Private School

[1Brummiemummy]

Can anyone help please? I need to write a letter to "Declare an interest in writing" for a assisted place in a private school. I've filled out the application and have a cheque ready to be enclosed but I need to write a brief letter. How do i write it without sounding abrupt? I'm the world's worse at writing letters and always over think things. Please someone respond, I've been putting it off for ages and it really needs to be done asap. TIA :-)

I would write something along the following lines.....

Dear Sirs,

Please find enclosed application form for year x entry for my son/ daughter x for September 2019 together with a cheque in the sum of £x as requested.

Due to our financial circumstances, please could we be considered for financial assistance? I presume that there is a form that I will need to complete and would therefore be grateful if you would advise me of the process.

Thank you for your assistance.

Yours faithfully

X

I don't think you need to write lots it won't go to the bursar until you have filled out the form.

Unless you have already done the form in which case you just need a paragraph about why you want the school and why you would not otherwise be able to afford it.

Can you be a little more specific - without outing yourself or child?

When you say assisted place do you mean a bursary. (I haven’t heard the former term in decades!) And have you therefore already given all your financial details? Or is this a more preliminary stage?

And is the cheque for registration?

Wow thanks guys. What a fab site this is! I'm just in the application process where the cheque is a registration fee. I can't afford to pay the fees so was looking at getting a funded placement for my daughter where all the costs are covered :-)

Thank you for the template letter ballseditupforever that's most helpful!

She will then take an exam and all finances etc will then be looked at in detail. Writing letters has never been one of my strong points :-/

You want a 100% bursary? Those are rare. What is your household income? Can you afford some of the fees? What's your backup if they say no?

Have the school stated how they offer funded placements. I'm confused why you are considering this as an option if you cannot afford the fees. Very few fee paying schools offer completely 100% assistance and this would often be conditional on your DC being exceptionally talented.

Most schools have a bursary pack which they send out. Ask for one. Or it might be on the web site. Fill out the request form.

You need to understand the rules before you apply.

Some schools give a 100% bursary particularly if the hold is very bright as they can layer the scholarship and bursary. Also most schools have one headmasters award per year which is full fees and not fiscally based, they are just not very vocal about it.

Have the school confirmed that they offer up to 100 per cent? We pay part fees, part scholarship and then a small bursary on top but the school were clear with us at the outset about what the max bursary was likely to be. I know it can be a bit embarrassing having to talk financial matters but honestly the school will be used to it.

Oh - stop with your misery, some of you! 100% bursaries are part of the fabric of the most forward thinking (and wealthy) schools. There’s no need to be so .

And - news flash - they are designed for people who cannot afford the fees !

Personally I found the example letter above somewhat too handwringing. “please could we be considered ...” sounds like begging. Schools want pupils who will bring something to school life and do the place credit when they leave.

@QuaterMiss totally agree re fees. Sorry you thought the letter was handwringing. Not meant to be like that. I wrote very formal letters for a living at that's just my style. The letter won't be what gets the financial assistance anyhow!

Ffs autocorrect write

Just be aware that even with a large bursary (we have 95%) there are often extras. Lunches are not included but are compulsory, trips, uniform. Not to mention the deposit.

If you call the bursar they should be able to tell you what the requirements are.

Is your DC very very bright? 100% does happen but the child has to be pretty exceptional.

Is your DC very very bright? 100% does happen but the child has to be pretty exceptional.

Hmmm ....

At some schools there will always be several children on 100% bursaries. As said above, they’re lightly to be perceived as bringing something extra to the school community - but they won’t necessarily be academic outliers. It depends on the school ...

My daughter is & always has been a bright girl so I'm just trying to do right by her. She constantly wants to try hard & achieve in life so I want to maximise her potential. She's even said she doesn't want to go to the same school as her friends because they "mess about"
Here is a statement off the schools website:
In addition to Scholarships, the school also has Assisted Places in the Senior School which enable us to provide financial support to children who have performed well in the examination but whose parents cannot afford full fees. These awards are on a sliding scale and can provide full fee remission.

They are awarded on the basis of a means test. Parents are asked to declare an interest in writing by the appropriate closing date for registrations.

DD has an AP at Birmingham private school near university (which she is loving). Most of her fees are paid for us. We had to fill in form , pass exam and do interview. Good luck to your DD. It is possible!

My son's school has a minimum of 15% assisted places and some of those are full funded. They are a super selective and therefore will assist those that could not otherwise afford to be there on a similar basis to that described by the OP.

The letter really only need be:

Please find enclosed application on behalf of my daughter (name).
Please note we would require an assisted place were she to be successful in her application and would therefore be grateful if you could kindly provide us with the necessary application/information for us to apply for such assistance.

Oh, good to hear it's possible We're in Birmingham too. There's two Independent schools we have shown interest in. One is Birmingham near the University & the other is Solihull (closer to us). My daughter has just sat the grammar test too & we have local state schools too as back up.

Thank you ShalomJackie. Everyone's help is much appreciated

I agree that from that wording your letter only needs to indicate that you would like to be assessed for an assisted place.

Good luck to your daughter, hope that the right school comes through for her.

Our experience of bursary means testing has on the whole been very positive. Different schools have different pots and may prioritise how they spread them differently, but they do tend to acknowledge what you can realistically afford as a family.

Good luck to your daughter.