Can anyone suggest an independent school that...

[didofido]

...(1) is less hung up on team sports than the average - I accept there will be some compulsory; and
(2) is generous with bursaries.

Thanks

where? day? boarding? mixed? single sex? how selective? how old is your DC?

Boarding, boys or co-ed, we live in the Midlands, so most areas possible. DC reasonably bright, top sets. Any ideas?

A caveat about bursaries - if a school is 'generous', then they may be desperate for pupils and actually in financial difficulties.

Some top public schools have large endowments, but most schools just operate, year in-year out, on current fee income.

For a healthy school in this category, bursaries really shouldn't exceed 5 - 10% of total fee income, with senior school fees in the region of £3500 - 4500.

Try the Dragon School in Oxford? I always understood it's not sports-obsessed (could be wrong, just my impression) and that it has unusually good bursaries.

Winchester offer generous bursaries. My DS is in year 9 football was compulsory for the first half of term then he could opt out they do have to participate in regular sporting activities but there are lots of choice for the non team players. They interview boys in yr 6 for yr 8 entry and it is academically very selective it also has a reputation for taking the more quirky. They only have full boarders.

First XV are well endowed and not typical of the sector.

Every time a bursary is given out, parents who pay full fees, including the vast majority who struggle to do this are asked to take on a further burden.

Someone looking for a substantial bursary should ask themselves why they deserve it.

King Edward School, in Edgbaston, by Birmingham Uni.

This year the head has managed to increase number of bursary places greatly. 25% of the intake this year, and next year, will have a bursary - some full, some partial, depends on your household income.

My youngest DS is a pupil there, on a full bursary, I cannot praise the school highly enough. Has lots of sports - all private schools do - but my not sporty son doesn't seem to have missed out at all: he does some sports (volleyball and athletics and swimming, just not in teams), martial arts, school choir, chess, book club, debating society, history society, maths society.

The KES website gives some details of the bursary scheme, and if you phone you will be given plenty more information; I found the school to be very helpful when I applied on behalf of ds a few years ago.

There is an entrance exam, held in Jan, I think; also think final date for submission has already passed for this years exam though. How old is your ds?

"Every time a bursary is given out, parents who pay full fees, including the vast majority who struggle to do this are asked to take on a further burden.

Someone looking for a substantial bursary should ask themselves why they deserve it."

Or, every time a bursary is given out it validates the school's VAT position as a charity, saving parents money every time. And some schools offer bursaries supported by endowments laid down by grateful alumni to help ensure that children from less fortunate backgrounds can have a chance. Are you saying the beneficiaries don't deserve that?

Once money is given to a charity for a particular use it cannot be diverted.

Bootham in York sport is a very minor role in school life, more music and arts orientated. Don't know about bursaries but I know they are avaliable but may only be for students from quaker backgrounds.

You can look at Christ's Hospital in Horsham if you are happy to consider boarding, it is highly competitive for places though.

Nearly all students pay fees on a means tested basis, they also assess pupils on "boardability" - ie whether they will thrive or not boarding to try and wean out dc that will not be happy there before they are even offered a place.

As I have pointed out, most schools do not have endowments. Their cash flow is based on current fees.

The Charities Commission have said that 5% fee remission is acceptable. You can't get many substantial bursaries out of that, and very penny above that hurts full fee- paying families.

Most independent schools would love to give up their charitible status, but legally they are not able to do so.

CH runs on endowments and is having to reasses how it will operate in 10 - 20 years times due to the current low interest rates and the bare minimum standards it must provide to satisfy ofsted boarding requirements

If you can comfortably afford £31000 + PA another couple of thousand is unlikely to break you but for every 15 parents who do this they are funding a deserving child who can't. Schools like Win Coll St Paul's and Eton are genuinely committed to opening up their marvellous education to those with less money. This was after all what they were originally founded for.

Think you need to be more specific of your requirements in terms of area, cost, day/boarding etc. ds' school is ostensibly sporty but those not into team sports(rugby & hockey) can opt out and do other pe/fitness from Year 9. ds is dyspraxic and has found the attitude so far accommodating and refreshingly different to his prep.

Christs has traditionally offered bursaries too most of its children but I too understand that sadly they are slightly moving away from this position.
OP as I'm sure you are aware if your DS is able to win a scholarship then he is more likely to get a bursary this would give you more choices. Most boys who get into Winchester could have got a scholarship into a less academic school.

What age?

The Dragon is a prep school. Is that what you seek, or are you looking for secondary?

amerryscot "Someone looking for a substantial bursary should ask themselves why they deserve it."

How would you define 'deserve' in this case? Do full-fee-paying parents ask themselves whether they 'deserve' their vast salaries or their inherited wealth?

Schools give bursaries to fulfill their charitable status (which benefits all parents) and to attract bright kids who will improve their exam results.

HG - Thanks. I had thought about Win Coll and am glad to have it confirmed

Others - Good ideas. Thank you - keep them coming

Oh yes, age - 13+, tho' not for a few years yet

King Edwards in Birmingham would be ideal for you. It aims to have 30% of children on bursaries in the future and has a very strong fundraising department to enable them to do this. Their full fees are amongst the lowest secondary fees in the country at around £10k and it is far from struggling. It is incorrect to say that schools should have no more than 5-10% of children on bursaries. There are many leading highly oversubcribed independent schools which have very strong philanthropic leanings with targets of 20-30% of pupils on bursaries.

Loughborough Grammar School

but no idea about bursaries

Benandholly - King Edwards would be great, but we just too far for a day school in Brum, sadly

plusonemore - will look at Loughborough, thanks

The Charities Act recommends 5%. Generous bursaries obviously exceed this amount. Enhancing exam results falls into scholarship territory, not bursary.

amerryscot: Please could you link the relevant part of the Charities Act?

I was not aware it had anything as specific as the minutiae of %ages for one activity of a minority of charities. Especially as the latest litigation seems to have shown that the provision of bursaries is of itself neither necessary nor sufficient.

amerryscot -"Enhancing exam results falls into scholarship territory, not bursary."

At many schools scholarships don't carry any financial award, just honour.
Would still like to know why the children of parents who can pay 'deserve' a good education more than the children of poorer parents who can't but are willing to go to exhaustive lengths and much tedious form-filling to obtain the same thing. Many of the older schools were set up to educate the poor, and the better ones are trying to get back to that ideal

Is it that the Charity Commission will not consider anything smaller than a 5% bursary as eligible for charitable definition?
I can't imagine why they would 'recommend' something so paltry! (paltry in the context of enabling many low income families to afford the fees).