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?

derekthehamster if you know the Christs Hospital you might want to advise them to update their website, because at the moment they are making it clear they do not offer needs blind admission: "Each case is assessed on its own merits and bursary awards are made accordingly, subject to the School?s ability to fund these within the context of the overall budget.".

OP I'm a bursar. If the school is a charity, their annual accounts for the last 5 years will be on the Charity Commission's website. In the accounts / notes / Directors' Report you should find some information about bursaries, whether they have a restricted reserve fund for bursaries, how many and so on. PM me if you want any help, I'd be happy to look for you.

what are your DD's current NC levels?

private schools don't take these into account but it will give you a good steer on how likely she is to do well in the exams as in my experience they do provide an indicator -there are exceptions of course

personally I think if a child needs tutoring to get into a school, then the arents should consider if that school is actually the right one for their DCs as going from being the top of the pile in primary to being in the bottom half at secondary can seriously damage a child's confidence

level 5 and she did a reading test that put her reading age at 13years (and 2 months i think cant rem exactly!) she will be 11 in a couple of weeks so is doing well.

She is on gifted and talented for literacy and is very good at art.

BUT she has had no tutoring and I worry that this is what might mean she doesnt do as well in tests-I have seen on some threads people even do tutoring for the interview???

scarevola Ha Ha Ha, I'd never noticed that before, sneaky!

However, they also say "Pupils? fees are assessed according to family circumstances so that it is a child?s ability and potential to benefit from a Christ?s Hospital education that determines their selection." Which is my experience.

OP, I fully agree that your daughter's situation does not make her suitable for boarding, but take heart, that on another part of Christ's Hospital's website it says "We do not suggest that children are tutored additionally for these exams. Your child is not likely to flourish at school if they always have to struggle to keep up and, in any case, over-coaching is quickly apparent to our experienced staff." Fingers crossed that it's the same for the school you've chosen.

As long as you keep you're daughter in the loop, and she knows that her chance of going to the school hinges on the amount of bursery you are awarded. I would say go for it! You really have nothing to loose and everything to gain

Just be aware that schools choose how to allocate their bursary funds.

You may be financially assessed to be eligible for a 100% bursary or a very generous one but there will be lots of other people also applying.

They may have a number of people on low incomes all eligible for a large %.

So...........

Schools look for ways to allocate their money and may be more likely to award more to those scoring very highly in the entrance exam and/or excelling in other areas such as art, music, drama, sport or being a great all rounder.

We got 100% for DD and am working but on low income while child I know with both parents on benefits got offered 30%.

You said your child is good at art, get a portfolio together of her work which she can take to interview and maybe apply for an art scholarship which could supplement a bursary if you don't get full amount. Look at other independents too, big names can be generous.