Scholarship for secondary independent schools

[ilovethislife]

Hi I hope all safe and well. My DS is currently in his end of yr5 in a prep school. Would like him to try for academic scholarships in private secondary schools. We did have a look at few schools online and made some notes. Would consider in and around London. Ideally would like to know about schools who offer 50% & over. Anybody here have experienced or have any information about these schools ? Much appreciated
Waiting to hear from you all
Thank you

Very few offer that amount.

I can think of some which still offer 25-30%, but many are now 10% or purely titular

What sort of school do you think wouid suit your DS. Has the prep started to offer advice on which to aim for?

And roughly which parts of London would you be interested in? Too long/awkward a journey isn't a good idea

Guessing from the fact he's at a prep that a bursary is not an option?

What does your prep advise? Do they prepare for KS at Eton or election at Winchester, for example?

Where in London is best?

It’s a bursary not a scholarship that you need for that amount off.

Limited experience (DD has a 25% scholarship- she's a border but that's day fees), classed as a major scholarship and the highest available at her school. Bursaries would attract a further discount but are based on ability to pay.

Ask the prep school.

Very few if any top schools offer scholarships above 10%. Some of the lesser schools offer up to 30%. Generally it is bursaries for the very bright who could no afford the fees that offer more. But it might be tricky if you have been able to finance her through private until now. Still, if you have had a decrease in finances and your child is VERY bright, they may qualify. May as well try!

Interestingly I have found more girls schools offering higher discounts than boys. No idea why. I know Surbiton offer up to 30% so maybe that while trust does. But...girls schools. Sorry.

Scholarship is based on special talent or ability (I'm hoping for an art scholarship for my daughter at sixth form) and can be anything from 10-25%. For more you mean a bursary which is based on need. However a friend's son did get a full scholarship at Winchester so there must be some out there (he was exceptional in language and maths). You are going to have to more research and your current school should help you out as he will need to be prepped for entrance exams etc.

The independent schools council (or whatever their proper name is) recommends no more than 50% scholarship. Bursaries can be up to 95% however. Or some children get a combination of both.
My DD was offered a 50% scholarship at Colfes. They offer generous scholarships, as does St Dunstans.

@ilovethislife, if you need such a reduction in fees for your DS to continue in private education, don't forget that the deadline for state school applications is 31st October. If you are looking at grammar schools, the registration deadline for some area may already have passed.

Pipandmum, Winchester don't offer 100% scholarships. Your friend's son must have qualified for a bursary.....From their site 'bursary offered to each family is means-tested and reflects individual circumstances. To allow the widest range of pupils to attend the school, awards range from 5% to 100% of the school fee, and for those on the largest bursaries, this may include additional support for a laptop, books, exam fees or trips.

We also award Scholarships and Exhibitions for those boys with exceptional academic, musical or sporting talent. Unlike Bursaries, Scholarships and Exhibitions do not carry a remission on school fees but free additional, individual tuition is provided for sportsmen and musicians.'

Agree you probably won't get significant scholarship discounts , some are just nominal, and would need a bursary to top up to 50%. Whitgift and Trinity in Croydon are more geberous than some.

Speak to your current head. Scholarships as pp have said would rarely be for that amount, so you would need to be asking about bursaries. Some schools link the two together (Lancing for example) so you only qualify to be considered for a bursary if they achieve a scholarship, others will simply be a means tested bursary.

Your prep should be advising. It’s what you pay for? Does it have a track record of getting dc scholarships? Where do dc go after attending this school? Do they aim high?

To get substantial money off fees you need to get a bursary. In lots of schools these are given to the top performers who need them. There is, in effect, competition. You should be advised by your prep about what to do. It’s hugely competitive though.

@ilovethislife Hampton will give up to 25% scholarship. Their website gives full details. They also offer bursaries up to 100% obviously based on financial circumstances.

I think you will have to short list and then phone the schools and ask the specific question. My dd was offered a 50% scholarship at a GDST school which I didn’t even know existed - the scholarship wasn’t anywhere in the prospectus or on the website.

A lot of schools seem to have reduced their scholarship in order to fund additional bursaries.

My children's old school has done that. What used to be up to 30% reductions in fees have now been reduced to a nominal 5%. Whilst I absolutely agree that this is the right approach in principle, I'm selfishly glad it wasn't the case when my children were there.

If you're potentially interested in a Kent grammar, you've got until tomorrow to register...

Some of the Dukes Education schools offer 75%!

If you're willing to look at a newer school, then north london grammar school in Hendon offers 100%, 80% & 25% scholarships. The new head is very impressive and this is part of his determination to recruit the most able students to the school. They have an outstanding ofsted and have a small number of boarders, so it feels like a very diverse school.

I agree with others if your already paying for a prep they should be guiding you. My youngest is preparing for 7+ and his school will advise us in yr 1 which schools we should be aiming for. Your school should be doing the same. As for 50% the only person i know who got 50% scholarship was because they got both a music and sports scholarship. Most are around 10-20% mark.