scholarships to private schools specifically aimed at state-educated pupils

[kitnkaboodle]

As the mother of a highly academic, currently Y6 son, these MN education forums have turned my head!
He's been state-educated all along and is going to local good state secondary from September. We looked at scholarships to a couple of local private schools but still wouldn't have afforded the fees even if he'd got a scholarship. We did talk to the bursars too - no joy as we have too many assets, though both DP and I on lowish incomes.
I've just learned that Eton offer (rare!) specific scholarships to state-educated kids. Are there other scholarships for state pupils like this that I wouldn't know about, never having been in the private sector at all? Anywhere that I could consult to get a complete picture? I presume that such scholarship exams would be geared to the state curriculum, or would they expect the child to have a wider knowledge of, say, languages or suchlike??
Obviously looking at 13+ entry now.
Hope you can help

No idea about scholarships but if your son is currently in Year 6 then you've already missed the boat for 13+ entry to most private schools. Registration deadlines for most of them are in the autumn of Year 6, some earlier than that. Not sure about Eton but I think I read somewhere that the boy has to be registered before the age of 10 years and 6 months, so unless his birthday is at the very end of August I think you're too late.

Most private secondaries around here (London) pre-test and interview children during Year 6. DS is at a prep school and most of his year group have their offers by now (with the exception of those of us waiting for Westminster, St Pauls and a handful of boarding schools - don't know anyone who applied to Eton though so not sure how they do it).

This is probably a bit far ahead for you, but I'm posting it in case anyone comes across this thread who can benefit from it.

The Ogden Trust offer scholarships for state school pupils to do their A levels in private schools if they are interested in a career in physics.

The Eton New Foundation scholarships (for state school boys) have a totally separate procedure and timelines to their main admissions, and you need to get in touch with their access adviser if you want to look into this. They only make a couple of these awards a year, and the academic standard is very high. But if you have a clever boy, there's no reason not to give it at try.

If you want London area boarding, Harrow pretests in year 7 and has various types of awards (including some with quirky conditions) so perhaps worth looking into, even though it's not a specific scheme for joiners from the state sector. Dulwich College might be worth a look too. They are both day and boarding (though boarding community small before 6th form), have quite generous awards, and have their own entrance exams which aren't that closely aligned to the CE syllabus.

But it's important to get the school in which your DS is likely to flourish, and which works for you logistically. Which parts of the country are you interested in? Boarding/day? Single sex/coed? Any particular things your DS that your DS is interested in?

Ardingly have a scheme supporting children from local state primary schools. Not sure how much further afield it goes.

wantanotherholiday - I don't feel that we have missed the boat as I don't think that he'd be entering under the normal admissions route. Aren't scholarship admissions dealt with a bit differently? esp ones for state pupils (and yes, it's only the Eton one that I've heard of so far!!)

Anothernewt - anywhere in the south as boarding OK from age 13, I'm sure. He is a good all rounder - sport, music, academic with special ability in Maths (his primary say they've never had a pupil as gifted in Maths). He would defo want somewhere with good sports. Boys' or co-ed equally fine.

Bradfield offer scholarship/bursary to state sector children.
Harrow offer the Beckwith scholarship to children in the state sector they pay for a (?boarding) prep for yr 7 and 8 then a scholarship into Harrow. There was a programme about it I think it's on you tube. You might have missed the boat on that one or be about too.
What about Christ's? I suspect you're too late for yr 7 entry but they also have a yr 9 entry.
Colet Court also take state educated children from yr 7 then a bursary into SPS again you might have missed the boat I'm afraid.
If you DS is bright and going onto a good state school could you not tutor him at home to bring him up to the required standard for a scholarship into a good school for these don't you don't register till yr 8.

Bit of a long shot but I think if you have ecclesiastical connections Marlborough I believe offer generous bursaries and will accept state educated children.

Here "children of the clergy" I thought so.

Radley offer financial help to children in the "maintained sector" again you need to check deadlines etc.

Abingdon have boarders and claim to have generous bursaries. Lots come form the state sector at yr 7.

I know someone whose just got a big bursary out of Oundle admittedly at a prep but what have you got to loose by asking?

Rugby imply that they have bursary awards to children not being prepared for CE to me that indicates those in the state sector.

Having just reread your original post I thought I'd just add that if you've been refused a bursary before because you have "too many assets" I doubt you're going to be successful again, nearly all scholarships like the Beckwith are means tested I doubt any school will hand you a cheque for all of the fees without enquiring about your assets, and taking them into consideration. Although having said this boarding is obviously significantly more expensive than day so you may get some financial help but perhaps not as much as you need.

You could look at Christs Hospital where I believe the fees you pay relate to your income/assets.

OP if you do indeed have "too many assets" is there any reason why you might not free some of them up to cover fees?

You'll know already that most financial help has shifted from scholarships to bursaries - I doubt that many schools would hand over a significant bursary without means testing - mostly they simply use the scholarship exam to narrow the field of bursary applicants. (Writing slowly I realise this will already have been said ...)

As regards boarding - it's fabulous for children who enjoy it. But don't underestimate how big a change it can be. What does your DS say about this possibility?

As a few others have pointed out: if you have significant assets then you will be expected to free them up to pay for school fees.
Most scholarships are tokenistic in monetary value as schools prefer to offer bursaries to families that have very able children but can't afford full fees. Having an able child but lots of assets might mean you don't qualify for any means tested assistance. I have never heard of coming from state school being the only criteria to give a reduction in fees.
Th policy of only offering assistance to families who can't afford the full fees and don't have assets to free up is IMO a very fair policy. I wouldn't want to see schools offering bursaries aimed at low income families to families who have lots of savings, several houses, or a couple of brand new range rovers. Of course everybody is entitled to drive a reasonable car and own a house with a mortgage (which they occupy) and be entitled to assistance if their income is low enough.

Friends of ours were self employed, they owned a second home which was their future pension. Their actual income wasn't that great but when they applied for a bursary they were told that they had to decide which they want more a pension or independent education. This is fair IMO many on substantial bursaries have no assets and no decent pension.

I suppose the thinking is that many people who are paying full fees have sacrificed their assets to afford the fees and so the bursar (rightly) expect others to do the same before being eligible for a means tested bursary.
It would be pretty shit if they were giving bursaries to people with half a million pounds worth of assets which they don't want to release capital from or sell whilst they are turning down others for bursaries who have very small incomes and no assets. Most schools wouldn't expect somebody to release capital from the homes that they live in unless they can obviously downsize or have such a small mortgage that they could remortgage without financial difficulty.

Happy gardening - your last post more or less summarises our situation! We have a modest 3-bed house without mortgage plus 50K in the bank from recent sale of second, inherited property (which also, you'll be able to surmise, paid off our mortgage). My income is about the national average, d's is lower. (Am I over sharing! !!). Anyway, we applied for scholarship / bursary to local indie school who offer up to 100% bursary. Upon means testing we were told that they could only offer us 50% bursary. Our lump sum is for our own retirement, as we've v little pension provision. Bursar told us that we had a choice what to do with the money and COULD therefore choose to spend it on fees. I understand this and am not bemoaning it in particular - just putting y ' all in the picture

Not quite in the picture ... forgot to add that even paying 50% of the fees would be a challenge based on our income. More pertinent is that we have an older son aged 13 also a high flyer - at good comp. We wouldn't feel good spending loads on ds2 and cutting back on family expenditure when we have spent nothing on ds1. We think that might be storing up bad feeling for the future. That's a whole other thread I guess

Rugby offers Arnold Foundation scholarships to pupils who would benefit from a boarding education from state school backgrounds. I think these are 100% of the fees and in some cases a school trip abroad is also included so the student doesnt feel excluded from activities the other students are enjoying. Some go at 13 and some after Gcse's.

If you are looking for 13+ entry then you have just missed the pretest for most independent schools for Common Entrance intake. However as your son is at a state school his main point of entry would be 11+ and unfortunately you have missed that too. Generally that would be for a prep school for two years where he would probably learn Latin and or French etc to catch up with the other students. They also prepare him to then sit entry again for senior school. There are a couple of independent schools that offer scholarship/ bursary at year 8 but you would probably have to apply quite soon. Scholarships are generally offered for the kudos as the monetary value is usually very little. If you are asset rich then I doubt that you would have any luck with the bursars. Bursars are over run with bursary applications and generally have very strict guidelines to follow. The Head generally has the last say in agreeing if a student deserves a bursary. If your son is exceptional and I mean truely exceptional then a school may very well want him, but you will still have to pay if your assets and salaries amount to too much.

OP it strikes me from reading your comments that before you go much further you need to talk to the admissions dept/bursars of the various schools your interested in and see what their responses are.
I have listed quite a few who seem keen to take children from the "maintained sector" and that's just me quickly looking at websites and going in what I've heard said over the years there's probably more. Try as many as you can find. If I was you Id get on the phone to some ASAP before you miss key deadlines esp. for the Beckwith scholarship because that's starts from yr7.
The other thing is that competition for these very funded places is going to be fierce, children will be very well prepped by very ambitious parents (try and find the video about the Beckwith Scholarship you'll get a feel for what's expected), I suspect that most are looking for truly outstanding all rounders, you say your DS is good at math what about his English? I'm not trying to put you off but you do need to be aware of the requirements.
Good luck.

Im not sure £50k in the bank, a small mortgage on a modest three bed house and on a low income exactly makes you "asset rich" in the grand scheme of the thing). With boarding fees coming in at £35k, the £50k won't last long and people can only raise their mortgages to free up capital if they have sufficient income to do this.
Our friends had a £500k (no mortgage) 2nd home with rental income and they were probably earning more than the OP I can see why they were thought to be asset rich.

Radley's award is called the Foundation Award. They have one for 11+ entry, and another for 13+.