Have any of you applied for a bursary for private ed?

[CapInHand]

There is a lovely school near by(ish) that I would love for dd to go to. We are massively too skint to ever consider it, but I've seen that they have bursaries for people under a certain wage. And full bursaries for people under 30,000 which is exactly what we will be on after dh's raise next month

Typical.

Anyway, any tips or tricks please? If you did get your children in, was it good, did it help? Did they feel like the poor relation?

I wondered why lots of the kids at our local primary disappeared off to private school in year 3. I thought perhaps that was when Oreo or whatever it's called started. Is it just because that's when some of them get a bursary?

Why only your eldest child?

Take a look at the schools you can get to before deciding that this private school is your answer. Children can blossom and do just as well in state schools, plus the additional expenses won't be as much either.

Oreo???

Prep.

Bloody autocorrect.

You have 3 kids your focus should be getting a good state school unless you eldest is showing signs of genius. Lots of the junior school bursaries are handed out to kids who parents get divorced or lose their jobs whilst they are at the school and would have to be removed otherwise.

In my experience I would ask. I would look at a couple of schools and compare their bursary policies. I know Knighton House, Durweston have been offering new Greenwood awards. maybe they have money in the pot.

Precious makes some interesting points.
I currently have one in independent ed on a bursary one in state ed. The one in state ed has spent 8 of his 13 years of education in independent ed on a bursary but we have excellent state schools here and for him and in our location (the nearest even remotely suitable independent school was a 1 1/2 train journey away after I'd driven him for 30 mins to a station) I felt that by paying I wouldn't get anything better, I emphasise for him than, what I could get for free. My other DS has spent 10 + years in independent ed. he attends a very famous school, a super selective (listed above) and no state school however good can come anywhere near it so we feel lucky and frankly eternally grateful to his school for giving him a very substantial bursary. But in my position/location I wouldn't pay for anything less.
Is it worth the £££? I've thought long and hard about this over the years especially at various stages in his school life when we could have legitimately moved him. I always come to the same conclusion; yes. If I had my time over again I would do the same thing. Not because of A*s or university destinations but just the sheer breadth of education offered that at this level is simply not available in any state school.
Our bursary has never come to an end, in fact frankly we are stunned by the schools generosity, we jump through the hoops every year always with some trepidation and our circumstances have changed over the years but still we remain in receipt of a substantial bursary.
I don't believe all independent schools are better than what the state can offer, I don't believe that all independent schools are right for all children, OP you need to look at your finances, your child and your schools in both sectors and decide what will work for you.