Is it possible for a normal child from a normal school to get a bursary for a top flight private school?

[Hisnutsroastingonanopenfire]

Idly wondering while reading the thoughts on what schools the royal children will attend and I looked at the schools mentioned, their entrance policies, scholarship and bursary schemes. It's not possible, is it, for a state school educated child to make the leap from what they learn at school to being able to pass those exams. Why don't state schools educate their brightest pupils to these standards? Or coach their sporty pupils to this level? Or support performing arts?

Education is failing our children because of poor funding and we seem to be pulling for a race to the bottom which widens the gap into a complete canyon. What's the answer?

The thread on here about children starting school in nappies gives you a clue. State have to accept everyone, independent ( obviously not including independent SEN schools) do not. State teachers are now unable to just get on with teaching.
Low expectations of poorer kids based on parental presentation to school are rife. It's human nature to make presumptions about people.
Grammar schools are the nearest to emulate independent schools. State schools in the catchment areas won't prepare kids even for the children closest to the school. One near us has a deprived estate literally opposite, but the primary still won't help kids, although it's a 2 minute walk.

Tutoring is out of reach if you are low waged and struggling. Unless a child trains in a sport out of school, school sport is about lip service to being 'active'. they won't achieve, Music, same..pay for lessons, drama..Saturday drama school..all cost money.
There is probably a huge talent pool in the poorest section of the class, undiscovered, and children denied the confidence from knowing they have a talent.
There are scholarships/ bursaries but the poorest are less likely to know they exist, how to apply and how to prepare for the admission process. State schools won't help.
My DC all had scholarships/ bursaries, we were right place, right time and they were doing traditionally 'middle class' activities although we were bloody skint poor, which led to being given the information. There are no guarantees in post school adult life regardless but the confidence and knowledge gained with a good educational experience State or private is invaluable. Too many are denied that.

It’s absolutely possible as someone who went through the process and was offered an 80% bursary (significantly more than we had asked for).

But it does depend on what you mean by ‘normal’. Average inelegance and no extra curricular excellence (music or sport) very unlikely, but very academically gifted children or those with other exceptional talents can absolutely get a place, you just have to give it a go. Also helps if your child is a boy as those very old public schools have larger bursary pots.

It’s a very weird process and I learnt a lot about the system and privilege, we decided to go with a state grammar school in the end.

Learning does not only happen in school. It's possible for anyone, including children, to study subjects that are not on the school curriculum. But your child would need to be highly motivated and willing to miss out on other spare-time activities.

So why aren't state schools bringing it up to parents that little Sophie or Jayden are exceptional children so why don't they consider x y and z schools?

Many do. Some work with local state primary schools, offering enrichment activities on an outreach basis to identify potential and encourage applications and staff training. One local school has bursary funds ring-fenced for children of families renting from a particular Housing Association, for example.

Why do you assume they don't?

And why do you assume independent schools are automatically 'top' schools?

A friend of a friends child has a scholarship to eton

Bursaries at DC’s private school have been massively reduced and scholarships are going, since the VAT policy was announced. It’s going to widen the gap, not reduce it.

Yes, it is possible.
A family I know sent their child to a well known boarding school on a full scholarship fairly recently. Parent 1 works in a minimum wage job, parent 2 is a bit better paid but not much and left school at 16 with a handful of GCSEs. Their child is very bright and got their place on a well deserved academic scholarship.
That said, I am not sure it has really done them a lot of good so far. The child got excellent GCSE results but we have good state schools in our area and I think a pupil that bright would probably have done similarly well in their exams at one of them. There have been significant difficulties with friendships and so on as they are obviously from a very different background from the majority of the other pupils.
It definitely can be done, and may be fabulous for some, but based on my friend's experience I think I'd be cautious.

Entrance exams are not that challenging, of course the reputation is otherwise. SO hard to get in etc etc. no-one wants to think their child is selected for their parents cash instead of unique gifts! Bursaries are harder to get (see above) but if you genuinely have two parents on minimum wage and not full time you'd have more chance.

Entrance exams are not that challenging, of course the reputation is otherwise.

This is dependent on the school. Some schools are harder than others to get into. The non Common Entrance exams can be very challenging and much harder than nearby state grammar 11+ exams in some cases.

Same here, my son will be joining the school in Windsor (September 2025 Year 9 ) full funded. It is a dream come true. Everything is possible, if you release your child’s gift and nurture it.

Its possible. My DNs are state educated. They are exceptionally able and highly talented in music (in national orchestras etc). They get offered these sorts of scholarships.

The big "but"?

They are the product of two highly intelligent, well educated parents from middle class homes, who prioritised education & learning.

I think its near impossible for poorer children and those growing up in homes where education is not a priority, where there is disorder & chaos, poor nutrition etc.

Traditionally 4 generations have gone to Eton including DH who absolutely loved it! Uniform alone was £1,500 probably costs more now! DH wouldn’t send his son to any other school. Not sure how he will pay for it as the Trust has run dry. He would never do Stowe as that’s known as the ‘druggie school’. I know a few Stowe alumni who are absolutely lovely all come from VERY wealthy families. I personally think that Downe House girls can be a wee bit bitchy and standoffish, the Marlborough lot are lovely and chilled. Wycombe Abbey very intellectual and incredibly bright girls. Cheltenham girls can be a bit up themselves but they are really good fun. I personally wouldn’t send my child/children to a UK state school - family expectation and traditions.

@Eton2025 Congratulations!! You should be very proud of your DS. What are key selection criteria to have better chance to get full or large portion of fund?

Why would a top flight private school offer a bursary to a “normal” child? The bursaries are to attract children of extraordinary ability or giftedness, so that they can reflect well on the school. YABU.

There was once/is a poster here who claims to have put all 3 or 4 of her children through a private education on bursaries.

We were taken aside by DS teacher in year 3 to told we should be considering a super selective, so it does happen.

Choir schools.

But it's 99% about the parents. Those I know who have done this have been laser focused on their children's education and actively upset with the state offer, so at least they bothered the teachers and asked about other options. Mostly they have spent hours and hours researching what could be possible and making it happen. Tbh so did I, but for various reasons stayed with the state system.

And that makes sense, because in every bursary case the parents have remained highly involved when their child is at the private school, have in a lot of cases continued to pay for tutoring, have continued to sacrifice huge amounts of time and effort to support their child's special activities. All have been extra stressed because they are reliant on the bursary. The bursaries are for the school's benefit, not the child. A parent who isn't up for that level of input probably isn't right for that route.

With extensive family experience of private schools I'm essentially... unimpressed tbh. And reading the post above about how children are immediately categorised as 'up themselves' or 'chill' just because they go to a particular school, by a parent who is well into the private system, makes me feel OK that we never did try to feed ds into it.

You should look at Christ's Hospital which charges fees on a sliding scale depending on parental income, starting from zero.

Years ago the DSs head teacher did just that and DDs yr 5 teacher also highlighted that she shouldn’t go to the local school. But they couldn’t cover the work needed for entrance exams and we paid for a specialised tutor. State schools don’t cover all the necessary topics because they have to educate all the children in the year group and don’t have the resources to coach the few who want to sit for private schools. My grand children were at a private primary school which explicitly told parents not to employ tutors because they were covering all the work needed. A tutor will also coach children for any interviews.

Why would they? It's staye schools' job to teach to their best ability the kids they have, not recommend private schools! If parents want to send their dc to private schools, it's up to them to look into it!

@Hisnutsroastingonanopenfire in our case because there is no private school that offers Welsh medium education. It’s one of the things that adds to our state school’s appeal imo

Yes, it is possible - absolutely. But usually for 100% bursary they will choose a child who is very bright or has exceptional ability in another area like music or sport.

The thing that would stop me doing it (and I do have experience because one of my older children had a bursary to a very expensive and fairly well-known boarding school) is how different these people are, socially. My daughter was happy and made friends but in all honesty it was quite hard for us to relate long term to people who lived in mansions, and 11 year olds who had so much money they were buying expensive gifts for my daughter every week. Very nice of them, but awkward for me(!)

Yes, state schools can educate kids well enough to give them a good chance at the entrance exams. Otherwise, how do you explain state school kids getting A* A-levels and getting into Oxbridge?

At 10 my DD state primary school suggested we put DD to sit an entrance test to a large independent school that awarded scholarships and bursaries. We were not sure but did wanted to do it and her teacher said she would give DD special tutoring after school for the term before and send her home additional homework. We explained to DD the cost to go to the school was far more than we could afford but she could sit test if she wanted to and see if she was offered a scholarship. She was offered a 50 percent scholarship and given a 50 percent bursary so she could go. It was still very expensive buying the uniforms and all the extras they offered but she loved it there and had to go to school for what they called a half day on Saturday from 8am to 4pm. Wednesday afternoon she did sports and activities she learned to ride a horse, did her first aid certificate, learned Latin and Esperanto went to Spain on a 6 week trip in the summer holidays. They found she was good at MFL and she did GCSEs in Latin, German, French and Spanish. She hated Art so was allowed to drop it and do the additional language instead. I've never regretted sending her. She is still in contact with a Spanish girl she stayed with and who came to stay with us many years later. My DS did not want to go because he saw his sister not arriving home until 6pm each night and going to school on Saturdays.