Skills for a bursary/scholarship?

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Hi mumsnetters,

I live in SE London and the schools near me aren't great. Huge, under funded and some have gang cultures. My little boy is still a toddler and i'd love for him to attend a private secondry school. What skills/talents are desirable for bursaries? I know academic achievement is one, but which musical talents are preferred? Are any sports viewed more highly than others? Any other talents would stand him a good stead for a bursary? As hes only young i could expose him to some lessons and see which ones he most enjoys/excels at to persue.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Your best bet would be to contact schools directly and find out.

Bursaries at senior schools are highly competitive. It’s not just extra curricular that will be assessed, it’s your income and, in this day and age, how well DC do in entrance exams. Bursary money tends to be spent on the brightest DC who have best fit for the schools. Some bursary places are very over subscribed so being average with poor parents is rarely good enough.

It might be easier to move to Kent and try your luck with grammar schools. However if DC wouldn’t make it into a grammar, that would then be a problem. However if DC cannot get into a state grammar, I would not hold my breath for a bursary. You could move to an area with a better secondary school. It’s less of a challenge than the route you are proposing.

Thanks for the advice. Without wanting to sound boastful i think he stands a good chance of being bright as all members of my family went to top unis and he seems bright. I just work in the public sector so fees would be a big ask!

If you are thinking along sport/music, you could also think about scholarships. Bursaries are usually income dependant, whereas scholarships are skills based. Some schools also do scholarships for art and drama.

Music would usually involve at least two instruments at a high level. Sport again is often talent at several sports, with a main one at county/ national level.

Look at the scholarship sections of the websites of schools of interest and it will tell you what the criteria for scholarships are. Where we live scholarships are only worth 10% of fees. Bursaries are much more generous and income dependent.
For sports this may be limited to the schools core sports which you should check. For music you need to be grade 5ish by year 6 or 9 which is no mean feat and play a second instrument.
My nephew plays football and cricket and has a 50% scholarship but has exceptional talent.

I'd add that scholarships are often only nominal in top schools and a way of recognising a pupil rather than lowering the fees. Bursaries are income based but things like equity on your home could also be used.

Why don't you move somewhere with better schools? I'm in Sutton and would recommend the borough. It's the safest borough in London, certainly no gangs, 3 top boys' grammars to apply for with the back-up of high achieving comps. I've recently counted that we're also within easy reach of 10-15 of the top 100 indies (based on GCSE results) so you could try those for bursaries/scholarships. There are also less academic indies and they are often more generous with academic kids when it comes to discounts.