Private school scholarships drama

[Pleasebekindt]

Posting here as I’m so anxious and stressed.

It’s a private school one.

Son is in private. He was diagnosed end of year 7 and now in year eight we moved him to a private school that can cater to SEN children.

This particular school is know to offer 50% scholarships and quite a few of them , however we were not given one as he stared in year 8 and the scholarship are given only on year 7. So we pay full fees

With the VAT being added we could still afford it but just about, however we have received an email today to say that fees will increase even more from next year and this will mean £400 more ! I top of the already increased fee with VAT

We simply cannot afford this. There are no local school that will fit his needs.

i want to speak with the school again and ask them for a scholarship. We would not qualify for a bursary as we earn more than the threshold.

I know at least 3 boys who are starting year 7 who are being offered 50% scholarships and one is being offered 50% scholarships and 50% bursary.

AIBU to think that if the school can offer new students this then they should offer it my son who is a current studebt? TBH even a 30% reduction will help immensely

Do schools have contingencies for situations like ours ? Does anyone have any experience of getting a fee reduction?

im happy to show them my outgoings ? We litteraly have nothing left at the end of the moment .

my son is finally settled and happy after years of feeling lost and being bullied. I really don’t know what to do !

I voted YABU as the yearly fee increase is something you should have factored in.

It was unfair to move him to this school if you couldn't afford any increases and were entirely reliant on funding that doesn't necessarily exist.

By all means speak to the school and ask, but I'd start looking at state schools that meet his needs, especially before he reaches Y10 and GCSEs.

Is home schooling not an option? Lots of groups supporting parents who home school.

Op I suggest asking MN to move this to the private school board - you can report your own post and ask them to move it. There are lots of posters with experience of school finance stuff there.

I think it’s very unlikely that you’ll get help from the school so close to starting and with no unavoidable disasters in your life ( bereavement etc ) so you need to look for help elsewhere.
With no other info given it’s hard to advise but I feel that your choices are to look at your lifestyle, employment or relatives? Private school days are long - does this create space for extra hours at work or even a small side job? Go back to basics and look at your spending - look again at your bank accounts and check you have no unnecessary outgoing? Would downsizing a car save the 7.50 a week you’ll need for next year? Then look for more to start saving for future increases.
many many private school parents are getting by and cutting all but the essentials

Private schools will always give discount to students who are good and some of those will get more discount because of their income.
You should talk to the bursar about your circumstances.

And another question - if you earn over the max for bursaries why can’t you afford the fees? Is your mortgage high? Can you downsize? Are you paying lots into your pension?

The cut off for a bursary can be over 100k but even if you are on 100k that doesn't actually leave much for the fees.

The madness in that statement! £100k ain’t that much. It’s true though, private schools ah e been gouging their parents for decades now.

@Yaaaassssssqueeeeeennnnnslay

I said it didn't leave much for fees...

100k is 68k after tax, you then have to take off pension which could easily be another 5k plus. So 63k, how much would housing costs be? 1.6k a month? So you are down to 44k. What about bills, transport, food, insurance? At least another 1k a month, so that's 32k. And then you have fees of 30k, so as I said it doesn't leave much for fees does it?

You can ask the school bursar if you are able to receive any financial support, but what are your plans for subsequent years? The fees are going to increase by a certain percentage year in year, and also as your DS processes through the school. There will also be exam fees to pay.

You haven’t said what he’s been diagnosed with, has he got an EHCP and what in particular makes this school the best fit for him.

It sounds as if you really didn’t think through your decision to send him privately very thoroughly and now you’re going to have to make some significant changes to your lifestyle to avoid moving him again. I feel sorry for him.

I've probably missed the details, but if your child has SEN they may need an EHCP. Whilst you've opted out of the state system you've already saved your LEA a shed load. Speak to the SENCO at your child’s school. State education isn't free - budgets are moved around LEA, councils and schools. If your child needs an EHCP does your LEA (or neighbouring) have space in a suitable school? SEN spaces in state schools are like gold dust where I am. I know several children who have EHCPs and attend independent schools where the LEA pay fees because there isn't a suitable alternative. Think about what your child needs in order to access education and discuss with the SENCO.
And speak to the Bursar about means tested assistance - even if it's just for the rest of this school year.
Good luck!

Our schools had set years that they offered scholarships and bursaries.
Nothing was offered outside of those years

You May find there are others available higher up the school years
The start of senior school for example at age 13 ( or whenever senior school starts in your school ).

You won’t be the only parent in this situation, they can’t support everyone. DD’s school only offers bursary/scholarships for entry into Y7 and Y12. That’s their rules, it’s not designed to offer financial support to everyone who is struggling.

We have had fee increases too, luckily I can absorb them and I found a higher paying job too which helps - but at the end of the day private school is a luxury and if you can’t afford it you can’t afford it.

You can ask, but be prepared to hear “no” - £400/m is quite a lot and it makes it clear you will need further financial assistance when the fees inevitably go up again., for the duration of his education. That’s not a reasonable expectation.

other options:
look at taking out loans
can you release equity
look at state options (do this as a priority as him having to leave seems highly likely).

Another option is a charge on your property.
When you sell the school gets what they are owed.
( plus interest )

Again, private school will go up twice a year every year. I really sympathise as I’d hate to have to remove my dc from their school. However you have missed very important information somewhere of you didn’t realise fees would always rise regularly. Good luck

PS are losing students after Labours tax
They aren’t increasing scholarships and bursaries if anything they are reducing numbers and %s.
It will, I think, be harder to get them