The Trinity-Whitgift thread of 2013

[hardboiled]

I thought I would start this tradition once again while we all wait? DS only sat Trinity...

Burntoutdad -- never mind your DS, how are WE going to survive not knowing your news until you are back?! Hope you can post from your phone.

asterisk - you can be rest assured that if its good news I will want to share as soon as possible, if bad you wont hear until we are back!

Good evening all. I've really tried to keep away but have failed!
A parent asked me a question ths I couldn't really answe so though I would throw it here!
If parents apply to both T & W but with no bursary at the time or scholarship. DS gets offered a place but circumstances changes. Will both schools still consider a bursary application before September or they won't?
Most Independent schools only allows bursary applications after an offer.
Have been told of an intelligent boy who was not in school because T chucked him out due to parent's change in circumstances.
Also, do you have to keep applying every year for bursary?

sugar - no personal experience but would expect unfortunately it that it depends on how much they want the boy in the first instance. if the school sees an asset they can offer discretionary awards etc. The literature however does state they will consider changes of circumstance and I would hope that throwing someone out would be a last resort.
On the flip side, yes bursaries - or the need for one - need to be assessed each year, as a change of circumstance (in the opposite direction) could mean that a family do not qualify for one anymore and so their share of the pot is diverted to those that do.

I think it unlikely that a boy would be "chucked out' immediately. A friend's child did have to leave one of the schools in the Foundation due to non-payment of fees but this was after a lot of attempts at solving the problem. As I understand it (third hand) bursaries had been over offered and, whilst clearly eligible, there simply wasn't any left and this was not an "exceptional" child.

There is only so much money in the bursary pot and, once allocated, there won't be any left except for exceptional circumstances. Unless, as burntoutdad says, someone is no longer eligible.

OTOH, there is clearly some leeway as I did negotiate a small scholarship for DS2 but this was before accepting the offer.

When the offer letters come, it says whether they are offering a full fees place or what lever of bursary or scholarship they are offering. I guess most who qualify for a bursary will be offered one from both W Foundation schools but will only take up one and some will end up at grammar.

Does anyone know how they offer bursaries, are they a % off the fees like a scholarship or would the letter state the exact amount to be paid?

Thanks guys. That's reassuring.

suz I think (though am not absolutely sure) that for a bursary you are given a 'parental contribution' amount to pay in the letter, whereas a scholarship is a percentage off, iyswim? But I could be wrong!

The Foundation office website gives a table of projected payments for each income level but I'm not sure how accurate it is in reality. At least, according to the table, on my income ds was would qualify for a v substantial bursary but I don't think it's as simple as that! Am preparing to be asked for a much higher payment than is listed on the website... that's if we're offered a place at all of course!

Hi does anyone know if they combine the scolarships and bursarys so that the most you can be offered is a total of 50%?
I read on the T website that 50% is the most they will offer for a scolarship but wondered if this included the bursary amount or not?

As I understand it, scholarships and bursaries are entirely separate with the scholarship percentage being applied to whatever fees you pay, whether these are reduced by a bursary or not. I'm not sure whether this is still subject to the minimum parental contribution.

My understanding is that scholarship offers are maximum of 50%. But it is possible to combine this with a bursary to achieve full fee remission even.

Yes the Foundation scale has always looked very generous but I just wondered whether anyone had actual experience of the system and if it truly reflected offers. Got my post at 9:30 today and said to my friends, who were round for coffee, this time next week.......yikes!

Yes suz, yikes indeed. Just sent DH a message to say, this time next week we'll know. Made my heart skip a beat... What are we like?

Great I'm officially waiting for 2 sets of news one for my contract and one for my ds both dates the same I'm off to the PUB !!!!

All the best with your contract, hope you hear what you want, and of course same re:DS. Hope the pub gave some distraction therapy.

Trashpack - just wanted you to know that W still havent told me that my DS has been rejected. Obviously we know he must be, as offers go out on 14th, but despite emailing them and getting a response back that he wasnt on thier interview list at present, we still havent be told its a no. Not impressed at their handling of this. Their Open Day was so impressive. I actually dont want DS to go there anymore, but I would still like a proper response from them. Poor customer service really niggles me - sorry sounded like someone from Points of View!

Ditto Bedgers, haven't heard a dickie bird here. W clearly stated on the letter that I received in December, that any boys who were unsuccessful would "be informed as soon as possible". But you're right, it looks like they are making us wait until the 15th to finally confirm what we already suspect.

Never mind, I've put it to bed now. I feel very indifferent towards W and like you, don't want ds to go there...which makes me feel a little sad. But another part of me is happy as I know now that W isn't the right school for him.

I was speaking to a friend about it recently and we were discussing the exam fee...then we multiplied the exam fee by 900...yikes!!!!

That is utterly shit of them! I would be offering them some full and frank feedback about that.

Soup -
Trash, bedgers - That is so out of order and I cant think of any reasonable excuse that they could come up with, that would justify making an anxious parent (and Ds) wait for so long. Particulary as they must surely have now finalised the interviews etc. There is no reason why the rejection letters could not have been sent at the same time as the final interview letters.
Not suggesting that you do this, but i would have called addmissions and demanded to know why that if DS is not on the interview list they cannot tell you that he unfortunately did not pass the exam and would not be interviewed.
Actually, thinking aloud now, perhaps the reason they do this is that they could be expecting calls from the parents of 300 + DS'S asking for feedback, scores etc. whilst they are still working through the offer/no offer process.
However, this is still not a valid excuse as they could still send out letters together with a polite request to call after the 15th if you require feedback.

Trash & bedgers, I agree with others that you both should've been contacted, not very pleasant waiting with all that anxiety!!!!! I also agree that feedback regarding this is a good idea.

I wonder if anyone has actually received any rejection letters, one of DS's friends who sat the exam, told him about 2 weeks ago, that he didn't pass, so I wonder if they received a letter.

What did I say that was so shocking?

Trash, Bedgers, what a position to be in still. I am sure that the schools must be aware that our perception of the smoothness and efficacy of the whole application process really does influence our preferences re the schools. Parents do change their minds during this experience. I know that not only was I hoping my DS would do his best in the exams and the interviews, but that I would get some kind of indication that the schools really wanted him too. If it is any consolation it is likely that both your DS's were very close to being short listed for interview. Totally understandable that you would think less highly of the school after your experiences.

Beggars and trash-mirror the others, I quite understand your dissapointment in the school and would also decided that wasn't the school for DS too. They obviously have 1001 letters to send and just maybe yours is lost in post? However, I wouldn't be able to help myself but call them and let them know you are still waiting.

Sorry Bedgers not Beggars. Could of been worse, could of said buggers!!