Very low/lowish income family - you know your kids could go to private school - right?

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Hi. Just what it says really. I find myself surrounded by families who have got full bursaries for their children to go to private school - some live in council housing, others in luxury rented apartments (paid by families overseas) and who do low income jobs through choice. Am struck at how many people at the lower end of the class system (sorry for the crass terminology) feel that private schools are for the rich only. This is just to give you all a heads up that it's not - so get applying - you never know.

We did it. My older DD attended a very nice private prep until she was ten. She attended their nursery part time as a toddler and then the HT told me there were bursaries available if we met the income restrictions.

We did meet them. I was part time self employed and earning a pittance and DH was a painter and decorator.

It was a lovely place but we moved to Australia. She now attends a much more affordable private school over here and we don't have a bursary but we can afford the fees.

Generally private schools are for the rich, or at least unattainable for parents on an average income, in my area anyway. My local primary and secondary private schools offer no 100% assisted place. None. There are 20 applications per assisted place available, so whilst it's not impossible it's unlikely. At the primary the mandatory uniform socks are £8 a pair!

Just out of interest does the bursary criteria vary from school to school it is there a typical means tested structure? If so, does anyone have a rough idea what it is? My ASD child is really struggling in mainstream state school and in our area there are no high functioning ASD schools so private is the next best thing but we’re not loaded. I’m trying to manage our expectations before getting our hopes up.

OP - you’re correct - but there are a billion threads here on applying for bursaries!

does the bursary criteria vary from school to school?

Yes, of course. They are private enterprises essentially (though mostly charities).

You may or may not know that you stand a greater chance of being offered a bursary at the grandest, wealthiest schools as they have the most money and a well established system. And they take some pride in aspiring to be needs blind at the application stage. Most of these are traditional full boarding schools - who are falling over themselves to ensure (and be seen to maintain) a ‘diverse’ intake. Over 20% of the pupils at the most famous school in the country receive some level of bursary support.

The worst option is the small, anonymous private day school down the road offering one bursary per year ...

this should be added to OP's post, for most of the secondary school, DC have to take entry exam and to be top to get the bursary though.

I suspect that’s more likely at schools offering either one or very few - where bursary and scholarship are, even loosely, tied.

At other schools anyone who passes the entrance exam can then apply for a means tested bursary - and the awards will be dependent - essentially - on how much the school wants the child.

Depends entirely on where you are and how many people are fighting for places.

In our experience of some of the London Day schools, bursaries are closely linked with scholarship level ie; if your child is very academic, sporty, musical etc then you're more likely to be offered a bursary. There is generally a sliding scale. A lot of the schools we looked offered 100% to those whose household income was under 40K.

Many private schools now offer both scholarships and bursaries. Best practice is that the latter require only passing the entrance exam rather than scholarship levels of ability.

In addition, it isn't uncommon to offer 110% bursaries - ie not just providing for fees, but also for uniform, trips etc.

I find myself surrounded by families who have got full bursaries for their children to go to private school

Really? You are surrounded by them? How very unusual.

To be clear- bursaries are available at most independent schools in the secondary sector. You're not likely to get one fro primary, they tend to go to families that are already attending but have a change in circumstances.

in luxury rented apartments (paid by families overseas)
Yeah, I'm amazed how many people I see in lidl and at the job centre that are forced to live in luxury rented appaartment...

It would be great if you could name the schools you are talking about OP?

We are one of those households with income just slightly above the cut-off for low income bursaries. We're in the dead zone - i.e. we don't qualify for help but there's still no way in hell we could afford the fees. So no, OP, bursaries are not so easy to come by as you think.

Weasel OP was clear she was talking to very low and lowish income families. If you're just above the cut-off, then that's not low.

Do bursaries cover uniform, extra curricular expenses (equipment, travel etc), school trips, text books etc?

My experience is all the extras cost more at private schools, plus there's the element of 'keeping up with the Jonses'.

www.christs-hospital.org.uk/admissions/fees/

13% of pupils receive a fully supported place

• 73% of pupils receive some level of bursary support

• 24% pay full fees

Though dont ask me about the missing 3%!

I was the poor kid at the rich school for other reasons. I felt poor, even though we weren’t really really poor, because of my friends’ lifestyles.
But honestly? It didn’t bother me. My mum always said I was there because the school wanted me there, not like the others who were there partly as they could pay.

I had some awesome free holidays and made good friends too. 😊

I'm afraid my kids are too ordinary to get a bursary. They're looking for academic, sporting, musical high flyers. Not middle of the road students. They don't give bursaries out of the goodness of their hearts. It's for the school's benefit largely.

And there were a few twats who made comments about my mums old car or whatever.
I couldn’t have given less of a fuck!

My DD has a fully funded place at a great private school - a combination of scholarship and bursary. She fits in well, even though we don't live in a mansion or go on 4 exotic holidays a year.

She's not cool enough to hang out with the few girls that care about that stuff, but 'those' girls would never have been her tribe anyway.

It's a fantastic opportunity to go to a great school with small class sizes, good facilities and brilliant sports.

The Op's post is rather misleading because it doesn't tell the full story.

The majority of places in independent schools will always be for fee payers - those for bursary students,me specially those on really significant ones will always be very small in number.

The majority of bursary offers will mean parents still have to pay a chunk of fees, which would make the school unaffordable for many.

High level bursaries are usually linked to performing at a very high level in entrance exams - most children won't be able to do this.

The reality is most children from families who can't afford full independent school fees won't be able to access a suffice t bursary to attend independent school.

That's not to say that some won't.

Perhaps it would be better to say that people on extremely low incomes with e trembly clever children might find their kids can get a full bursary.

Those more in the middle probably would still be expected to fund a chunk of fees making it unaffordable. Those with just moderately bright children probably won't get offered a significant bursary.

I'm not trying to discourage people. There are great opportunities available through bursaries.....but it should be clear that they aren't just available to all who can't afford the fees. They really aren't......otherwise the state schools would be empty!

Most schools even if 100% bursary won't pay for uniform beyond some possible help with the uniform in year 7, lunches, books, instrument lessons etc.. some may not cover exam fees is the gcse/a level years. Even with 100% bursary it's not a free education. Also the bursaries are reassessed every year so if your financial situation improves expect your bursary to decrease. If I was in this position unless the local state school was dire I would not pursue a bursary unless I had a child genius and it was a very academic school. Christa Hospital is very unique but boarding great if you have a difficult home life.