Advice from those who teach 6th Form please?

[rosabud]

Could anyone offer any experience advise on this please:

My daughter has just begun her A Level course at the 6th Form in the same school she has been in since Year 7. I went to the parents' information evening and, for the first time, heard about discretionary bursaries for families on low income (not the vulnerable bursaries for those in care etc) and picked up the form. In order to apply, we just have to say we would like to be considered and then provide details of our income such as tax credit award etc.

My query is this: what is a "low income?" I am a single parent and work as a TA, have other dependent children, I get child tax credits but, as I work over 24 hours a week, do get quite a bit of working tax credits too. My ex pays monthly maintenance but not a huge amount. We have been entitled to free school meals in the past but are not at the moment. I don't consider myself destitute or unable to cope and, if we did not get the bursary, I could still happily afford for my child to be in the 6th Form. I don't want to apply if there are really destitute people out there as that would be embarrassing.

Do you think this bursary is meant for families like mine or not really?

You'd be best off speaking to the bursar. Some schools are very generous

i know but that would be ........ embarrassing!!

Oh my bad typing is embarrassing too!! I not i!!

You need to talk to the bursar as they will be responsible for the bursary application process. There is no need to be embarrassed lots of people get bursaries for either long/short term financial issues and the process is completely confidential, teaching staff and other parents won't know unless you tell them.

There are normally strict criteria to be met to receive a bursary (although ime these are open to negotiation).

If you really don't want a bursary then you could also discuss a longer payment period, for example smaller payments monthly that continue, for example, for 6 months after your daughter leaves.

HTH

My parents put me through private school on an assisted place thingy.
I am eternally grateful for it.
Please ask and forget the embarrassment!

This DofEd guide might help you, assuming you mean the 16-19 Bursaries in state schools.

You have clearly done a wonderful job in supporting your daughter to get to Sixth Form. If there is help available and you meet the requirements then simply say 'thank you'. There is nothing to be ashamed of in asking for help when we need it x

Please ask, the help is there to help people! As a matter of a fact, funds like that are often not taken up precisely because people don't claim as they don't know about them or are embarrassed.

At my school children with parents earning 16k or less get full bursaries- households on more than that can get partial bursaries. Think it varies a lot between schools x

Apply. If you qualify for something, you qualify. If you don't, you've lost nothing.

Is this a normal state school? It's discretionary and the school will set its own criteria. The amount of money the school gets will vary from year to year and so the criteria might also vary. Either way, it's not a huge amount of cash, but if you don't apply, you won't get anything. At my school, it's generally restricted to students eligible for FSM. They get something like £100 per term, so not much. The only specific requirements for schools are that children in local authority care are entitled to £1200 per year - that is the "full" bursary.

I just want to say thank you to everyone who replied to this. I decided not to apply because of the embarrassment factor but the SENCO at the school rang me about something to do with one of my other children qualifying for extra help because of the Pupil Premium so that made me pluck up my courage to ask her about the 6th form bursary too. She encouraged me to apply so I did, never heard anything and assumed I didn't qualify. Anyway, this month we have received a cheque for £100 from them! No idea, if that is a one off, will be per term or whether we will get it per month! But I am very grateful for it as we have just paid for text-books and bought a termly bus pass so it is very welcome.

Thank you, Everyone.

Probably termly. Pupil Premium is also "E6" - those who have been entitled to free school meals at any point in the last 6 years. We give all E6 students an amount monthly, but in some schools they do it termly.