Bursary Home Visit

[mamakiso]

No doubt this has been asked before and I have tried to find the link without success! Please can someone, anyone tell me what a home visit is all about. What do I need to prepare for? What questions will they ask, what information will they need. I already filled in a lengthy form and sent lots of financial document! How long will it take etc?

Any information will be helpful.

Thanks

[questions]

Hi, I was thinking of posting about this too mamakiso! Not that we have any lined up, but to be prepared just in case we get that far...

I couldn't work out if these visits are to check we don't really live in a mansion, to ask lots more questions about income and expenditure and add tailored conditions to bursaries (you need to sell that expensive gizmo, try and up your working hours), or something more pastoral - what support will DS need, reassure that we aren't the only students with lower income...

If anyone knows more, would be very grateful to hear.

[Tailsmo]

Hi Questions and mamakiso. have a look at this topic, which includes info on our home visit:

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... 31&t=21407" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mamakiso]

Thanks Tailsmo

I guess the main question is do they walk around the house into kitchen/rooms etc or is it really just to ascertain more info on your means and explain the whole process to you?

[mamakiso]

I should add do I need someone with me; I'm a lone parent. Should DS be there?

[Thingsbehindthesun]

I should add do I need someone with me; I'm a lone parent. Should DS be there?

If the date falls on a weekend than possibly, but I think they would mainly just want to talk to you if on a normal monday-friday during school hours.

[Snips]

From experience I think they would like your child to be there, but call the school to check.

[questions]

Thank you Tailsmo, that is interesting reading.

[Tailsmo]

The school we applied to preferred DD not to be present, because they were concerned some of their questions about my DH's death might be upsetting for her.

They didn't want to look in any of the rooms, they just wanted to see what we lived where we said we did, and that it wasn't a mansion. It's a personal choice whether to have anyone there for support. I didn't (it was a working day anyway, so all my friends were at work).

It was a good opportunity to start to build a relationship with somone influential, not just in the inital decision, but for several years of DD's life to come.

[questions]

I have a home visit tomorrow. Quite happy with the straightforward stuff - I clearly don't have lots of money, I live where I say I do, all my info is in the very extensive paperwork I sent them ages ago.

Apparently one of the reasons for the visit is to give me the opportunity to make any points I want to before the bursar goes away and decides what level of support to offer. This is the bit I'm thinking about. I guess this is where parents explain why they can't move to a cheaper area / sell a big car or whatever - stuff that needs a conversation rather than being communicated through the figures and paperwork.

I'm hoping for a full bursary but I don't know what would be considered a good point to make in support of this, beyond all the evidence I've already sent them.

If anyone has any ideas on what points I could make to help persuade them to give me a higher % bursary I'll share DS' place with you!*

*that is I would share DS' place with you had he been offered one, which he hasn't yet, and if that made sense as a suggestion.