Which independent secondary schools have scholarships which have real monetary value?

[stealthsquiggle]

This is pure research at the moment as we are a year or so off making decisions, but I am interested to know which schools have academic scholarships (note, not bursaries - non-means tested merit based is what I am interested in) which make any real impact on the fees? We are told that DS has the capability to win such a scholarship, but I am concerned that the head of his current school is focused on the ones which look good (i.e. are prestigious) and there is not much point him taking exams if we still wouldn't be able to afford the fees because the scholarship has no (or nominal) monetary value. We would be unlikely to qualify for means-tested bursaries.

All comments/opinions welcome. TIA.

Schools round here vary from £1k pa up to 20-30%. If you get awarded more than one ie. academic and music or sports, or all-rounder, then they can be of greater value together, although music often means free lessons rather than a fee discount. Even at the most prestigious it could "only" be a 10% reduction (and they may even ask that you donate it back if not required !)

That's what worries me - a scholarship which would be wonderful for the prep school's reputation, and gives us 10% (or less) off sky-high fees. Interesting that they can be 'stacked' - that hadn't occurred to me [ignoramus]

Some of them are "stacked" in name only. Others though are a maximum of 10% and then bursaries can be added. I know you asked about merit based scholarships only, but it doesn't have to be either or.

Christ's Hospital is a means tested school, which I suppose could mean you pay the full 25k (although if you could afford that I doubt if you'd be bothered by scholarships!)
They do have 20% sholarships available too

There is the whole 'how long is a piece of string' question about what the threshold is for means tested bursaries - I know it varies hugely and depends on how many people apply and (whisper who dares) how much the school want the child in question, but all in all I doubt we would qualify. If there were such a thing as the ideal school for DS, with a 30% scholarship available, then decisions about applications (which are a while off as yet) would be a lot easier

Stealth, are you interested in finding out about varying practice across the UK or are you trying to factfind about a particular area?

My son goes to a school in SE London which has academic scholarships worth anything between 10% and 33 1/3 % off fees. I know of two other schools in the area which had 50% scholarships a few years back but fewer scholarships in total than my son's school. They also had less generous bursary funding. So just on that very small sample it seems to vary a lot, and in any case may have changed in recent years because in response to the Charities Commisssion crackdown many schools are switching emphasis to bursary funding from non-means-tested scholarships.

At dd's school scholarships are around £1000 per year but it isn't deducted from fees. It is put into an account and given to the student when they leave the school at the age of 18, or if they leave before that it is given on what would have been their leaving date.

LondonMother - we are in a very rural area so the day options are limited by practicalities - so those I can (and will) research directly. I am interested to know what 'normal' practice is (I was aware that the emphasis recently has been on bursaries), but in terms of real opportunities for DS it would (realistically) be boarding schools. This is one factor in a complicated decision process, but if we decide that none of the few local options are right, then boarding it will be and geography is less of a factor.

Your DS's school's approach, if it were the norm, would really work for us - I think 1/3 fee reduction would make a lot of schools viable (if still painful) for us.

School N of Bury St Edmunds offers 25% off termly fees for several academic, sport, or all-rounder scholarships at 11+ and 13+

1 in Ipswich (there may be more but I haven't researched them) offers 50% off termly fees again for several academic, sport, specialist sport and all-rounder scholarships, again both at 11+ and 13+.

These schools do offer means-tested bursaries as well, but the scholarships themselves go to whoever performs best in the tests on the day. I know some of the children who've earned them and and am certain that it is fair.

RGS Guildford has one academic scholarship worth 50% and a number of others worth lesser amounts, e.g. 20%. these can be combined with other scholarships such as music ones to give quite a significant amount off the fees. But it is a day school. IME if they want your child enough, many schools will sort out your fees accordingly.

My son goes to City of London School and has a 25% academic scholarship - from what I gather, it's about the norm. I think he's one of two in his form class (one of four forms) that have a scholarship and I'm guessing but pretty sure the other boy's is substantially larger.

I'm sure you can talk to them about it; they have been absolutely lovely about everything are very upfront about these sorts of things. They want to get the boys they want (if that makes sense) regardless of their ability to pay.

More and more top schools are giving very small scholarships (5, or 10% absolute max) but the remainder could theoretically be up to 105% of the fees as a means tested bursary as this is based on parental income. In some circs, it's officially known as 105% as things like uniform, music lessons and academic trips are counted in. I even personally know of one case where it was a single parent household, mother working as a cleaner and the school provided a mobile phone for the child, as well as everything else.
As a parent paying independent fees I am thrilled that more scholarships are small but that this means there is MUCH more money available for means tested bursaries and so therefore more children attending who would benefit from that sort of education.
100% and over are incredibly rare as normally parents can afford something, and this is carefully worked out for the means tested bursaries, including property owned, etc.
To answer your question though, 5% scholarships will become increasingly the norm in the future.

2 of my dds have academic (non means tested) scholarships worth 75% and 40%. I think we were very lucky to get 75% as that level was only offered for one year - and I think the top offered in dd3's year was 50%. this is a london day school though so probably no use for you.

Westminster and City of London give 50% scholarships but you'll have to board at Westminster.

Whitgift and Trinity in Croydon offer lots of scholarships and bursaries (and the amount you can earn before losing a bursary is more generous than many schools)

The biggest scholarship I know of is 50% but I also know boys who've got 50% scholarship (made up of academic and sports awards) plus bursary to make up the rest of the fees.

DS is on his second private secondary school - both places at 100% of fees paid, with a combination of scholarships and bursary. This only works if you have a bright dc AND a VERY low income, though.

The school I went to offered two scholarships a year where boarding fees were fully paid for. The school was run by the worshipful company of drapers at the time. It is worth looking at schools run by these groups. In the case of the drapers, since they pulled out of the school I went to those scholarships no longer apply.

I have heard that Haberdashers' has some excellent scholarships available.

Remembered that we just got CLS's latest inspection and it said that over 2/5 are on some sort of fee remission - so might as well try!

Just ask the schools you like, can't hurt.

Thanks, all - it's encouraging that 25% - 50% scholarships appear to still exist, for the moment at least - I was afraid that they had become the stuff of legends.

As I said, it is unlikely we will qualify for means-tested awards, but it certainly looks as though we need to start looking sooner rather than later to get to a position where we can negotiate with the school(s) we like.

Of course it may all be academic (excuse pun) as DS currently shows no enthusiasm at all for the concept of boarding, and I won't force him if he doesn't want to, which would leave us with a choice of 2, maybe 3 schools within 45mins, only 2 of which have bus services which come anywhere near us.

I believe the Kings Scholarships at Eton are worth 100% but I could be wrong. There's about 14 or so a year.

BUT - the children who win them are actually ranked with a scholar number according to how well they did and have to wear that number on their gown. I think they might have to live in a scholar's house too (also the case at Winchester). All sounds a bit weird and pressurised to me.

But I'm only getting my info from ex pupils at the prep school where I work and 13 year olds are probably prone to ecaggeration!

Eton scholarships are 10%
Westminster, Shrewsbury 50%
Dean Close 40%
I think Marlborough is 25%
Winchester is 0%

Probably best to trawl all of the school websites which will be a chore but there isn't really any other way to do it.

SW London, this Sept intake, un-means-tested scholarships of 50% offered by 1 school, 35% by another, 20% upped to 40% by another (when they heard they were in competition with a 50% offer). You can negotiate with them. None of these schools published(accurately) what they'd be offering in advance.

In our area (north west), the best independent school did lots of bursaries, no scholarships. But another offered quite a few academic and sporting scholarships - the former certainly up to 30%. (Another didn't mention scholarships anywhere in its literature so we were suprised when they offered DD 10%)

I don't see what on earth this has to do with the head of his current school TBH. Its up to you to decide which exams your DS takes - certainly no point taking exams if the fees really are impossible. You can generally find out about scholarships from the secondary schools themselves - remember, you are potential customers and they want bright kids to boost their results!

Just one more thing to throw in - as you mention boarding - there are a few grammar schools which take boarders. Basically you pay the cost of board, the education is free. I don't know if they take children from different counties or the details (the one near us is boys only) but it might just be worth you checking into. Obv he'd need to pass 11+ but that's probably a shade easier than gaining a good scholarship.

Grimma - clearly it actually has nothing whatsoever to do with the current head, except that I hope the school will help DS prepare for exams, but I suspect he may try and steer DS towards wanting to go to the ones which look best for the school - Winchester in particular - hence my interest in arming myself with the information we need.

Interesting point about boarding grammar schools as well - I think if he does board, I would want it to be in a majority-boarding school, though.