Anyone`s kids got into a good school on a sholarship?

[OnEdge]

I was hoping to privately educate my kids, but now on pregnacy number 3 just won`t be able to afford to privately educate all of them. Have any of you experienced a scholarship? How did it happen, was it "planned" Is there anything I can do to increase my chances? My daughter is only 3 by the way and son is 1.

I recon most of the scholarships go to children from prep schools anyway. Ds's old school boasted a '100% success rate at the children obtaining a place at their choosen school, many with scholarships' They spend months preparing for the entrance exams. Bursaries delve into income and all other avenues have to be sought first. It's really not easy.

DS1 came from a state primary and managed to get a music and an academic scholarship to a very academic school.

The music was originally an attempt to extend him sideways, IYSWIM, but once he showed ability we thought it would be a help to get him into the school we thought he would thrive in. We did spend some time working through VR tests and some maths and english papers but he had no tutoring or special preparation, and certainly nothing from his primary school.

His combined scholarships are worth almost 50% - but there's no way we could afford the rest of the fees, so the bursary is vital. (They do also give us help with compulsory school trips but we pay for uniform and transport.)

My experience is that if they really want your child, they will smooth the path financially, but your child really does have to be in the top few % for them to be interested in doing that - and you need to show a low enough income.

At DD's school the scholarships are in name only-a music scholarship gets you free tuition on an instrument (worth £180 per term). Any significant money off fees is through means-tested bursaries, which seems fair enough.

My DS has a prep school music scholarship, which knocks four-fifths off the fees. He wasn't tutored; I'm reasonably musical, and thought that he was very musical - but felt that if he really was talented, he'd get the scholarship. He did. The test was purely on musical aptitude, not on being able to perform such-and-such a piece on such-and-such an instrument. The also did an academic test, which I also knew he'd do very well in as he's also super-clever (as in impossibly high-functioning, parent-sapping ASD). We are hoping for another scholarship when he's 13.

I feel for you, OnEdge. One reason we stopped at two is that we'd never, ever be able to afford three lots of fees. We can't even afford two!

We have two sons. We decided we could only send them to a private (selective) school if they got a scholarship. Scholarships were either 50% or 33% off of the full fees.

DS1 got a place at the school (450 kids and 50 places as 50 places were taken up by the school's own prep school kids) but he didn't get a scholarship.

DS2 got a 50% scholarship and left a day or two ago. We sent DS1 (at full fees) for the 6th form as we felt it was only fair. Financially this wasn't easy but we were keen to negate sibbling rivalry in the future.