Bursaries for private schools-any real chance???

[vvhopeful]

We have applied for a bursary for dd1 (we need 100%) for an independant secondary school.

The 2 state schools we have applied for are very very big and crowded and dd has health issues which reduce her mobility, cause pain issues, tiredness and other symptoms made worse by over-exertion etc. At a large school she will struggle, be tired etc and not reach her full potential.The much smaller independant school would be perfect and offer just the right balance for her, a small site so not too much walking etc which will enable her to pace herself better and avoid flare ups of her conditions.
It is also nearer to where we live and as i do not drive it will mean I can get to her quickly if she is unwell (and she wont have to travel far to get there every day as she is especially tired in mornings).

dd is a very clever girl, on the gifted and talented list and doing really well.Somebody mentioned to me though that she 'doesn't have a chance' as she is not being tutored-we really cannot afford a tutor, dd has just been doing the bond workbooks but now I am worried this will not be enough.I dont want to get dds hopes up for the private school if she really has no chance.

Have I done the wrong thing even considering this for her? I was just so worried about the prospect of her struggling physically at a large school and then being too tired/unwell to keep up with her work whereas at the smaller school she could really do so well which I feel is even more important given that her life is not going to be easy and having a good education could make all the difference.

Are many 100% bursaries given? Does she have any chance?

OP I will keep my fingers crossed for you how long before you hear?

exams mid jan, interview between now and jan (waiting for letter) and the offers are sent out in March.

Seems like a long time to wait but gives dd plenty of time to do her workbooks/practice papers

OP, have you tried this website www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/11plus/index.php
It sometimes comes in for a bit of stick on Mumsnet! But I found it so helpful when preparing my DS for his 11+ without a tutor. They have a section on Independent schools and you may well find someone who knows about the school you're applying for and can give you some tips on the best practice materials. Good luck!

thanks moajab will have a look

I would have added a covering letter detailing my DC's illness what she can and cant do why the school is so suitable for her, also is it likely to worsen obviously a big worry for schools if they thought they would need to put in ramps etc and clearly stating if she can participate in all activities obviously sport but school trips etc as well. IME experience schools are either completely blaze about illness/medication etc or go completely over the top. Perhaps you could drop them a line now, especially as the head might mention your daughter is ill but as she may not remember or have the full details it is probably better if give them as honest picture without scarring them.

Have you and your daughter looked at other options? When we failed to get a bursary for one of my DC's I wished we'd had a back up plan already in situ because although we had a year to find an alternative when we found out we hadn't got it was a bit unsettling. Would you consider boarding often bursaries are more available at boarding schools.

We did a covering letter explaining why we couldn't offer to pay much towards it, family health issues ect. I think it helped

I work in an independent school and am always gob smacked surprised by the number of parents who fail to mention prior to admission that their child has a serious long term illness/metal health problems/teacher phobia etc. They seem to think the school wont accept their DC if they know. Many independent schools will accept even the most complex illnesses, there are a number of children with quite complex physical and mental health problems in independent school, and if they don't its usually because they feel that they or the child genuinely wont cope.

Sorry OP not having a go at you just a bit of a rant!!

All i sent in with application was the dla award letters (we have 4 dcs all with same condition) so they are aware ahe has health problems and that as a family we have difficult circumstances. I spoke to the headteacher about dd in detail but like you said she probably wouldnt remember all of it as she is so busy so I might write in, dds physio and consultant offered to write supportive letters too so I will gather everything together.

The school already has ramps etc and is so small that even if dd gets worse (a possibility as she has been in a w chair in the past when v bad) they have everything in place already which is one of the reasons I was so eager to apply for the school.

I worry though about putting too much emphasis on her ilnesses though- she is a really clever girl and I want them to see that too as I know that first and foremost they want the cleverest girls. I find it hard to get the point across that although she is poorly she could do so so well in the right environment.

DDs school has a child in wheelchair, atleast 3 children with autism (one is dd1) and has a special base for children with LD. It's a private school, and we were honest with dd1 difficulties but also her strengths.
Hope you get what you want x

I think a big issue for me is recently ive had a few from couple other parents (notably the one who said dd not having a chance without tutoring) dd currently goes to a state junior but in quite a well off area (we dont live nearby but travel there due to getting the place originally due to her needs).

all dd friends going for full fee paying places at various schools and having lots of tutoring and couple of the other mums are a bit funny since I mentioned when asked where we had applied for

OP I've PMd you.

Can I be a bit contrarian. I would try to play down your daughter's illness and up her academic strengths. There are many other academic children that your daughter will be competing with and Independent schools can be choosey. Why would they want a child who may have additional problems that are out of their control versus a child with the same ability that does not. By highlighting her illness, while understanding and wanting to help, they might also perceive it as something that could cost them more resources in the future. I have a child who is bright but with some learning challenges and I have not given the full story to the independent schools he applied to, this was on the advice of another prep Independent head. It sounds terrible and discrimatory but it is a reality. Play up her strengths not her weaknesses. They will not feel sorry for her and admit her, they will need to want what she can offer.

Maj but then surely they will then realise, and may then decide they can't support him and ask him to leave! That's a huge risk.

Maj but then surely they will then realise, and may then decide they can't support him and ask him to leave! That's a huge risk
Absolutely!!

Yes but they are not so severe that they would ask to leave, but if academically he was on par with another the might choose the other child as it is more of a sure thing. Also we are not asking for them to pay, we are self funding. Btdt it is fine.

It IS possible to get 100% bursary/scholarship.

My DD went to a state primary and got 100% funded places at two different independent schools - mix of scholarship and bursary.

No tutoring just did the Bond books and some timed papers at home.

Go for it, we thought there was almost no chance and then couldn't believe she did so well we ended up having a choice of schools.

GO FOR IT!! I too have a "gifted" and "genius" child (not my label of dd i call her brainy). Her primary school pushed me to apply for a bursary (100%) to a private school. We didn't even get to the open day. I phoned school secretary to arrange it and asked about bursaries. She asked me what school dd was currently at at the time and i told her. She quickly said "oh, bursaries are given to children currently at a fee paying school who may need assistance". I mentioned that the school website says different. She insisted that she was right and so i mentioned that head has a letter he wrote, her sats were level 5A since year 4 and what happens if she took the exam and got 100%. Apparently she still would not be able to get a bursary as children who are already at fee paying schools would be first even though they may only get , say, 50% in the exams. A silly rule if you ask me. So i said that bright children are getting left behind as usual with rules like this. Woman said dd could take the tests to see how she gets on. I declined - what was the point? I thought a means tested bursary would accept a child from a low income family who did well in the exams than a child from a better off family who didn't do so well?? Don't let my experience put you off but ask about this if you can.

ibizagirl Although I accept that this can happen we have been on bursaries at various schools for over 8 years and know others who also receive one and Ive never heard this said by any school. The only thing Ive read is that bursaries are only given to children already at the school who need assistance with fees because the burary pot is so small and it cant be extneded to new children.

My local very very selective private boys school has accepted boys before with life limiting illnesses and other health issues, and one at least I think with a bursary; other boys have got full bursaries with no tutoring. The school even helped find extra funds for one boy (from charities) to enable him to attend.
On the other hand the girls schools here are much less generous.

"...state that bursaries are available to all whose financial circumstances meet the criteria"

Just a word of caution on this: no school in UK guarantees this (full needs blind admission), though several are working towards it. Basically, none are yet rich enough to do this (Mancester Grammar, according to Sutton Trust is particularly good, followed by several big names). So although you may be low income, and your DC wins a place, it is still possible to be refused a bursary or offered one less than the published ceiling.

And it's usual that children already in the school whose families suffer a financial reversal are first priority for new bursaries, which does indeed mean there may be very little or none left over for new joiners.

As an aside, Christ's Hospital offers need-blind burseries.

Re a tutor, I think they do 2 things:

1. give them test practice, particularly under timed conditions. There is no reason why you could not do this yourself with bond papers etc. The 11 plus fourm that someone else mentioned is a good place to look. Although it is mainly focussed on grammar schools, there is a section on independent schools and in any event there is a lot of overlap between the 11 plus for grammars and private school entrance exams. You should be able to get info on which practice papers are most similar to the papers your daughter will need to take for that school.

1. cover any gaps in knowledge, particularly bearing in mind that children at a state school may not have covered the whole KS2 syllabus by the time they sit the exams in Jan. Your school should be able to give you a feel on whether the extension work your DD does means she will have covered the whole syllabus in time. otherwise, again you could potentially help with this yourself.

Overall, I think there is no reason why a parent (if they have time) could not do most of what a tutor could do. Lots of parents on the 11 plus forum have self tutored (although be warned that some of them are quite extreme - do not let that scare you)

derekthehamster I did check their website for the OP I think sadly she's missed the deadline for bursaries and she may not be keen on full boarding if her daughter is unwell.

We would not be considering boarding, dd has daily physio and a lot of appts/input from local hosp/services and this seems to be helping manage her symptoms so we couldnt consider boarding. Thankyou for looking into it though.

I think I really just have to try and be positive and hope she does get a place but if she doesnt we will have to make the best of the situation with whatever state school she gets a place at.I think she will struggle physically at any other school and at some point I might have to look into home education (a shame as dd is so confident and social) but it may be a good option given her limitations in order forher to get an education.

Have you spoken to the State schools? Some will do a lot to help a student with specific needs. I have known timetables be modified and rooms reallocated for example.