Low income and zero bursary award

[feefe]

Got offers for senior schools but have received zero bursary awards despite being on very low income, living in housing association home and not being able to accept a place without a bursary. I know VAT has a big impact but to be awarded zero help just seems very strange as I would have thought there would be some consideration at least...

Any advice as my child is really distraught at working so hard and passing the assessments but the zero bursary awards look like we will need to reject these places...

Like I said. I know lots of other teachers who have worked in lots of other schools 8n both sectors. Their experience doesn’t differ. It’s a generalisation, but one with a basis in the personal experiences of lots of people.
What do you think the teachers in indies, teachers who were overwhelmingly trained in state (if they were trained at all) can teach state sector teachers? What can their managers know about managing a state school?

I have never claimed that teachers in indy can teach those in state anything so not sure where that comment comes from

Your child passed the admittance tests, deeming her academically suitable.
They weren’t bursary eligibility tests 🤷🏻‍♀️

Like what?

So using your 75,000 and looking at how many school age children are in the UK, burseraries are awarded to less than 1% of children.

The OP hasn't much hope then, but being realistic shouldn't be disappointed or surprised.

You see that's the attitude they are facing, which is really sad. They have done so much for the community for years and then they get comments like yours when they no longer can. The VAT and business rates changes mean head count is falling and costs are rising which for all but the biggest is basically signing their death warrant. Schools are already closing and more will. Seems ok when it's just the rich kids doesn't it but it's not so simple. They can't fund freebies for the local community if they can't pay their own bills first. I used the summer camp for my kids, it was amazing and cost less than even the most basic clubs elsewhere. I'm gutted to lose it. There is no way the fee covered the cost of the staff time (and they were paid staff from the school not volunteers) let alone the sports coaches they brought in, use of the kitchen, pottery facilities, pool etc 😞

You were responding to this. So yes, you were implying I was wrong that the beneficiary in state and indie working together would be indie.

They were never charities in the first place. They are private businesses and should pay tax like the rest. The elite privileges having some sort of consequence is overdue.

There are plenty of state schools. Private schools aren't needed. Specialist schools for SEN children are.

@ImmortalSnowman Eton was set up as a charity to educate and most public schools give charitable endeavour. There is not enough money to set up specialised SEND schools hence why so many are in the public sector now. Why would anyone choose to educate education?

Only the lucky few children get this great opportunity of funded private education. Regardless of income, housing, etc.

There are more bright, highly gifted motivated children from state schools than there will ever be funded places in private schools.

Remember less than 8% (or around?) of UK's children are in private education. It's virtually impossible for anyone but the wealthiest families in UK.

OP Blame capitalism for not paying you enough to send your child to a fee paying school or blame yourself for not getting paid enough OR don’t ‘blame’ anyone and accept you can’t always afford everything you would like to in life unless you are a multimillionaire.

Time for other options and I hope your DC thrives at the school they attend.

Do you honestly believe that no state school in the whole of the U.K. would benefit from collaboration /consultation with a successful indie?

based on you teaching in 2 schools and having a few mates who have taught in others?

and blaming failing teachers and schools on unsupportive parents is lazy.

micaela school manages it.

You seem to have a bit of an issue comprehending my post. I didn’t blame failing schools on parents. I didn’t even say schools were failing. I said it was easier to teach children with supportive parents. Which it is. Often children in state have them too.
And no, I don’t think indie has anything to teach state. Indie teachers were trained by the state then they went on to work in easier environments. That’s just the facts.
Michaela is horrible, as is Birbalsingh - and it’s hard to get a kid in there so they are supportive parents on t(e whole anyway. There are lots of successful state schools with no selection, formal or otherwise.

Your DC being upset because you pushed them into testing to enter an expensive school that you can't afford is entirely on you op.

My thinking too.

Op, why did you even offer her the option of going to a school that you probably can't afford to pay for?

Why the only way you would do this, is make it abundantly clear it's reliant on the 100% bursary, and if it's meant to be,it's meant to be! But she should realistically have a preferred back up.

Some of the big public schools have existing endowment funds into the many many millions which raise millions a year in income as they are invested in the stock & bond market by professional investors. These will still have some bursary income, although even they have to now top up partial bursaries to include VAT for all those who are not on 100 per cent bursaries, so that is a huge cost potentially. What is left is still there for new bursaries, although again there will be more applicants including those who can only fund eg. 50% of fees.

Remaining schools who used to get current parents to pay for bursaries and tap alumni and former parents probably just won’t be able to do bursaries anymore, as they will have to top up existing parents first. And they will probably have to show charitable purpose by using the thousands previously spent on bursaries on local engagement to keep their charitable status.

Please also remember that a number of teachers have discounts at private schools because they teach there and the schools will have to top up the VAT there to keep teaching staff. They would presumably get first dibs.

Sorry, do you know how many specialist SEND private schools there are... providing education to an equivalent cohort of children with SEND (ie, with an EHCP)?

Good luck to your DC and I hope they get a good state school in March. They have worked very hard from the sounds of it and will hopefully go into top sets and with your positivity and support they will do really well. There are loads of excellent free websites now to support their learning too. It’s a hard and unfair lesson but praise the effort and commitment and how proud you are.

I’m sorry you are in this situation. I would contact the school and ask to speak with the burser. They might be able to arrange some sort payment plan. If nothing else if would be good to confirm that they have not made a mistake. I would also ask if they could recommend another school. You might want to consider Christs Hospital. It’s an exceptional school and they offer very large bursaries.
We checked with all of the schools we applied for to make sure they would offer us a large enough bursary if we accepted a place - and made sure to have the offer on paper. Not all of the schools we approached agreed- but we found one that did.

This is a really weird thread. The vast majority of people send that kids to state school- who expects to get a place unless you can pay for it? Of course there's always been a very very small number but most low/average income families don't even consider it a choice.

I know lots of teachers, independent schools are not an easy option. Entitled kids, but much much more prevalent are the entitled obnoxious parents who think they can buy their kids grades and have zero respect for teachers. (Yes arsehole parents exist in state, but not to the same degree as I've been told by friends.
During Covid my friend who teaches art in a prestigious uk private school was told by her head that all her kids were to be given the highest grade, no exceptions, every kid (GCSE & A Level). Friend was furious, and upset for her kids who really worked hard and were talented, given the same grade as others who didn't even submit their work properly, but nothing she could do, that was the order. Apparently the parents were expecting it and it was to compensate them for the school being closed during lock down
Yes there was inflation in state, but this wouldn't have flown there.

Yes, the parents can be hard work. Any school that cheats for them isn’t worth paying for though. And day to day in the classroom and marking it’s easier.

I don't understand why you let your child become so invested in a school you couldn't afford, and expected someone else to pay for?

@feefe I hope things worked out for you here. This happened to some children in my extended family. Very smart children but it was never going to be affordable without a bursary. The school fed back that in a normal year, they would have got one but with covid etc, so many more were applying for bursaries. Parents genuinely thought with their low incomes, that they would get something. I think it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking you'd get something.