Six form Boarding School Bursary Recommendations

[Buzzrumble]

Hi there,

My DD is currently at the end of year 9 at a state school and has requested to go to a Sixth Form Boarding school but it's completely new to us and we're not really sure where to start. I've been advised that you're supposed to start looking years in advance . The only way we would be able to afford it is through a bursary and we're completely happy to go through the testing process for achieve that but I'm honestly a little worried we're not going to find the right school for her.

DD is extremely academic with good testing scores, so we're looking for a school with good academics however she isn't super sporty nor does she do outstanding extracurriculars so I'm a bit skeptical she won't 'stand out' enough to get approved for a bursary . So far we've researched wycombe abbey and rugby school but come to the conclusion wycombe might be a little too selective for us and the registration process itself seems extremely daunting and expensive. Does anyone full/weekly boarding school recommendations with a good academic and pastoral care that offers bursaries? I'm thinking we might have too high expectations here!

Scholarship is £ award reducing Tuiton fees only. Not boarding fees, typically 5-25%

Bursary is for financial need

All schools offer both.

Most school explain everything on their website, staff also generally happy to answer questions.

“Good schools guide” has free online school info, by location etc.

Quite a few schools I've researched only offer a bursary IF you also have a scholarship or are local. Is it normal to get bursary for boarding too or unusual?

What part of the U.K. are you looking at? A state boarding school might be an option. To be honest 6th form is really only 5 terms because A levels start in the 6th term and state 6th form colleges offer an excellent education for free. With your dd only being 14 I would consider state options, day and boarding.

Bursaries don’t tend to cover boarding costs, only academic tuition.

Why does she want to go to boarding school? Not all private schools are academic.

if she wants an academic school, are there any grammar schools nearby?

with the increases in vat, bursaries are more likely to go to existing pupils to keep them in the school, or to disappear altogether.

why does your DC want to go to boarding school? has she read too much Harry Potter / Mallory Towers or does she have a stronger reason?

boarding schools can be fabulous but are also a pretty odd environment and not necessarily better in terms of education than a good day school

take a look at this on state boarding for a more affordable option

www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/uk-schools/advice/state-boarding-schools

This is not always true it completely depends on the type of bursary and the conditions of the fund and/or specific school.

Bursarys are not ‘usual‘ in the sense that they are rare in most schools and being cut left right and centre at the moment as schools struggle in the wake of VAT. However they do exist and someone has to get them so worth a go if you’re determined (just don’t be surprised if you get turned down).

I was going to suggest state boarding too. DS Yr11 has been boarding since Yr7 and the school is great. It’s a boys’ school but they take girl boarders (and day) in sixth form.
The downside is that it’s 80% day pupils and 20% boarding so if your DD wants to be fully immersed at weekends too just make sure of the split if it’s not a 100% boarding school. (DS and we are totally happy with his school, for the record.)

True! They are likely only giving bursary to exceptional students, or high potential from disadvantaged areas (outreach).

This link might help.

www.isc.co.uk/bursaries/applying-for-a-free-place-at-an-independent-school/

The independent day schools in our area are not great tbf. Her current school has the same GSCE results and facilities (pools, gym, Astro etc) as them and also competes in the same league with them extracurricular wise (like sports, debate competitions etc) so moving to a independent school near us would not give her that academic push so we need a look a bit further which is why I see boarding as one of our few options . She also knows someone who attends boarding school and they have praised it which is why I think she is quite keen to attend.

If she wants an academic boost, another (and cheaper) option would be to get tutors.

Does she want an academic boost to get certain grades for uni, for example?

As @parietal says, boarding does not automatically equal higher standards, and as you have said, your local indie schools aren’t academically higher

Honestly it’s just because the schools in our area are genuinely terrible. (We did try them out).She currently attends school almost 40 minutes out in a different county because of this and there aren’t any grammar schools near us apart from the one she attends. So if I want to get her in a a school that’s academically good we have to looks quite far and I think it’s too much to be travelling daily so boarding would be a good option for us personally.

Sixth forms can often be stronger than the rest of the school, as some of the disengaged pupils leave. This can particularly be the case if she wants to take traditional academic subjects that are seen as harder e.g. maths, chemistry. It might be worth investigating this too.

@Buzzrumble , so if you are in a grammar school already then she is getting a good education. It's unlikely a state boarding school would be better. Supplementing the teaching with tutoring may be the best way forward. I think you may be over estimating what a boarding school on a full bursary when your dd isn't sporty/ musical may provide too. Focus instead on getting great GCSEs and A levels and apply to a top uni.

Unfortunately is her school isn’t a grammar school currently, it’s used to be which is where the name came from but no longer is and she isn’t getting challenged there so I’m just looking ahead for sixth form. However I think you are right that I maybe be over estimating and have too high expectations 🤔

Have you looked at Wellington? We were shown around by a lovely boy who had just joined in the sixth form after leaving a state school in east London. He was on a bursary.

Thank you 🙏 I’ll look more into this one!!

If your dd isn't in a grammar school then do consider state boarding but with reservations of whether the academic level would be high enough. If you live near East Anglia then Wymondham College is good.

There are bursaries available for this situation (ie bursaries reserved for state school pupils). There is no central database so you have to look up each school individually and trawl through their bursary information. Some schools have very low income levels before they will consider a bursary ( still well above national average but keep in mind you need a gross income of £90k to have the net income that pays the fees to a top boarding school ) but some schools are more flexible. As a minimum you should live in a modest home with no more than one spare room, you can’t be driving round in a £100k Land Rover, you should both be working full time (unless ill health or full time caring responsibilities).

I think some schools are more generous/ less strict on means testing if you have an exceptional child. All schools are looking for children who will make the most of the opportunity (so academics plus sport or music or drama). An all-rounder school may be more keen to have a bright child (to boost results) but do check that they will not be bored. A very academic school will be looking for an exceptional child.

There are also some charities and endowments (think City Guilds) for children of eg injured veterans, clergymen.

DS’s state boarding is a grammar with excellent results. Every school is different - day or boarding so OP you’ll need to look at results and uni destinations if she wants that academic push.

The school with the biggest bursary funding in the UK is Christs Hospital in Horsham. Whilst not the most academic school it has its fair share of bright kids who get good results. She'd have to be OK about the uniform though................

I came to say you need to look into Christs hospital but see a PP beat me to it.
Gordons in Woking might be an option - it’s state boarding.

Most people these days don’t travel too far for boarding. I know Rugby has the Arnold Foundation but I would not want the journey there from Cornwall or Northumberland. If you say (roughly) where you live, some posters might know where might be worth a go. Also single sex or co Ed? Also don’t forget they can award bursaries to existing pupils and with vat difficulties, bursaries have reduced.

Really think this one through. I was desperate to board for sixth form - combination of an excess of Enid blyton books and a very problematic mother. I was so excited to get accepted (quite bright but totally disinterested in sport and overweight). I never fitted in and had a miserable time. The teaching was good though and I got decent A levels.

also think through the financials. Boarding is now c£50k plus and even with a bursary it’s expensive. Bursaries are few and far between particularly following the vat on fees. The less popular schools are in financial difficulties and think whether she will fit into a very affluent school where kids are off to St Moritz, New York and the Seyshells every holiday.