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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

secondary school fee support

172 replies

Avatar1 · 02/01/2021 19:13

Hi all, hope everyone managed to have a good start to the year ...

looks really exciting here, was wondering if anyone could help direct me into charity foundation that can help to support fees as my daughter has been offered a secondary fee paying school. I tried a handfull of trusts but they either for universities and special criteria as well as the E.T.F...being on low income, appreciate any guidance where we could head towards...

OP posts:
Original poster
Avatar1 · 03/01/2021 14:13

..over 3000 have taken the entrance test ...but its really because the is nicely located as well as having a feeling she do so well there...its so hard finding a good tutor also so that i can try to access the teaching she needs...

OP posts:
Redlocks28 · 03/01/2021 14:16

@Avatar1

..over 3000 have taken the entrance test ...but its really because the is nicely located as well as having a feeling she do so well there...its so hard finding a good tutor also so that i can try to access the teaching she needs...
I’m sure most people would do ‘so well’ in a private school with small class sizes and plenty of funding, but if you can’t afford to pay for it, it won’t happen.

I think it is unions to your daughter to raise her hopes like this.

How much can you afford to pay annually and how much are the school fees?

WestSideBoom · 03/01/2021 14:18

What!

You can't ask a charity to pay for your child to go to a fee paying school as it's 'nicely located'.

And I'm sure lots of parents 'have a feeling' that their children would do so well at a private school. But you have to pay to go.

LIZS · 03/01/2021 14:28

They will over-offer places on the basis some will choose to go elsewhere, perhaps even to excellent state schools which are allocated in March. Sadly for you noone owes your dd a private education, it is up to you as a parent to make the best of the opportunities available within your means and ensure your dd is able to access them. It would be extremely unusual for there to be no tutors in an area with selective state and private schools, try asking on local facebook or nextdoor groups

MadameMiggeldy · 03/01/2021 14:28

OP have you applied for a school place in the state sector?

Mummy195 · 03/01/2021 14:28

OP I don't know much about Birmingham school, but at a glance it does not look like there are many schools that offer much in terms of bursaries. I guess the best you can do is ask if it's possible for your DD to have a differed place and if it's possible to apply for a bursary next year. But they would not be able to guarantee they would have money in the pot and would probably prefer to give this space to someone on the waiting list. But only the bursar will be able to tell you this. Could there be an option where you can raise funds through family this year and apply early for bursary next year?

Most school charities work with schools directly rather than an individual applying directly with them. The school should have told you that instead of letting you get your hopes so high.

Schools do not use paying parent's money for bursary, they raise them separately through donations or funds raised with alumni, events etc.

If your DD goes to a relatively large school, there will be no difference to them and the rich kids most of the time. It depends on the school. My DC school offers a lot of bursaries, but I have absolutely no idea who has them, and neither do my DC. There is a mixture or rich and hard working parents who have to make a few sacrifices.

If you are quite intent on the idea of indie, you may have to look into 13+ or 16+ instead. You may also have to look outside at boarding if you feel quite strongly. But you would have to do lots of research to match your DC talents and you would have to move fast because all the big schools who may have the funds take applicants quite early - some have already done others may do 2yrs in advance.

Do you have state options this year? Did you apply to any grammars?

Good luck

TunnelEnd · 03/01/2021 14:30

Tunnelend that is a pretty daft idea

No dafter than zillions of other unworthy causes, such as the people who ask people to fund their trips up various mountains and the like. You never know - a random celebrity may come along and fund the OP's pipe dream. She would have to make a better case than she has here though.

KingsHeathen · 03/01/2021 14:32

@Avatar1

..over 3000 have taken the entrance test ...but its really because the is nicely located as well as having a feeling she do so well there...its so hard finding a good tutor also so that i can try to access the teaching she needs...
Ok, I'm sorry, but I think you're on a wind up now. Hmm
nimbuscloud · 03/01/2021 14:35

This is veering into nutty territory ..

Hoppinggreen · 03/01/2021 14:45

KingsHeathen I hope so because it would mean there wasn’t a child in the middle of all this

MuseumGardens · 03/01/2021 14:51

What are the backup state schools like that you have put on the form?

lcdododo · 03/01/2021 14:52

Yeah you're on a wind up OP

malteasergeezer · 03/01/2021 14:52

OP you can't afford it and you have not been offered any bursary either. You sound deluded, sadly. You can of course set up a Go Fund Me page but be prepared to be ridiculed if you do. Or there are the begging ads in Private Eye of course.

Of course your dd has 'so much to offer'. Everyone's dd does. Your dd is not in a special class of her own you know. Hmm

It's state school or home edding for you.

RedskyAtnight · 03/01/2021 14:56

Of course there are also families, that sell everything, move into a bedsit, and work all hours of the day to afford private school fees (anecdotally; I don't know any in person). I agree with others. OP's DD sounds lovely, but not particularly different from hundreds of other 11 year olds. There is no magic source of funding available.

SJaneS49 · 03/01/2021 15:47

Well, if your financial situation isn’t great at all (which doesn’t sound the case if you afford some of the funds) there are a couple of Charitable Trusts that might be able to help - details here educational-grants.org/find-charity/?page=4

I would bear in mind though that they’d be getting a lot of applications, they’d likely only find a small handful of PP pupils and it’s an extreme long shot. After the last financial year and the economic uncertainty of the coming one, many Charities and Charitable Trusts are looking at cost cutting.

I completely agree that ‘a go fund me’ campaign is likely to get you derision not funds (I know what I’d swiftly do with an email asking me to fund some kids private school place!).

I do think the best (and honestly) kindest thing to do for your daughter OP is to quit this needle in a haystack quest for funding and reconcile yourself and your DD to a State place (which I really hope you applied for!). I do feel really sorry for her and it would be much kinder to her to focus on the benefits and pro’s of the local State.

sansou · 03/01/2021 15:58

Big up the backup plan. Your DD is bright and have an invested parent - she'll do just fine. I mean this kindly, but you need some perspective! It's just one good school in the city. There are plenty of others.

HarrietPotterska · 03/01/2021 17:17

Did she not get into any of the Grammars? I went to SCGSG and it was, and still is, a fantastic school. I (and my peers) did extremely well. I'd pick one of the grammars over KES any day, if money was tight?

Original poster
Avatar1 · 03/01/2021 17:45

...i can pay upto 5000 and yes i have put in state schools...the educational forum most have certain criteria...

OP posts:
HarrietPotterska · 03/01/2021 17:50

@Avatar1 - has she got into any of the King Edwards schools or Sutton Girls?

SoupDragon · 03/01/2021 17:54

the educational forum most have certain criteria...

And do you meet any of those criteria?

movingonup20 · 03/01/2021 17:55

Unfortunately if you can't afford the fees you need to apply to state school. Scholarships are available but via the school

movingonup20 · 03/01/2021 17:57

Think about it - why would a charitable trust or fund pay for your child to go to an expensive school, benefitting individuals is something the charity commission looks very carefully at!

KingsHeathen · 03/01/2021 18:52

@movingonup20

Unfortunately if you can't afford the fees you need to apply to state school. Scholarships are available but via the school
A scholarship is no use- the schools do not offer more than 10% off fees for scholarships, most are less than that, and they are not means tested in any way. It does not seem that a scholarship has been offered in any case. If it is KEHS then the bursary pot will already have been used up for this year. The application was eight weeks late, and KEHS/KES have so many applicants that they sort all that out before they even make offers.
crazycrofter · 03/01/2021 19:02

Sometimes KEHS bursary offers come through late, as they don’t get that many acceptances, so it may be worth asking to go on the bursary waiting list if her daughter scored highly enough. My daughter had a bursary at KEHS. I recall in the old girls magazine that year they said 260 applied for bursaries and they offered 30, so they are competitive. But lots still turn them down if they’ve got a grammar offer.

@avatar1 it’s a nice school but schools are just schools at the end of the day. Friendships have the biggest impact on how happy they are. My Dd is now at a grammar for sixth form and very happy there too.

lcdododo · 03/01/2021 19:50

Oh dear