Boarding school bursary

[chez792007]

Does anyone have experience of applying for a bursary (not scholarship) at Queen Margaret's School (York), Oakham or Harrogate Ladies' College?

Due to my work commitments I'm planning to send my daughter to a boarding school but we'll need financial assistance.

I've read the info on the school websites but wondered if anyone had any recent experience of applying for a bursary. I'm a bit worried that my daughter will feel like a poor relation compared to the other girls. I've also spotted that fees need to be paid by the 1st day of term -does this also apply to children on a bursay?

Any advice would be much appreciated!

I have no experience of bursaries. However, it is normal in nearly all private schools that all fees are paid by the first day of term. There are a few schools that do 10months of direct debit typically you pay in advance 5 months of the year and in arrears 5 months with first payment for a school year being in the August.

Applying for bursaries can be daunting! Fortunately there are many, many Mumsnet threads on this subject. I would strongly suggest you read as many of them as you can - they will answer all your questions in general. You will then be in a position to approach bursars / registrars in person to ask about your specific situation. If a school offers bursaries then other children will also have them. No decent school will allow your child - or you - to feel like poor relations. The award can be confidential and all compulsory activities at school should be included. Assuming you meet the means-tested criteria for a particular school you should also be aware that even though a bursary may not ostensibly be linked to a scholarship most schools would want a recipient to bring something "extra" to the school. Do as much research as you can - the more well informed you are the more likely you are to approach the right schools.

Are there any state boarding schools in the area you'd consider? You pay for the boarding element (I don't know if there's any assistance available) but the education is of course free

From my research of senior schools it appears that if they want your child enough they will do what is needed re bursary to make it happen.

I would talk to the schools you are interested in and see what they say.

I also wouldn't worry about being the poor relation. In any school there are going to be differences in income, albeit in the most expensive schools there are some very wealthy people indeed. I heard a story recently where a boy didn't do very well in his end of year exams so his parents punished him by making him fly home (8 hour flight) in business class rather than first!

Ds has a large scholarship at his current school and there are some very wealthy parents but it doesn't seem to matter to the children at all.

Thanks for all your advice (particularly the person who PM'd me)
I went through school on a bursary so, understood the general principle but schools seem to have really tightened up on their eligibility criteria. Also, that was a day school so, I wasn't sure the financial diversity would be the same at a boarding school....I feel much better now I know there is likely to be a range of children boarding.
I'll try and speak to the Bursars this week.

And do look at state boarding schools, too. They are often attached to very good schools.

At boarding schools, you find quite a lot of children whose place is funded by employers, not the parents themselves. It can mean they fly off overseas to where their parents are based for holidays, but not necessarily to great affluence.

Fees at an independent boarding school will run close to or over 30k per annum whereas a state boarding school will be closer to 10k per annum. Bursaries (or scholarships) of 60% or over are extremely difficult to get so if boarding is important to you then you really should explore state boarding to see if it is another option.

Remember tho' - state boarding schools are over-subscribed and you have to make a good case for boarding 'need' to get a place. Also many have only a tiny number of full boarders and they can feel very empty at weekends. In some the majority are day pupils and the school virtually empties at 4 o'clock. Not all, but you need to check this.
Of the schools you mention, I know a child who got an excellent 6th form bursary at Oakham, had a great time and did well there. This was in Joe Spence's day, don't know what the new head is like

"I'm a bit worried that my daughter will feel like a poor relation compared to the other girls."
My DS's have spent nine years on substantial bursaries to top boarding schools and this: "At boarding schools, you find quite a lot of children whose place is funded by employers most parents are paying for the education" is not my experience. My DS's current school has a very generous bursary policy and over 15% are receiving some sort of bursary but the bottom line is that the vast majority of the other 85% are paying £33 000 + a year for each child out of their own money and thats a lot of money. Lets face it people who can afford that kind of money are not likely to be living in a three bedroomed semi in Penge and buying their furniture from Argos. Also even if your employer was paying that kind of money in fees you're not likely to be on £30 000 PA you are likely to be a highly paid employee. On only one occasion have my DS's school friends not lived in what most would consider a a very large house (usually a second/third/fourth/fifth home) and usually "pile". But not on any occasion have we and in particular my DS ever felt like "poor relations". I suspect a lot of it is to do with your attitude of mind I personally don't give a stuff what others think about me and certainly from observing the lifestyle/lives of those with lots of money I would not want to swap my life for theirs nor do see that all that money buys you happiness.

Hi Chez,

Dusty Law makes a really good point, I think: depending on how large a bursary you were hoping to get, you might want to consider paying for state boarding fees, as this will work out the same/cheaper and you would not have to worry about doing the bursary application or your daughter having to get a scholarship.

Another benefit of this is that your daughter would be boarding at a school with a very mixed intake of pupils in terms of financial background, so you would not need to worry about being 'poor relations'. (That said, my own DD receives a significant bursary to her prep school and has never been made to feel bad about it - she is only in Yr 6, though; I'm not sure how it will be when she's a teenager ...)

From the schools you have listed in your opening post, I assume you live in the north of England, but I would suggest you also check out Christ's Hospital www.christs-hospital.org.uk/ and Cranbrook School www.cranbrookschool.co.uk/, which are both excellent schools

HTH!

My daughter is on a bursary now but I've really had to sacrifice to get her through prep. I'd prefer her to stay at a private school otherwise it all feels like a bit of a waste of time.
We do live in an excellent catchment a so, attending the local high school (plus massive childcare costs) is my plan B.....
When I said about feeling like a poor relation, I meant my daughter, not me.I don't much worry about what others think......but she'd really feel it if, for example, all her friends headed off on a trip we couldn't afford. I've been assured though, both by helpful Mumsnetters and the schools, that it's accepted not all children go on the trips.....I feel much better now!