Private school sport scholarship

[EllyGi]

Hi all,

My DD will be in Y6 next year and we can't afford private school fees but she is quite sporty so I'm seeking advise on her chances of a scholarship.

What types of kids usually have a chance for such a scholarship?

She competes professionally in 2 sports - tennis and karate and is interested in at least 2 other sports - plays them regularly but doesn't train professionally.

Do you think she has a shot?

Tennis might be an in but not sure about karate. The tale of the Murray brothers is the cautionary one. The less famous bro was the one who went on a private school scholarship. He completely hated his tone there, I believe.

A life of sport at the sporty minor public schools isn’t for everyone.

What do you mean competes professionally - she’s paid to compete??

The kids I have taught who have got sports scholarships have had one sport they are very competitive in (national competition wins and so on) and are generally good all rounders at sports offered at the school - usually netball, hockey, cricket and swimming at the schools I know of.

you’ll need someone to write her a reference- if she’s at a prep the head of sport would usually do this but if she’s at a state primary you’ll probably need her coach from outside school to do this.

be aware that sports scholarships generally are only a small fee reduction - around 10-15%. Also, if the senior school has a prep attached you may find their own prep school pupils get a disproportionately large number of the scholarships…

Thank you both. She does compete nationally with her less popular sport so I think her chances are slim.

I don't mind her going to public school at all, I just thought her being good at sports may make it worth considering the private route, but it the fee goes down by 10-15% this won't make it feasible especially if vat is added to fees next year.

She is smart but hates any academic part of her education she just wants to do sports so I just don't know what to do with her lol.

My son got a sports scholarship to a private school from year 9 for rugby. He played at county level and also went for England selection. He was also at a premiership academy.
if I recall all the other kids on scholarship they played at high competitive level. He still had to sit an entrance test and was swiftly made unwelcome when he didn’t get the required GCSE grades to get into 6th form.

Are you in the UK? Here "public school" means an elite "private school" (which is a bit confusing, I know).

Schools that cost nothing to attend are known as "state schools". Many state schools are considered to be better than many private schools and have demonstrably better results.

I am in the UK, but I'm not British. :) Thank you for clarifying the difference.

Make sure you know the difference between scholarship and bursary for each school you apply to.

For example, at my DC school all scholarships are 10% off fees in sport, performing arts, academic or music. Bursaries are 30-100% and are strictly means tested.

it might be that you need a scholarship and a bursary. The scholarship will show how exceptional your DX is in Their field and the bursary will Pay the fees.

Thank you. This makes sense!

Scholarships tend to be £1-2k per year. A sports scholar will be expected to turn up to play for their school. If the school doesn't compete in DC's sport, they tend not to care about it.

You probably need to ask about bursaries.

Based on no researched evidence, older schools will probably have heftier bursary pots. Girls' schools tend to have lower bursary pots because they are newer.

Labour announcing they want to charge 20% vat on private school fees is probably going to affect the bursaries offered.

I only know about my local county, but DD(16) was 'quite good' at a few sports.

Have a look at private schools that you might consider for her and what their scholarships offer (it’s only going to be a small percentage of the full fees). Also think about the additional costs of a private education - uniform, exams, travel, longer holidays to cover for childcare).

Be aware that fees go up every year (the amount varies but think around 5-10%) plus potentially VAT to be added at some point after the next General Election.

Lots of state schools offer good sports provision. You don’t say which part of the UK you live in but you’ll get more specific advice if you’re willing to say.

Sports scholars are usually required to participate in their team sports, turning out to fixtures, and attend training activities. That may conflict with other out of school commitments. I don't think you mean "professionally" more at competition level. The schools look for potential and assess stamina, fitness and ability to perform as a team as well as looking at "their" sports. Bursaries are based on income and assets, and can supplement any discount for scholarships which is often less £ and more opportunity based.

Also the standard the schools want isn’t always consistent. One of my DC went for a scholarship in a sport that they play at county level, above their age group and did not get the scholarship! Good enough for county, not good enough for the school.

@EllyGi

Queenswood school in Hertfordshire has Tennis scholarships. I'd start with them. Unsure about bursaries but they to have them. If you don't try, you won't know. It's a big commitment though,

We are based in Kent. I'm not sure a bursary will be feasible with our income.

The target is a grammar school but as I mentioned she is not very academic. :) I may need to research good sporty state schools (I hope this was the right term).

I have never studies in the UK, so it's all so foreign to me, so thank you all for the information and advise. :)

If you want a decent scholarship you need to aim for the best schools eg Marlborough / St Paul’s etc. They are much more likely to pay 110% scholarships to do whatever it takes to retain a child with Olympic potential. An ordinary private school isn’t going to give you more than 10-20%

Bedes near Eastbourne, Eastbourne College and Battle Abbey might fit if they are close enough.

Emma Raducanu went to Newstead Wood which is a grammar.

And bear in mind registrations for some 11+ close shortly , if that is a route you decide to follow.

Scholarships usually only cover 5-10% of fees. Are you able to cover the rest + VAT?
All schools are different but for a scholarship there is usuallg the entrance exam + additional assessment for the scholarship subject. At DD's school if the sports scholars don't perform/get dropped from A teams then they lose the scholarships.

The OP is slightly confusing scholarships and bursaries and so are some posters.

DD won't get into a grammar unless she qualifies. As she prefers sport, that's a tall order.

OP: a bursary could pay all the fees. A scholarship is sometimes paying £0 but might be a small reduction in fees. You need to apply for both but for 2024 it's too late. Schools do have entry at 13 so that's possible.

It depends on the school. Some look for all-round ability; DC’s school requires you to play at County level in at least one sport.

It’s only a 20% max reduction in fees; not a full-scholarship. Those are vanishingly rare now.

Op dd is year 5, so 2025 entry.

I'd look at the below list of schools that specialise in Tennis to see if they fit location wise. Then I would speak to admissions regarding scholarships and wouldn't rule out bursary until you speak to the bursar - they may not give you a 100% bursary but may cover the shortfall if figures add up.

The Best UK Schools for Tennis | Independent School Parent

I'd also contact the LTA and see if they can provide any advice on education routes for children showing strong Tennis potential. `

A lot of the schools will specify the eligible sports and some that offer music and academic don’t offer sport at all. There are 5 schools I’m considering, our top two only offer academic and music and the lower tier schools seem to have a wider range including sport, art, drama etc. of the two offering sport scholarship tennis is a named sport but really seem to be looking for a high level in team sports like netball and hockey. My 5th choice has even more but the sports scholarship wants high level in at least two school sports.

Check how much each school offers too - some are very low and hook parents in who like to show off that their child got a scholarship, when really it's a tiny % and they'd not usually consider paying for schooling. A lot of schools have seen this is a way to get parents interested and are offering more sports scholarships than academic as a result.

If you know anyone else with a sports scholarship ask why they picked their school.