100 % academic Scholarships

[ComfortFoodCafe]

Wondering if anyone knows of any schools that offer 100 % academic scholarships.

My 9 year old son is exceptionally academic with maths & science. He is working years above his peers to the point his mainstream primary school have said there is nothing more to teach him currently on the cirrculum as he knows it. (Hes currently working at KS3 for science & maths when hes in year 5.)
I know mainstream senior school isnt the answer & no schools around me (durham) offer a 100 % academic scholarship. Is anyone aware of any scholarships?
We are even considering trying for Eton college but the distance is worrying me slightly.

(Sorry, I seem to be monopolising your thread.)

As for coaching a nine year old for interviews - hmm … Presumably he’s articulate, curious, keen on being educated, and interested in the world? (Otherwise you would not be doing this - would you?)

Encourage his interests, take him out as much as you can to expand and deepen his horizons - whether that’s looking at dry stone walls or attending free concerts at your nearest conservatoire, taking part in chess competitions or walking neighbours’ dogs. Is he a bird watcher or small political activist? What does he have strong, informed opinions on? What does he know about his parents’ and grandparents’ childhoods and lives pre-children? Make sure he’s reading very widely. Talk to him, in depth, about any and everything.

That said, it’ll be what, 15 minutes? The boys I know haven’t found it stressful once it begins. They are inevitably extremely nervous beforehand. That’s where resilience and optimism matter.

Okay, that puts my mind at ease. He will happily talk all day long about maths & science but hes still a kid and does kid things.
I think you may be right about a boarding school for a type one diabetic even with school nurses, it takes a lot of care. There is two in Newcastle the Royal grammar school & newcastle school for boys that appear to do bursaries too and both within driving distance for us.
Im going to book open days & let my son get a feel for the schools and see what he would like.

Oh we do, last weekend we spent four hours bird watching down at our local reserve. He can tell you everything there is to know about birds (another one of his obessive hobbies. )
He is learning chess I will encourage that more. I try to keep him away from politics he gets quite frustrated with the topic but I will encourage more in depth conversations & reading.

1729 maths school in north London. Needs blind admission policy.

I wouldn't assume that a private or selective grammar school is better for a high achieving student. Consider outreach opportunities e.g NRich or summer schools too. Ask schools if they enter students for maths competitions, additional or further maths at 16 although your DC may be beyond that.

Great! Remember the interview isn’t a test of knowledge (I’m speaking of E. in particular here, other places are different) but a way to establish whether a boy is confident enough to hold his own in a classroom / house full of clever peers. Whether he’ll add to the general school culture with fresh ideas or creative or organizational skills. Whether he shows the potential for being self-reliant and able to manage his time well. They’re thinking ahead to teen years, not judging your ten year old for being a ten year old. Essentially they want boys who will be rewarding to teach, and who can manage and thrive in a boisterous boarding environment.

Why do you think mainstream senior wouldn’t work? If you’re in the catchment area for Durham Johnston, surely the top sets there will be academic? It gets great results and plenty of academics working at Durham University send their kids there.

I’d be wary of sending him on a scholarship to (some?) private schools as it could be difficult socially.

The thing is if he’s that bright then he will do well at any school… what is it you think a public school will give him academically that a state grammar or comp will not? Generally they offer smaller class sizes and better extra curricular which it doesn’t sound like he particularly needs

Royal Grammar School, Newcastle. Excellent school.

https://www.rgs.newcastle.sch.uk/prospective-families/bursaries
Plenty of information on that page including:
Most bursary places are awarded to families eligible for full fee support. These families typically have a gross household income of £55,000 or less. We aim to make a transformational difference for bright students who would otherwise not be able to attend RGS.

So yes, they offer full bursaries too.

That isn’t the case, @2GreatFatSquirrels - and there’s far more to one’s school career than just exam grades.

Bursary application forms generally include some reflections on the potential impact on the whole family of an award - how attending a particular school might enhance not just the life of the schoolchild involved, but also the prospects of a parent or other children / dependents in the household. I’m pretty sure the OP will have ample opportunity to consider all this in coming months and years.

I think all the very very top traditional schools like Eton offer 100% or even 110% help with fees. The more famous the school the more likely they will offer full bursaries.

@PetuniaP what does 110% mean? Do they cover your child's fees and give you some extra money too?!

@ComfortFoodCafe - what I meant about boarding at public school is that it is a very intense short term with exams at the end often (twice yearly for Eton), Saturday morning school and sports and really long holidays. It is exhausting and my DS has a very close friend who is very bright and diabetic (at grammar school with him). He really needs rest and downtime to look after himself especially during growth spurts. Also most public schools are sporty in a traditional sense so they all do sports a couple of times a week at least and most do it pretty much every day.
So personally I would be looking for local selective independent schools or selective grammar schools. You really want an academic focus primarily given everything you say.

It usually means it covers uniform and things like school trips

In your shoes OP I would be looking at local state grammars and also local academically selective independents (private). Either would work well for him.

Most if not all independent schools will have bursaries available. The amount they offer varies and also some give a small % to lots of kids and some give a big % to fewer kids. The big famous schools may be able to offer more financial assistance, but not always. You can usually combine a scholarship and a bursary, sometimes to add up to 100%.

If you go to the Good Schools Guide website it can help you find independent schools near you.

Entrance to selective independent schools will be mainly based on how a child does in their own entrance exam, plus interview (more weight on the exam though). Your child will need to do these tests in winter of Year 6 (register from year 5 onwards). The schools will have sample entrance papers on their website, or some will use an external electronic exam like ISEB or Quest which you can also find examples of online. The exams contain English, Maths and Reasoning - you can buy practice reasoning books, bright kids often quite enjoy it.

I wouldn’t consider boarding school, you don’t need to.

My understanding from a friend whose child has one is that they fund all the uniforms, any paid for extracurriculars, sports equipment etc. Essentially completely leveling the playing field so that any child who gets a place on a full scholarship is able to access exactly the same opportunities that a non-scholar can. And that they don't stand out by being the only kids with second hand items. I don't know every detail because we are fortunate enough to be able to pay.

You can apply for an academic scholarship and bursary to any well funded private senior school. They will assess your financial circumstance and decide, based on that and the size of their funding pot, how much they can afford to charge you.

Remember, however, that they all take GCSEs at the same age, so while it would be more stretching, it wouldn’t be worlds apart.

It means they cover uniform, meals, incidentals etc as well so there are no hidden headaches down the line. All done confidentially.

It's a nice idea that a bright child will do well anywhere @2GreatFatSquirrels but it's just not true.

Have you looked at Christ's Hospital @ComfortFoodCafe ? It's a long way from you but is an amazing school.

Durham doesn’t have grammar schools. It does have the independent Durham School and there are independent schools in Newcastle and Sedbergh. None are super selective. Even state comps often set for STEM, so that might be the thing to look for.

You tell him to be himself, to be personable and interested in what they are saying. They often don’t like evidence of coaching.

You can apply for as many schools as you feel able to juggle the admissions process for.

Ah ok! I was thinking of the ones around Leeds but guess they would be too far.

Have a look at Christs Hospital. Would require boarding due to distance but otherwise could be a good bet.

That sounds ideal. Don't worry about the interview, it's not really something that should be coached for. The headmaster will be wanting to make a personal judgement- is this child enthusiastic and curious and will they be a joy to teach and a credit to the school? It sounds like the answer would be yes. You can give him practice by asking the most intelligent grownup you know (ideally someone he doesn't know) to have a 20 minute conversation with him to help him be comfortable and confident in a 1:1 chat with a grownup about what he enjoys about learning. We got our 10yo to do a practice chat with a KC Barrister who was a friend of a friend who was happy to do us a favour

We arent in the catchment area for Durham Johnston, we live outside of durham in one of the villages. The two schools in our catchment area arent good at all. There is another ex-grammar school that would be perfect, but its notoriously difficult to get a place as it serves two countys (darlington & durham) and they can pick & choose who they want as they get a lot of applications.