Plenty of talented candidates.

Kids like that are vastly in the minority re bursaries. It’s a bit of a myth. Most bursary kids are actually from less well off middle class families. Despite what full fee-paying parents would like to believe.

Schools would have to do a huge amount of outreach to find and entice the kind of children you describe.

SHSK is a wonderful school. I’d just ask them if I were you.

Dear op, there are parents on Universal Credit who put their talented kids through 11+ and are applying for scholarships... Having in mind an absolutely different peivate school l know a boy who 10 years ago got a 100 perc tution fees covered as his parents were a family of 5 kids and refugees escaped regime of taliban. Also Ukrainian girl from the neighborhood got bursary. Workers at the school do get a bursaries for their kids. A boy who got with flying marks to Wilson school as well as to local private was offered bursary just to keep him at school as he will be the one driving the marketing of the school when he gets into Oxbridge....

Don't be disappointed but there are many many families like your own and if you get 10-20 perc consider it a miracle at any private school

For talented kids are scholarships
Do not mistake it with bursaries that are solely income dependent

Abingdon is about to take girls and has a much bigger pot than SHSK. It might be worth trying for both and see where it gets you. How much of a bursary would you need to make it work? I think it's good to know that much going in.

It's not quite as clear cut as that. Some schools have bursary funds that are only available to scholars who also need help with fees (a kind of 'scholarship plus' model). Some don't specifically link bursaries to scholarships, but in reality they're looking for kids who also bring that little bit 'extra' when they're offering bursaries (ie those who do particularly well in the entrance tests or have a very strong extra curricular talent). Some schools go the other way and make allowances for the fact that low income students are less likely to have had loads of tutoring or lots of sporting/music opportunities etc - so in those schools, successful bursary candidates may have in fact done a little less well in the tests than other candidates. It really depends, which is why I'd suggest talking to the school.

Burseries are given on financial need and are nothing to do with a special talent. If your child meets the entry requirements and you can’t afford the full fees then you will potentially be given a bursery.

scholarships are given for a special talent and often have 10/20% of full fees.

My children all attended private school on burseries. None were particularly academic.