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Original poster

Private school bursary. Would I qualify?

52 replies

Drasticaction · 10/05/2019 07:58

My poor DD is suffering at school and we are not being supported.

Unfortunately other choices are scarce, we are in densely populated town.
However there's a gorgeous prep close by. What does bursary entail does anyone know?
I believe they dig deep!

DH earns less than 26 I earn 12.

OP posts:
Fazackerley · 10/05/2019 09:56

Yes we have been offered a scholarship ontop of bursary. There are 100% buraaries available at ds school but they are for children from family backgrounds and circumstances which would mean that independent boarding might literally change their lives ie one boy previously lived in grenfell single parent family etc

Kez200 · 10/05/2019 10:56

I know someone who had one child and wife worked just to pay school fees. As soon as her son was in work she retired.

Is that possible - I can see you both currently work, but are either of you on part time so you could increase hours to pay for fees? Or are his Grandparents on good pensions - would they help out (especially your parents who put you through private so perhaps would be more open to a conversation).

Fazackerley · 10/05/2019 11:22

And you don't 'get a quote'!

Is there a good reason that you can only earn 12k a year? They will want to know (at least for any substantial bursary)!

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

General education Private schooling
WeepingWillowWeepingWino · 10/05/2019 11:25

yes, I think they will expect you to go full time if you aren't now.

Basically, I think the parents are meant to maximize their contribution before the school will consider offering a bursary.

Fazackerley · 10/05/2019 11:29

We now won't have a holiday or replace our cars for five years.

We might manage a few weekends away but that will be it.

That's the kind of life you will be expected to live for a bursary! Make sure you are happy with that before you ask. You'll be interviewed and your dd will be asked to at least go for a taster where she will be assessed. So if she loves the school then they come back with 10% off the fees you might be in trouble.

Original poster
Drasticaction · 10/05/2019 12:31

BY getting a quote I do mean... approach them, go through finances and get a quote 😂😂, get the figure thru would offer.

OP posts:
escapade1234 · 10/05/2019 12:32

Are you working full-time for that salary OP?

escapade1234 · 10/05/2019 12:33

I think you are being rather naive to expect they will care about your situation or have any interest in offering you a deal.

Does your DD have additional needs? You haven’t said.

Original poster
Drasticaction · 10/05/2019 12:34

Faz we were once car family, car not replaced until total write off for 10 years and we are two car family now as cousin gave us small cheap car before emigration.

Replacing car in five year's 😂😂 what a luxury!

Can't work more due to school hours, work terms time can't earn over what extra care would cost.

We have small break's per year, one year, one night in budgets hotels in Bournemouth Etc!

OP posts:
Original poster
Drasticaction · 10/05/2019 12:35

I think I said the wrong terminology.

I mean thanks for the post's, I will approach them and see what they say.

Does that sound better? !

OP posts:
escapade1234 · 10/05/2019 12:35

Prep schools usually have wraparound care for working parents. Trust me, nobody is going to give you a bursary to subsidise your choice to work part-time.

Original poster
Drasticaction · 10/05/2019 12:37

MY parents are deceased.
No help from other side.

We are in a deeply unpleasant situation and. We are just looking at options to remove DD From the school.

OP posts:
Fazackerley · 10/05/2019 12:38

If you don't ask you don't get, but do bear in mind what i said about the wanting your dd to go for an assessment first as if she loves it it will be hard to have to say no

Original poster
Drasticaction · 10/05/2019 12:38

Ok thanks escapade and if the payment I receive doesn't cover the cost of the wrap round hours?

At the moment my pay... literally doesn't cover wrap round hours so not sure how I'd manage.

Average working week is 38 hours I work 34

OP posts:
Original poster
Drasticaction · 10/05/2019 12:40

Fac it's a gorgeous little school , I don't think she'd pass the assessment today, she's behind and currently has nothing to offer.

I'm hoping in different school where she is happy we could get her going and by year 3 there maybe... something to offer

OP posts:
Original poster
Drasticaction · 10/05/2019 12:42

Weeping that makes sense.

I guess I'll just have to ask them and go through the process.

OP posts:
escapade1234 · 10/05/2019 12:44

Can you say what your unpleasant situation is? Is it bullying? Could you move your daughter to another state school?

JacquesHammer · 10/05/2019 12:47

Other parts of the country will be less, but not less than £10k

That isn’t correct. We paid much less than £10k per year!

OP I’m very much of the “if you don’t ask you don’t get” school. Go and speak to them.

Original poster
Drasticaction · 10/05/2019 13:13

We are short of choice escapade that's our big problem. We do have excellent option we may be able to get her into.

But it's only until year 2.

Which Is when I was thinking of year 3 private.

OP posts:
mrsm43s · 10/05/2019 14:58

The thing is, whether or not bursary funds will be available will depend on how much they want your DD. So they won't be able to tell you until she has had some form of assessment by them, and it will also depend on who else has applied for a bursary and what they have to offer. They will have a limited bursary pot, and will work down from the child they want the most to the child they want the least, offering the amount of bursary that the child needs, until they run out of bursary funds to offer.

TBH, if you are correct in "she's behind and currently has nothing to offer.", then I'm afraid you would be unlikely to be offered a place at all, let alone a bursary.

pearldeodorant · 10/05/2019 15:03

If you don't think she'd pass the assessments to get into the school at all, a bursary is a long shot; sorry. Definitely agree you should ring and ask but they will be rigorous and many don't offer bursaries before y7 so be aware of that too. Good luck

Fazackerley · 10/05/2019 15:21

There are preps that are non selective and can be excellent for those who are a bit behind and unconfident. My dd went to one and it was great for her. But we didn't apply for a bursary.

AvocadosBeforeMortgages · 10/05/2019 15:23

Might it be cheaper to move so that she can access a different good state school?

TheWashingMachine · 10/05/2019 15:34

As others have said bursaries in primary are rarer than hens teeth.

cottonwoolbrain · 10/05/2019 16:05

Like everyone else, I think it depends heavily on

a) the school
b) your dd's ability to pass the assessment for entry

Both of our DCs are in independent schools. DD's is selective and she's thriving but bursaries are very limited and mainly go to pupils who were already there but for some reason would otherwise have been unable to continue at the school without that support. For example one girls father died and he was the main wage earner so the school stepped into assist (I was told by her mum)

DS's school is not selective and takes quite a few special needs pupils. He's possibly dyspraxic and struggles a bit with reading so it seems the right school for him. They offer bursaries based on parental income and assets and I've been told they go quite deep into finances.

If there are other schools locally think about whether one of them (state or private) would serve your dd better but beware private is not the answer there are still bullies in every school