To ask if I should ask for scholarship to private school for DC?

[TableFlowerss]

Just reading a different thread and it got me thinking...

Im a long term user of MN but I’ve not changed my name (I can’t remember my email password or password for here 😩) so I’m trying to not out myself IRL so I may chop and change between DC, DD, DS.

I’ve just seen a thread about whether to take a scholarship to a private school, so my question is.... do you think it’s worth me asking for my DC?

DC 11 has always been very academic (I also have a child with SEN so it’s not easy and I often say, I’d given anything for my DC with SEN to find it as easy as their sibling, even in just one subject. I have suffered so much heartache, that believe me when I say this is not a ‘smug’ post. I’d much prefer them both to be ‘average’ academically, than one to excel and the other to have learning disabilities)

So (we’ll call them DS1/DS2) DS1 passed the grammar school assessment with no private tutoring and was offered a space, but it’s 50 miles away and I decided to not send him because DS2 needs so much support than I couldn’t get DS1 to and from grammar school.

I thought he’s bright enough so he’ll do well wherever he goes at secondary. He’s now been there since September and his report says that if he continues working at the level he currently works at, he will be on target to gain A*’s in every subject at GCSE.

Now I know this could change, but I believe that’s a true reflection of his ability. He doesn’t mess on in class and teachers are always saying he works so well in class but he doesn’t go over and above, in the sense it’s all natural and he’ll do his homework in the car on way home and still get an A. He doesn’t seek out extra work, he does what he’s been given and does it very well but wouldn’t actively ask for more work (if that makes sense)

So puts in the effort to get the A* but doesn’t go over and above out of school, it’s all done pretty fast. So during lockdown, he probably spent about 10 hours a week doing work because he finished it that fast. He didn’t join in on some of the maths lessons because he remembered if from yr6 and says it’s boring it’s so easy.

There are a few kids in the class that are disruptive and they haven’t put them in to sets yet (understandably due to covid) so I’m wondering if I should get in touch with the private school and explain? If they are on track for A*’s in a disruptive class of 30 and bored to a tear without being challenged, they could probably do better in a private school?

Is it worth asking for a scholarship or not?

Most scholarships will have been given at the standard entry point at the beginning of Y7. It will depend whether the school has any other entry points (Y9 is common) and money has been kept back for that.

Also if it is a selective school, most children will be expecting top grades (A* so assuming Wales?). Something extra will probably be required for scholarship. They are normally awarded after entrance exams, so you will need to check whether they are available at other points of entry.

Scholarships for the next academic year will already have been offered, and remember they might have zero cash value or be only a token amount.

Do you need financial assistance to send him? If so, what you are after is a means-tested bursary. Again, I expect the funds for the next academic year will already have been allocated but there is no harm in enquiring.

One think to consider is finding out if the private school/s you think would be a good fit for DS has a 13+ entry. There may well be further scholarships and bursaries available then

I’m quite surprised that a year 7 pupil is being predicted all A* grades in 5 years time.

A? We lost A a few years ago now. Grade 9.

Many scholarships aren't that much money nowadays so if you were hoping to save vast amounts of money you may be disappointed. If you need financial help that would be a bursary. I would assume if you were hoping to have a bursary your DS would have to take an entrance exam for the school.

Definitely enquire. All the children I know at private school have a scholarship (not sure what percentage but I know one of them it’s 10%) and they are not all very academic. You can get them for sport, drama etc.

It’s worth asking about bursaries or scholarships. You could even consider boarding schools.

Actually a grade 9 is A*, 8 is A. Sorry not the point of the thread but just thought I'd mention it... 🙊

No harm in asking.

@angstridden2

I’m quite surprised that a year 7 pupil is being predicted all A* grades in 5 years time.

I was too. I’ve tried to ask for clarification but no one from school has got back to me. Best friends DH is deputy head and he advised me that was it means.

My ds school predict grades based on SATS in yr7.

I don't know if all private schools are as academically rigorous as some state schools. The grammar school would have been and no your position I think I would have moved nearer to the grammar school rather than looking to privately educate your son.

Also, people on here say that even with a nursery/scholarship, it still costs a few thousand each year in fees, which depending on your financial situation, could be a deal breaker.

@EnoughnowIthink

A? We lost A a few years ago now. Grade 9.

When I’ve spoken to friends about this (one who’s child attends the local grammar) they didn’t recognise 1-9, so it’s easier to say A*

My understanding is -

7=A
8=A*
9=A**

DS got all 8’s. I assume saying all 9’s is almost counterproductive, as if a pupil didn’t meet those ‘expectations’ at GCSE, it would do no favourers for the school in enabling the child to progress? And that the school hindered the child almost...

If he is being predicted all A* equivalent grades, what more could a private school do for him? Sounds like he is going to be fine where he is.

@Stevearnottsbeard

Actually a grade 9 is A*, 8 is A. Sorry not the point of the thread but just thought I'd mention it... 🙊

Yes that’s what I thought too?

I’m a bit annoyed with the school as I emailed them asking for clarification of scar it even means and nothing...

To add we definitely can’t afford private school so it would be on the back of DS being particularly academic

@CustardyCreams

If he is being predicted all A* equivalent grades, what more could a private school do for him? Sounds like he is going to be fine where he is.

Very true but he’s bored and because of covid they haven’t placed them in to sets yet. So we have children that are working 2/3 years ahead of their year group and children working 2/3 years behind.

DC is bored in lessons and not at all challenged so Perseus could get all 9’s.

It will cost you something to go private and you need to weigh up whether it might be better to put that money into tutors for tricky subjects and hoping to get some contextual offers for uni if the current school isn't great. Obviously if his grades start slipping then reconsider.

Round here scholarships tend to knock 10 - 20% off the fees. You still have other costs like transport to school (if applicable) school uniform, extra curriculars and exam fees (yes, my friend had to pay for her DC's exam fees for GCSE and A level on top of school fees)

The school will still be 50 miles away though? That's a really long way to be going every day, I used to commute that and it was exhausting. How would you solve the time issue you identified before?

Ah perhaps the grammar school and private school are not the same place, ignore above comment if so!

How's he going to do better than all A*?

Schools cannot possibly say at this point in Year 7 that they are confident that a child will get all Level 9s in GCSE. They will be doing some meaningless extrapolation (or possibly basing it on his SATS results, which is equally useless). My DD is in Year 10, and teachers - off the back of her answering actual GCSE questions, are only just starting to say that she might well get 9s.

Clearly you have a bright academic child, but predictions in Year 7 aren't worth that much. He needs to keep working and applying himself.

Scholarships are normally only a percentage of fees. What you want is a bursary. And in both cases they are likely already allocated. Of course there is no harm in asking but your best chance of him getting one is possibly in Year 9, if that's a normal entry point for the school.

I think it's quite normal for Year 7 not to be challenging for bright children - and obviously this has been exacerbated by Covid disruption. You would be best asking teachers if they can stretch him - but if he's only doing the bare minimum required, it might be that it's the "extra" stuff that's meant to be the stretching material.

Was 50miles a typo? Was it not 5 miles?

My son is in the middle of doing his GCSE's, it's taken me 5 years to work out these grades!! 😂 😂

Are you thinking of a scholarship or a bursary, OP? The two are very different.
Typically, a scholarship is awarded on merit for a particular subject at which the child excels, eg art, sport, music or possibly an all-rounder if the child is very bright in most subjects. A scholarship would perhaps result in a discount of 10% or possibly up to 20% of the fees.

A bursary can be anything up to 100% discount, depending on the parents' financial circumstances.

DC’s private school also only award a maximum of 20% for an academic scholarship. However they are awarded on the basis of performance in the entrance exam they sit in Y6 for Y7 entry. You’d be better off enquiring about a bursary.