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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To consider even trying to get a full bursary?

74 replies

Theresmoretocome · 28/04/2021 11:28

I have two dc 10, who will be going into year 7 sept22. We live in se london, but I am looking to move out within the next few months as I am seriously opposed to seeing them go to secondary school in the area with live.

I have however been looking at private schools only as that's what I would love for them and feel ds2 would thrive with smaller class sizes and ds2 academically, however I'm a single parent with a very low income and wondering how hard it would be to get two dc into the same school the same year on a full bursary?

They are both sporty ds1 more so, ds2 is very good at art so the chances would be good for them to get a scholarship in either subject, however ds2 isnt very academic he's not on the lowest bar, hes not great at maths but excells in science, art, and history.

With all of their attributes I've been looking at Christ Church Hospital as I feel that would suit both their needs, so was wondering does anyone have any dc there or applied to the school?

I would like if I can to access a practice test to see if there would even be any point in applying, as I wouldn't like to get their Hope's up just for them to fail and if they were to do well perhaps het them some extra help to pass.

OP posts:

KeflavikAirport · 28/04/2021 16:32

There are no hidden costs at Christ’s Hospital, uniform is provided.

Original poster

Theresmoretocome · 28/04/2021 16:46

Ds1 trains and plays football with a first division team and was scouted by them whilst he was playing u8s so he definitely has potential.

Ds2 also plays for the same club but in a lower level team so is also very good! I know I'm biased, but his art is amazing and if he sticks with it could go very far.

I don't just want to put them through its all just for the sake of it and it am willing to explore all avenues.

OP posts:

Merryoldgoat · 28/04/2021 16:54

@KeflavikAirport

There are no hidden costs at Christ’s Hospital, uniform is provided.

I agree with @KeflavikAirport

Christ’s Hospital is an altogether different offering.

You could also look at Whitgift as it has a certain charitable trust which offers a sliding scale of fees based on income.

deliciouschilli · 28/04/2021 17:09

"theresmoretocome" I was only trying to give you some advice, as someone who has actually been through the process. Christs Hospital are not known for their Football coaching, may I suggest you look at Millfield School and others who are more sports orientated.

KeflavikAirport · 28/04/2021 17:15

@deliciouschilli the point is that Christ's Hospital may well let the OP's kids study there for free. Which is kind of important. It is affordable by definition. 85% of entrants get a bursary based on parental income and there are also arts and sports scholarship. Coming from a difficult background is a positive advantage for admission.

RandomMess · 28/04/2021 17:19

I was going to say I don't think football ranks highly at any private schools in the UK.

CH is interested in music and art in addition to high standards of academic potential. You still have to be in the top 200 or so boys or girls to get invited to the 2nd round where they look at Music or Art ability. They look at something else too but can't remember what??

Pythonesque · 28/04/2021 17:25

Definitely talk to several schools. Talk to the registrar about the suitability of your children for the school, talk to the bursar about realistic availability of bursary funds. If you get answers that sound like a school would be great for one and unlikely to take the other, ask them for suggestions as to other schools that might be a better fit for the second.

I agree that it may be appropriate for your sons to go to different schools at secondary if they have different strengths. But don't assume either way.

(though my daughter ended up at a co-ed school, her brother has been better served by going to a different school)

Very best wishes for getting good school placements that you and most of all your sons can be happy with, wherever and in whichever system they end up.

deliciouschilli · 28/04/2021 17:27

keflavikairport... I am well aware what a bursery is, please read my post above where I explain my son had one.
CH is mostly a music / arts school and their charities take children from very specific areas i.e children of serving RAF members, children of serving Naval members, members of trades groups in inner city London etc. (there is a maths bursery we looked at for my son but he had no chance).
There are other private schools that focus on sport that do burserys but they are exceptionally hard to get and competiton is fierce. There are a lot of very talented children out there.

KeflavikAirport · 28/04/2021 17:41

Yes delicious chili but the difference is CH is specifically a charity school for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, so the whole point is that it gives bursaries to nearly everyone!

MayIDestroyYou · 28/04/2021 17:43

To be frank, the bursary application process at the most famous school in England really doesn't require any superhuman skills from children. They need to be clever enough to get through the academic entrance exams; personable enough to get through the (perfectly straightforward) interview; and have a decent reference from their current school. Then their parent(s) fills in the bursary application form, evidencing their income and assets. There's usually a home visit to verify this information. Everything's assessed and a decision made. Obviously the awards go to those children they think will bring most to the school environment - but that doesn't have to be Olympic level anything. Truly.

MayIDestroyYou · 28/04/2021 17:48

And being a bursary recipient absolutely does not require any extra or unusual effort or involvement once the child is at the school. They're just the same as all the other pupils.

There's also no need whatsoever for their impecunious parent to spend terrifying amounts of money on foreign trips or what have you - the school is large enough for every child to be an individual and carve their own path.

deliciouschilli · 28/04/2021 17:48

Keflavikairport, CH is one of the hardest schools to get into. They do have a lot of burserys but the competition to get one is huge and they are very, very rarely 100%. They are also specific (i.e one bursery has been set up for military children, another bursery has been set up for children who are exceptional at maths etc.. they may give out 20 burserys for each group. I'm not even sure they do a football one?)

RandomMess · 28/04/2021 17:48

@deliciouschilli I am a bit confused about your reference to CH.

Every boarding child applies for a bursary band most receive some level, a significant proportion pay £0 or not much at all.

It's primary selection is via academic ability and potential. Music and Art is very much secondary.

The additional scholarships/awards sit outside the bursary application.

KeflavikAirport · 28/04/2021 17:48

their charities take children from very specific areas

There are targeted bursaries for children from certain backgrounds like these but there are also general bursaries that are applied to almost every entrant by default.

KeflavikAirport · 28/04/2021 17:49

And as per their founding mission they specifically set out to help the children from impoverished backgrounds

KeflavikAirport · 28/04/2021 17:52

I was a pupil there myself several decades ago. The daughter of a single mother who paid something like 100 pounds a term in fees based on her income. Pupils do Duke of Edinburgh, music, theatre, international sports tours etc all at no extra cost to family because it is all covered by the school’s endowment.

RandomMess · 28/04/2021 17:53

@deliciouschilli CH is hard to get into because it is one of the very few schools that do offer means tested bursaries to every child.

Sure some parents have to pay full fees or near full fees. A huge percentage are still pay less than they would for private day school.

For many applicants it is the only realistic option for private hence the competition.

I couldn't have afforded my DC to go to my local private school even with full fees bursary. Uniform, books, activities etc were as much as I paid for CH plus who wants to be the only poor kid amongst super wealthy?

Original poster

Theresmoretocome · 28/04/2021 18:01

I haven't taken any offense to anything anyone has said and will take on all views.

My whole point re sports ability is that depending on what school I was to choose he has a good leg up if it were a football based school. Ds1 I don't believe would have a problem getting into most schools or even doing the 11+ and passing, he is well above average in all areas at his current school.
Ds2 is above average in English but struggles with Maths, but again could also pass the test however I'm willing to explore other avenues on which to get him into a better school.
They are both sporty and ds2 would excel in most sports, however ds1 passion is football and has been since he was very young.

Christ hospital isn't the only school I've looked at, but it was one that caught my eye and thought that it offered pretty much everything for both boys.
We're still very much in the early stages of looking at secondary schools and have a few months to decide where we will be going and if indeed dc would be happy to go.

OP posts:

KeflavikAirport · 28/04/2021 18:03

Contact the school to explain OP. They are very helpful. In my day they took siblings pretty much automatically.

derekthe1adyhamster · 28/04/2021 18:07

My DS1 went to CH, on a standard bursary, why not apply and see what happens?

BlueyandBingo · 28/04/2021 18:08

I work at an independent school in London. The scholarships are not that much (about 25%) but bursary places are up to 100% and are means tested every year.
If your ds is sporty the scholarships at whitgift are amazing, I believe some are more than 100% to pay for equipment etc

derekthe1adyhamster · 28/04/2021 18:08

My DS2 didn't get in (undiagnosed dyslexia when he was 11 and then didn't want to apply at aged 13 when he probably would have got in)

RandomMess · 28/04/2021 18:09

@KeflavikAirport they don't anymore although it may be different for twins.

I would be looking at areas to move to with good state schools as a back up. Any school registered as a charity (most are) have to offer bursaries however as to what they are varies massively. There is also the issue of being the poor kid amongst some very very wealthy ones.

HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime · 28/04/2021 18:09

I'm also a single parent, Dd is due to start yr7 in Sept, we applied for independent school, Dd got in but did not get a bursary even though we were eligible for 100% so she's going to our nearest comp instead. She enjoyed the application process but I'm gutted I can't afford to send her when she showed the academic ability to get in.

MojoJojo71 · 28/04/2021 18:29

Remember it’s not always a case of just passing the entrance test, they have to do really well in order to qualify for a bursary. We applied for one for DD and were told that although she’d passed the test and would be welcome at the school if we paid the fees the bursary was to help the ‘very able’ and that she would have needed to score in the top 30% of the cohort who passed in order to qualify.

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