Is it feasible to obtain a bursary for Year 10 at a private school?

[KHMP1971]

First off, forgive me if this question sounds ridiculous. It probably is and I feel a bit of a fool posting it but I suppose if you don't ask ...

DD is 14 and in Year 9 at a local mixed comprehensive. She's pretty miserable there. She is (I suspect) slightly on the autistic spectrum although she's never been diagnosed. She is constantly bullied by the boys in the class and the school have done nothing about it, even after one of the them threw a traffic cone at her in PE leaving her with a big bruise. Apparently these boys are the football/rugby stars of the school and so she says noone will do very much about them.

We don't have Grammar schools nearby. We live in a part of the UK where they were done away with decades ago.

Her escape is horse riding and she's made some lovely friends at her riding school, two of whom go to a fairly amazing all girls private school in a nearby town.

It's a fairly impressive place and she has been listening to their stories of their music lessons, their small classes, their facilities, their awesome teachers, the better behaviour and lack of thuggish boys and tells me it would be a dream to go there. And I agree that in an ideal world, this sensitive well behaved young lady would be much better off in that environment than where she currently is.

The problem.is that fees at this school are around £19k and I'm a single mum on £20k, (no holidays old car nothing fancy). So as with everyone else who would like to go to private school and can't I assume it's impossible and have never given it any thought.

However I've read about bursaries and am just asking for honest opinions.

DD is bright but not super academic. She plays guitar and violin a little but not to an exceptional standard although she enjoy music. She is well behaved, mature, polite and works hard (putting her aside from many of her peers at school) but I don't know if this would be enough to win her a place. The only person I know whose son won a funded place at a private school.was very exceptionally bright (ie he was doing GCSE standard maths at age 10) My beautiful and amazing DD is securely where she should be academically but not very advanced if that makes sense.

Really if I'm.just talking.nonsense please feel free to ignore me but I am wondering if its worth emailing the school and asking re: bursaries for Year 10. Do children even join a private school at Year 10?

Normal entry is year 7 or possibly 9 and 12, but they may have the occasional vacancy between. However I would not leave it until year 10 to move. Bursary funds may well already be allocated though.

I don't think your get a bursary, sorry just my opinion but give them a ring and ask criteria.
If she got in could you afford everything else, travel, uniform, equipment?

Thankyou. She is already in Year 9 so I guess it's too late.

It wasn't really something I thought about at Year 7 given how out of reach it seemed. I wish I had now.

I just wanted to get some opinions. I may email them anyway as I suppose I've got nothing to lose.

It's not a stupid question at all! I'm not sure of the answer but in your situation I would call/email and ask. I would try a number of schools though, not just the one. Good luck!

Have you contacted the school to ask or had a look on their website? Usually they will be fairly transparent about the criteria and that would be the best starting point.

As the poster above says, it's an odd year to move so might be tricky. You've mentioned violin, being bright etc. These things tend to be more
relevant for scholarship applications which aren't the same thing, they're merit based and usually not a very big financial contribution. Bursaries on the other hand are usually means tested.

I hope this helps and wish you and your daughter luck. It's so difficult when they're unhappy at school.

You can ask but the answer is 95% likely to be no.

Always worth asking but I'd be amazed if they'd offer a big enough bursary; most schools are using their funds to keep existing pupils at the school if their parents can't afford the vat, or for exceptional pupils. Increasingly I think bursaries will also be sixth form only as they seek out exceptional students to bolster leaver results and destinations, at minimal cost to the diminishing bursary funds,

It’s not a stupid question but, sadly I think it’s unlikely they’ll take her.
Is it a very selective school?
Year 10 is an odd time to enter especially as it’s very possible that the girls at this school may very well have already started their gcse curriculum this year, in year 9. It’s quite common in private schools.
Also, due to labour policy of adding VAT to school fees, bursaries are likely to become less and less available.

All you can do is call and ask, the worse they can say is no.

As a private school teacher, I would say your chances are slim if your daughter has no particular area in which she excels. Bursaries tend to be for academic excellence, or some form of creative (music or drama) or sporting excellence.

However, some schools do have very random bursary allocations based on funds allocated to the school years ago - the older the school, the more likely this is to be the case. It might be that they give a bursary to the daughter of a clergyman, or the son of a butcher, or a child living in a particular neighbourhood, or whatever, based on a gift someone gave in their will back in 1895 - and these are not always advertised by the school. So there’s no harm in asking if there’s anything she might be eligible for outside of academic or artistic excellence. I wouldn’t get your hopes up, but you really do never know - a friend of mine went to boarding school for free thanks to meeting the very specific requirements of a bursary fund set up in the 1800s!

Another way in would be to get a job at the school. Most offer a substantial fees discount for staff. Would that be a possibility?

Tricky. Also, the few pals from riding may differ from the year group, if girls cliques are already formed from Year 7, you have to factor all girls schools may not be super friendly to newbie. Worth asking but do check curriculum for GCSEs not already started. Or try to move for sixth forms?

You should ask, but I would be very surprised if they say yes. The worst thing they can say is no though. I suspect 16+ is better option.

Definitely ask. Bursaries are not based on academic merit or musicals talent, they are based on financial need. Obviously you need to be of an academic level to pass any entrance tests. As others say the worst they can say is no and you can also try again for a levels, when girls schools tend to loose pupils as some want co ed for 6th form.

I think the issue is that you presumably want a very large bursary around 100% of fees. That’s very unusual, and they probably won’t have the funds for that

For bursaries they will go through your finances with a fine tooth comb. And your child will have to be exceptional - otherwise every family in a low invoke would qualify. Why should they give one to your child? What would she contribute to the school? But no harm in asking their criteria.

Thankyou all for your replies. I did email them although I was hesitant to do so (I had visions of the admissions teacher chuckling!). I'll see what they say although I would guess it's a no.

It does sound unlikely that she'd get a bursary. I just thought it might be worth asking as I've always assumed it wasn't a possibility and perhaps it's best to know for sure. No she's not exceptional. (Although I think she's amazing!)

Unfortunately I think it’s unlikely. It’s not guaranteed the school even has a space (year 10 is an unusual entry point) and most bursaries are given out at the start of the school journey. also sounds like you would need 100% bursary and many are less, say, 50%

Whereabouts in the country are you? Some of the older schools provide 100% bursaries not for exceptionally talented pupils but aimed at those from low income families (by which they mean actual low income families not those who are finding the school fees a bit of a stretch). They are sometimes called transformational bursaries. They tend to be more than 100% as they don't just cover the fees but uniform and other kit and may cover things like music lessons if appropriate or transport costs. Eton is quite famous for doing this but other schools do too.
Year 10 wouldn't be a traditional entry point but many of this type of school will have had a Yr9 intake so you can but ask. Many of these schools are boarding schools so, even if you aren't local to one, it could still be an option if you and your DD were open to the idea (and I realise not many people would be but I thought I would mention it rather than rule it out on your behalf)

That sounds quite amazing. Yes we are low income. I earn around 20k and I'm a single mum. We're in Wales.

I really don't think it's likely to happen but just for once I wanted to push outside my comfort zone a little and at least see.

Contact the school directly and ask them. You could also ask if they have a payment plan. Some private schools do and I suspect this will become more common now that the schools will be more expensive.

Good luck!

I don’t think you have any chance either. I wouldn’t get your hopes up.
however, the boy who threw the traffic cone committed a criminal offence and I would tell school that you are going to contact the police unless they safeguard your daughter.

Just ask them. Present your case.
No one here can speak for the school

You could try asking even if it is a long shot.
Maybe they would say to wait for the 6th form now though even if they could help.

Some schools do not just look for academic skills, but provided she is up to the standard of the school, for what she as an individual might contribute in other ways as a person, especially if they are experiencing difficulties where they are. Maybe her feelings for animals, and riding and what she does with that? Is she helping out with children with special needs or troubles who are riding? Is she artistic?

With your salary you would need 100 % I should think.

If necessary, and no bursary can be found, could she do home school with on-line programmes, while happily continuing with her riding?

Good idea.

It's unlikely a small girls school in Wales will have the funds for a in year 100% bursary, they will expect you to empty out your savings too so unlikely the horse riding could carry on. But please do check anyway, you never know. You don't ask you don't get as they say.
If you're open to boarding, your options are far far more broad. Have a look at springboard foundation, also Christ's hospital school and the state boarding schools.