Private school bursaries

[bmg1404]

My DS wants to go to a private school for 5th and 6th year -he's very bright and has an autism diagnosis .

I am separated from his dad who pays me maintenance , the responsibility split is 60:40 to me -as was set in the separation document 7 years ago but he is with me 90% of the time and we have never changed it

I am a full time student studying for an engineering degree and I applied for a foundation place for him . I submitted all the documents to the bursar and at a meeting was told I would qualify for a reduction. We had a home visit and I was then told that I would be entitled to no reduction as is dad pays maintenance and it wouldn't be fair if someone from the community saw him attending the school on a bursary knowing that a working parent was still contributing

I was crestfallen - they told me there was no point in him sitting the admissions test -I just couldn't do this to him so I said that I would find ffull fees to send him

Why was this not flagged at the bursars meeting ? His dad contributes maintenance of £400 a month -that's it and has flatly said he won't be paying for school fees

Do I have to remortgage until I'm working in 3 years time

I just don't understand why this was not mentioned 2 months prior to the home visit at tthe bursars meeting

I really only know about English schools but I’m pretty sure it applies to Scottish schools as well. About 20 years ago or maybe more (I’m getting old now ) the Charity Commission stated that independent schools did not have to offer bursaries to maintain their charitable status. This was a relief to many schools who do not have large sums of spare money sloshing around to fund lot of/anybursaries. The Charity Commission said providing independent schools opened up their swimming pools to children with learning difficulties, joined up in a partnership with a struggling state school and did a few joint lessons and let a few deprived kids play cricket in their playing fields etc etc then they were acting as charities.
Im completely out of the loop now but 10+ years ago the only schools who were really trying to move to a “needs blind admission policy” were the very big names with matching big fees usually in the south east, mainly boys schools often full boarding with substantial easily liquidisable assets and wealthy alumini. And a few others like Christs Hospital but even they were(?are) struggling to stay need blind.
You can write anything on a website but its doesn’t mean its true.

Not looked at GWC but other Edinburgh private schools say they expect parents to be working full time or maximising their ability to earn in order to qualify for a bursary. Not sure how that works with students. It’s understandable that burseries are reducing or becoming more strict in light of VAT and Scottish private schools have been paying business rates for some time now. I can see why you are disappointed but lots of full paying parents are struggling to meet the fees so I guess the school needs to draw the line somewhere. This is just another example of education in Scotland failing children. Could you look at your child’s father paying more maintenance and then that’s some extra for you to contribute?

I suspect with VAT being added onto fees any bursary pot a school may have is going to be squeezed even more. Most schools are likely to prioritise and help existing pupils stay in the school especially if they are in important exam years.

I’ve had the unfortunate experience of extensive direct dealings with the Watson’s bursar (not to do with bursaries or financial matters). I found him to be an extraordinarily opaque and obstructive individual.

Heriots is run by a charitable trust. It has charity in its charter.

It is required to offer fully funded places to its foundationer pupils (OP won’t qualify because it’s only for children who have lost a parent)

Plenty of schools are charitable trusts it’s pretty common and they often do not restrict to those who’ve sadly lost their parents. Here are a few well known examples and there are many more.
https://www.christs-hospital.org.uk/about-christs-hospital/
https://www.stpaulsschool.org.uk/admissions/founders-awards-bursaries/
www.winchestercollege.org/admissions/bursaries
But bursaries are still a lottery and many will apply and be disappointed in the amount of fee reduction they are offered.
As I’ve already said as a general principle big name schools (usually very selective and over subscribed) with high fees lots of assets and wealthy alumni are more committed to widening access and are able to be more generous.

I think in Scotland about 90-95% of private schools are charitable trusts whereas in England it’s much much lower, perhaps 50%.

You’re right it is about 50% but I suspect a lot of that is down to sheer numbers obviously many many more private schools in England. Most of the big names will be charitable trusts.

It’s amazing what you can find on the internet here is a list of independent school in England that aren’t charitable trusts not exactly exciting bed time reading 😀. IMO the only surprises are City of London boys and girls, St Paul’s isn’t the St Paul’s. Most unsurprisingly are prep schools.
I also found a link to Scottish independent schools but it doesn’t work!
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/list_of_independent_schools_in_t/response/874633/attach/2/brysonFOI%20Sept16%20final.xls?cookie_passthrough=1
I wonder whether the introduction of VAT on fees will change this and more will give up their charitable status.
It will be an interesting time in independent education over the next few years, my children and my friend’s children are all grown up now but friends in England who know people with children in independent schools are saying most parents are just going to absorb any fees increase rather than remove their children.

I completely agree. From what I have seen and heard, current parents are absorbing the fees. The impact won’t be seen for a few years but private primaries will bare the biggest impact as parents who are more middle income will hold out longer before sending their child to a private school or some parents won’t send at all. Only those who stretched themselves to the limit will pull their child out because they have no option.

I love this “what do they know site” all the info in the public domain that people don’t know they can know
thanks

Oh really-I spoke to a woman who’d been there for 30 years she said -she was most definitely good cop - thanks

Thanks- I have made peace with it now -my eyes have been opened by all the insider intel here . We hear if he has got a place next week then we’ll take it from there .

For me the core root of any change has been the change in government and added VAT -it’s a business after all . On top of that they will want to optimise their public image like any business -it’s morally unsound because it’s children and we are fortunate that education is our right in the UK

I’m note sure that there has been a recent change. Most schools have never been overly generous with their bursaries especially very large ones (they can easily absorb a couple of 20% reductions).My DC got their first bursary in 2005 we were exceedingly lucky you have no know how to play the system a bit and apply to the “right” schools. But over the years I know many children who on paper are eligible but have not been so lucky. A lot of it is luck we were slightly ahead of the curve when we first applied, so therefore less applicants. At senior school level we really only considered schools that clearly stated on their websites that they were or were trying to move to a “needs blind admissions policy. From experience those that didn’t state this were really only offering significant bursaries to scholars, something we decided to keep as a fall back if we had failed to secure a straight bursary.
OP I hope it works out for you. If they do not offer your DC a place don’t get upset just take the view it’s for the best because he would not be happy there.

You aren’t a lone parent. You are a separated parent. DS has 2 parents who are responsible for educating him. It’s up to his DF to share the expense of private education, as other parents do. The issue is with him refusing to pay a share of fees not on the school to pay a bursery because he won’t. How is that fair on anyone else?