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Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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Alice73
Posts: 163
Joined: Wed Nov 07, 2007 6:15 pm

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Post by Alice73 »

Dear all,
We have an offer for a place for my DD from a wonderful independent school. Our decision should be made by 10th March. The problem is we can not afford it. I have heard somewhere that it is possible to look for a sponsor. Does anybody have any ideas on how to go about it, please? I don't suppose I can enquire in big organisation or companies?
Thanks.
Alice
Ed's mum
Posts: 3310
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2007 11:47 am
Location: Warwickshire.

Post by Ed's mum »

I have no specific information but I have heard through my sister of people who, when children, managed to attract sponsorship. Apparently it helps to have not exactly an unique selling point, but something that makes you/your child a little bit different and then to seek assistance from an organisation which would want to be associated with that special quality. My sister's friends tended to belong to a specific sector of society such as black woman or jew/jewess. I hope this makes sense. Typing quickly. I hope I have chosen my words carefully and not made any faux pas. I am afraid I have no information regarding likely sources of money. I really hope it works out for you. I assume you have contacted the bursar?
Alice73
Posts: 163
Joined: Wed Nov 07, 2007 6:15 pm

Post by Alice73 »

Thanks very much, Ed's mum. But who is the bursar, please? We fiiled in the bursary application form during the application, submitted all evidence of income, etc. The documents were sent to GDST (Girls' Day School Trust) as requested. And it was written in the offer letter that they are unable to offer us bursary. The feedback on DD's performance was excellent including examination results (although no scores provided), arts and sports potential. We hope to be successful for grammar school. But my DD has now fallen in love with this independent school (they made her feel so welcome there, she received a lot of praise and even presents) and it is just across the road from us, while the nearest grammar is about 4 miles away. I just wish I knew what to do.
Alice
Ed's mum
Posts: 3310
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2007 11:47 am
Location: Warwickshire.

Post by Ed's mum »

When we filled out all the financial info it was sent to the bursar at the school we were applying to. It is the bursar who assesses the application for financial assistance based on achievement in the exams and financial need, although reading between the lines, they meet towards the end of this month to make a final offer and it seems to be a group of people who meet, not just the bursar.
What a difficult situation to be in, I hope it works out well for you. I don't think I have any particularly valuable information for you, but if you need to know anything else pls feel free to reply or PM me
Kent99

Post by Kent99 »

Hello Alice
I understand how you feel. We did the same as you; entered our daughter for a private school as back up in case she had a bad day and didn't pass the 11+ to our chosen grammar.

As with your child, the private school made her very welcome and really sold itself to her. They also offered her a major scholarship and wrote to say how much they hoped she would accept. When the time came to chose between that school and the state grammar, which sent out an impersonal photocopied offer slip without even her name on it, she found it very hard to let the private place go. So did I really and I did wish we had never applied to the private school.

One year on my daughter is settled at the grammar and I don't think she has any regrets (I hope not anyway). To be realistic, it doesn't sound as if your child will be able to attend a private school either. In which respect she is of course like the large majority of children. You have done what you can to try and obtain bursary funding and have been turned down either on the basis that you earn too much for their scheme or that other applicants outperformed your child in the exams and took priority. If you want to know why you could ring the school and ask. As regards other forms of funding can you, honestly, think of any reason why an organisation should think that your child deserved funding more than any of the other 600,000 children who will be entering state schools in September? Particularly if she has the chance of a grammar place?

I'm sorry to be so blunt but I think you might be better resigning your child to the state option. Maybe point out that the private school were so friendly etc because they were hoping that you would soon be paying them a great deal of money?
Alice73
Posts: 163
Joined: Wed Nov 07, 2007 6:15 pm

Post by Alice73 »

Thanks very much, Ed's mum and Ken.
Alice
perplexed
Posts: 490
Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 1:18 pm
Location: kent

Post by perplexed »

Yes I am going to be a little blunt too. If they praised your daughter's exam results so highly, why did they not back up their words with some kind of academic scholarship?

And if your daughter did do extremely well in their entrance exam, which it is possible to do and not get a scholarship, she should have no problem passing the 11+ and obtaining a grammar school place. You should get more detail of her performance from the school as it may come in as useful academic evidence in a grammar school appeal.

I am a fan of certain independent schools. I went to one myself and received, I now realise, an extremely good education. But there are others which exist just because some people want to pay, and want their child to go somewhere where the other parents pay, silly as that sounds. My stepdaughter attends one, and many things about it annoy me so much I have to keep my mouth zipped up most of the time!

Have you looked long and hard at the paper facts about these two schools - inspection reports on quality of education, the results they get versus the ability of their intake, the range of subjects on offer at GCSE and A' level etc.

What is it that you have fallen in love with at the independent school? I am very surprised that a school would give presents to potential future pupils. What were the presents and why did they give them? I am afraid it sounds a little unethical to me. Don't be surprised if some of their "advertising bluff" turns out to be just that if you take up the place there.

Sorry without more facts we may all have got the wrong end of the stick, but you have not mentioned anything about the private school which would suggest it has an academic edge on your potential grammar schools.

It is definitely time to make sure that your daughter appreciates the qualities of the grammar school options, and understands a little more about the meaning of money. You don't want her to somehow jump to the weird conclusion that some teenagers might that you settled for second best with a grammar school because you did not love her enough to pay!

Good luck in your decision.
Kent99

Post by Kent99 »

Hello again,
To be fair Perplexed as the school in question is a GDST school it probably does offer a very good, academic education and at a reasonable price. This will attract more potential candidates than some of the "posh schools for the wealthy but dim" which I agree also exist. Benefits will probably include smaller classes, better pastoral care and freedom from the National Curriculum. I would be surprised if, allowing for the ability of the intakes, the results are not better than those at the state grammar.

One thing to consider, though, Alice is that even at a GDST school there may be a large number of very well-off families. I attended an academic private school in the 70s and 80s where quite large numbers of children from low income families got government funded places (under the old "assisted places" scheme). I think that the resulting social spread of the girls was a very good thing, making (at least at my school) for a very accepting, grounded atmoshere. The assisted places scheme has now been scrapped and, although the schools have tried to part compensate through the use of bursaries, it isn't the same.

One thing which concerned me at the thought of sending my child to the private school (which we could have afforded as the scholarship covered over half the fees) was that I didn't want her to be the only girl in the form who was not holidaying in Mauritius, skiing and in possession of a pony. May not be a problem in your area- I don't know. But depending on your daughter's personality being less well off than her friends could affect her confidence as she enters the dreaded teenage years.

Good luck whatever you decide.
Alice73
Posts: 163
Joined: Wed Nov 07, 2007 6:15 pm

Post by Alice73 »

Thank you very much, all, for your advice and support. After reading your posts my opinion about the school has changed, and I wholeheartedly agree with the above said. We will be waiting for the big allocation day, and hoping for a place in a state grammar.
Alice
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