How accessible are bursaries for private school fees?

[Icouldstillbejoseph]

Seriously considering private school for the DC. Obviously worried about being skint forever the financial commitment.
We are just 'normal' parents, not high-earners at all. Pretty much my entire salary would be for the DC education.
I just wondered if anyone knew anything about bursaries etc?

OP You've had so much good advice here. Realistically no-one is going to offer you a bursary for your 5 year old. And you have a good state infant school ready and waiting. Lots might change in the next 3 / 4/ 5 years; the private school you have in mind might not then be the best option. You'll know your DC's potential better and may have saved enough to take your pick of the most suitable schools. Or to stay in the state sector and use the money for extra stuff.

FWIW if your child turns out to be clever and you want to move them to a very academic independent school try for yr6 rather than later. The work in yr7 is fierce (in the higher streams) even for those acclimatized to it - they'd really need yr6 to get used to the school first.

I personally believe in independent education believing the right independent school can offer a the right child an education in a league of its own but you do have to be realistic if your not able to afford the full fees. Can you move to an area with better state schools? Add up what your going to pay over the years could you use that money to buy in an area with good schools. Or for example where we live (rural but SE/SW borders) house are significantly cheaper than London and our state options are pretty good they gave spaces, results comparable to many independent schools and in Tatler state schools guide and we're within commutingish distance of a big city.

"Well, it is different to a mortgage in that if you pay off a mortgage, you own a saleable asset and will likely see that money back (and often more)."

Well in a sense it is the best asset ever something that can never be taken from a child - an education.

I agree with those who said wait for y7 - both my DSs moved from state primary to private secondary with pretty small bursaries (DS1 also has a small academic scholarship). There's very little financial help for prep round here but quite a lot go private from y7. We have one car, cheap uk holidays, I don't really buy clothes/shoes for myself, no sky TV, gym or any of those luxuries really. Our bursary process is straightforward, transparent and non-intrusive , reassessed every year. But I have absolutely no regrets, the school is fantastic and a good education is the best thing we can give our children.

I was told many years ago that if you're aiming for a senior school that starts at yr 9 and to guarantee financial help you'll need a scholarship then you probably need to be in a suitable prep from yr 5 unless you happen to be a bilingual family. This primarily applies if your considering anything in the 100.

Top 100.

I wont he taking up proof reading to top up my income!!

Ds is in one of the top 100 and he wasn't prepared for his entrance exam at all and his prep was very unsuitable (lovely and nurturing but not at all academic). He is very bright though and this makes a huge difference. I'd concentrate on your child's talents.

Ok maybe my advise is incorrect. Although I wasn't talking about "entrance exams" I was talking about ISEB scholarship papers sat in yr 8 or scholarship exams for schools like Eton who write their own. Ultimately you as a parent can successfully prepare a child for these even if they attend a pretty awful school be it state or private but it's all about making you and your child's life easier especially if your working every hour that God sent to pay the fees. If you look at the list of the boys who are successful at the scholarship exams for Eton Win Coll et al nearly all have come from top preps specialising in this e.g. Summer Field and all we know who've successful at these notoriously difficult scholarship exams have been at these schools from a young age.

....... I wouldn't say you were incorrect at all Middle. Yr5 certainly enables the smoothest progression; yr6 is doable for an ambitious child who likes a challenge; LadyM has obviously had a fortunate run but in general I wouldn't want to throw a new child into yr7 of a highly competitive prep. Not if they were preparing for a scholarship exam.

As I said nothing's impossible but if your serious about a bursary and wish to be successful you need to ensure that your DC is very well prepared for the school your aiming for. Good preps know exactly how to do this. If you dont start paying till yr 5 then you've time to save for prep school fees thus not having to rely on finding and being accepted at the few offering bursaries.

I know a child who is going into the last term of Y1 after Easter, and then into Y2 at full fees. The family already have an agreement with the school that a 50% bursary will kick in when the child reaches Y3. Without this the school would not have been financially possible. There is an older sibling (very bright) already at the school on a similar bursary, which helped, of course.

Thank you all again.

As I said, the 'issue' if you like, is that if the DC don't start at primary then we are very unlikely to get them in before senior school - and then it is based on performance.
I don't want to feel like I'm 'grooming' the DC all the primary school time to get into a good independent senior school, so am considering starting them young.
We could just afford it - I was just wondering about the bursaries as we are not well off by any means.

It would be very unusual ime for the occasional place not to arise and be filled between 5 and 11. Most independents have an entry point at 7/8+ too as class sizes expand (ds was one of about 8 to join at that point). Bursaries in infant school/pre-prep are very rare.

You appear to have a school in mind and seem to be saying that if your DC doesn't get a place at 5 and a bursary no places will arise before they are 11. Do you actually know this for definite? Even at the most over subscribed school the odd vacancy will arise and as LIZS nearly all have an entry point at 7/8+ too. If you're getting your information off the schools website then you need to take everything with a large pinch of salt.
I understand your reluctance to "groom" your DC but if you seriously want a bursary then I'm afraid that "grooming" of some description is part of the process. In general applications for bursaries are over subscribed, the school has to decide who to offer a bursary too out of those who meet their financial criteria. They could I suppose say that this year they will offer bursaries to all who have brown hair, next year all who have blond hair etc, but as Ive already pointed out they usually want something in return so this is why academic/sporting/music etc ability will effect decisions and even amounts that are offered. If, and it's a big if, the school offers bursaries to 5 yr olds that stay with them throughout their school career the school will have some sort or selection process.
When ever I advise people about bursaries I always give the same advise, speak to the bursar directly don't just read websites most at best over inflate their generosity, work out how much of a reduction you will realistically need, explain your situation honestly, get a feel for the lie of the land, find out what the school is looking for, your not asking for a firm offer you just want to know if it's worth taking your application any further, you don't want to waste anyone's time and raise expectations if it never was a goer in the first place. Do your homework most schools publish their accounts and state the amount of money given to bursaries and even how many on them. Those really committed to needs blind admissions will frequently state how many receive bursaries and the average size of the bursary on their website because they are proud of these figures. Look at the websites of the likes SPS Win Coll and Eton these schools are genuinely trying to broaden access does your chosen schools website read like this?
As I've said I think the future for those wanting bursaries outside of a very wealthy handful of schools is not good frankly. But you may be lucky I hope you are.

You sound like you have only one school option and feel that if you don't get your child in at 5, you won't stand another chance until they're 11, none of the private schools round here work like that.

Also, you seem to be saying that you can survive on your DH's salary but you'd rather get a bursary and not have to! I would imagine most people feel the same. If there is only a certain amount of money in the bursary pot, they will give it to people who will bring something to their school. Being exceptionally bright/good at languages/sport/violin etc are all prime examples.

They may still have to sit exams to enter the secondary. Most independents have exams to the secondary, and their own primary children will have to sit the same exams. So the question is rather whether you want the school to groom them for you, or whether you want to enrich their learning. Very few independent schools have a secondary entry without exams, and they dont let their own cohort automatic entry without exams - that would be signalling to the world that the primary is not doing a good job to prepare their children for secondary.