School Funding

dinah · Post by **dinah** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 1:08 am

Also at CH if you take GCSE music in Year 9 when you start your opyions you will get your instrument free. If you take A leve music you will get two instruments free. If you want play the organ this will be free.Sometimes children will be given free instrument tuition for other reasons. The band play at Lords ,Twickenham and the Lord Mayor's Show. The Scholar Cantorum will be singing at St Paul's shortly.

another mother · Post by **another mother** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 1:10 pm

Since we're giving a nod to those independents who do try to spread the opportuniities, I was recently told that over 66% of the boys at City Boys are on some sort of bursary - some academic and music - quite a few need. (I don't have this on paper before anyone shouts but it was from a parent at the school). And we certainly do know personally two girls on full bursaries for five years based entirely on need rather than the academic awards at City girls. And there are more.
What it produces is a more balanced and grounded intake which is to everyones benefit. Also means it is cool to be completely broke like us! Fingers crossed for Kendrick and all the results tomorrow that could save you a fortune and let you do a lot of other lovely things that will also enhance your children's lives!

CHmum · Post by **CHmum** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 3:08 pm

another mother wrote:
What it produces is a more balanced and grounded intake which is to everyones benefit. Also means it is cool to be completely broke like us!

Couldn't agree more!

CHmum · Post by **CHmum** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 3:12 pm

dinah wrote:Also at CH if you take GCSE music in Year 9 when you start your opyions you will get your instrument free. If you take A leve music you will get two instruments free. If you want play the organ this will be free.

That's good to know, I hadn't realised that!

solimum · Post by **solimum** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 4:41 pm

Also at CH if you take GCSE music in Year 9 when you start your opyions you will get your instrument free. If you take A leve music you will get two instruments free

This kind of discount is also available from some LEA schools - my son had two years of excellent free woodwind tuition from Birmingham Music service as he took A level music at one of the KE grammars

KES Parent · Post by **KES Parent** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 7:17 pm

It is very admirable that Christ's Hospital provides so much assistance to its pupils, but it is only able to do this because of its almost unique financial situation. The vast majority of independent schools do not have such vast resources at their disposal. Maybe Eton is the one that comes nearest in terms of the lands and properties that it owns. Most schools are just doing the best they can with limited resources, and some schools (Winchester, for example) is asking existing parents who are already paying full fees to pay extra to provide bursaries. CH only offers a small number of its places to full fee paying pupils because it is in a position to subsidise the majority of its pupils.

CHmum · Post by **CHmum** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 7:27 pm

Maybe more indies should think of adopting CH's means-assessed fee structure, then they could stop offering bursaries, and just offer realistic fees to those on lower incomes.

CHmum · Post by **CHmum** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 7:29 pm

solimum wrote:
Also at CH if you take GCSE music in Year 9 when you start your opyions you will get your instrument free. If you take A leve music you will get two instruments free
This kind of discount is also available from some LEA schools - my son had two years of excellent free woodwind tuition from Birmingham Music service as he took A level music at one of the KE grammars

Brilliant! Music lessons are so expensive, but should be available to all, not just those who can afford them.

FirstTimeBuyer · Post by **FirstTimeBuyer** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 8:32 pm

CH Mum

Why stop there at free uniforms, music lessons?
Horseback riding lessons, geography trips to the Arctic, one-on-one mandarin lessons, cricket tours by the 3rd 11 to the West Indies, polo coaching.
The only constraint is one's imagination when the economic philosophy being applied is Marxist .....Groucho, not Karl.

You hold up Christ's Hospital as the model for the "good guys". What they achieve is indeed fantastic, without question.

A little sub-11+ maths:
820 pupils
2% pay full fees
18% pay no fees
Assume an average fee paid of 50% (generous) of full fees.
Boarding schools in the main are charities and so fees are set to achieve slightly above break-even position.
Typical boarding fees are about Â£27k, but lets take costs as Â£25k.
820 pupils, 50% shortfall of Â£12,500 x 820 equals Â£10.25 million !

This hole is their finances is being met from the income from an endowment. Guess how big that is?
Whilst you have been pontificating about how this and that "should be available to all, not just those that can afford them", your DC is attending The Richest School in England.

All the non-"Good Guys" would be delighted to be Good Guys if they were in receipt of an extra Â£10m per annum.
Indeed one could say that the CH's goodness is effortless, being fully-funded, where bursaries being provided by other independent schools are effectively being funded directly by the parents.

KES Parent · Post by **KES Parent** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 8:56 pm

Exactly the point I was trying to make, First Time Buyer, but you have done it so much more eloquently than I did!