Be brave and apply

[JSN]

Roll up, roll up !! the Indies exam season is upon us.


so if you are of low income and have a bright child please, please apply


MGS/MGHS/The Grange give 100% bursaries
WGS-90%
SGS/CHS/Kings-mac/Bolton Boys and Girls Divisions / Queens and Kings Chester also give generous bursaries some 100% for bright kids.

try it , most exams jan 2014 you can still register( The Grange first sat of Feb)

not sure about the less selective schools NCGS-Alty,Hill Crest Stockport both great schools for the less able.

What have you got to loose , charities? call their bluff!

good luck

compare the stats against the best Grammars

"the first figure are the total number 6th formers taking the exam , the second the total uccas points the third ,points ave per A level and the last the % of acadamic subjects taken( the 3 sciences, maths-further maths, history, geography, English,FML and the Classics i.e facilitating subjects for Russell Group Unis)
copied and pasted from the telegraph 2012 A level results using the compare facility


Withington Girls' School 86 1196.3 264.3 48%
The Manchester Grammar School 183 1003.2 266.2 43%
Manchester High School for Girls 84 1021.3 261.1 25%
The Grange School 96 1081.5 262.1 36%
The King's School 111 940 253.4 30%
The Queen's School 44 1017.4 264.4 36%
Stockport Grammar School 128 907.6 251.4 35%
Cheadle Hulme School 138 876.8 249.9 23%
Bolton School Boys' Division 94 995.9 235.6 43%
Bolton School Girls' Division 98 1013.2 245.7 29%
Altrincham Grammar School for Boys 157 1127.6 237.7 29%
Altrincham Grammar School for Girls 144 1253.9 249 29%
Bury Grammar School Boys 44 958.3 234.9 20%
Bury Grammar School Girls 72 999.7 240.3 15%
The King's School In Macclesfield 117 897.9 237.7 19% "

from a post by bns many threads ago.

the most important stats are the last two IMO.

[Oshosh]

Hello,

Is the busaraies only for ppl with up to a certain income. Just asking out of interest.

[hermanmunster]

Hello,

Is the busaraies only for ppl with up to a certain income. Just asking out of interest.

yes bursaries are income based, parents need to fill in a form (each year if things have changed) - varies between schools as to what is included.
Some are more generous than other about outgoings etc while others are also interested in assets as well as income. Having heard some of the results it sometimes feels that the schools can't quite be generous enough to make it easy for parents to send the child even with the bursary - probably lack on mioney in the pot and the dsire to help as many as possible.
The only ones who get 100% bursary will have plenty of other money worries as it is.

[kenyancowgirl]

Although I like your optimism JSN, I may be wrong, but suspect that you are able to pay fees at an indie, without the need for a bursary, and would just like to put a balance on your opinion. A small note of caution, even with a bursary, there are a number of things that aren't covered - administration and registration fees for the entrance exams, optional school trips, uniform, travel costs etc. If you are entitled to a full bursary, the chances are, paying out for these would not really be an option. If you get a full bursary, you may be entitled to apply to get these things covered as well, but as hermanmunster pointed out, it is a limited pot each year, so there is no guarantee. Also, you do have to reapply each year (every year, whether there are changes or not) and there is NO guarantee that you will get the same level of bursary each year, even if your finances remain the same - or get worse. As hermanmunster says, indies try and help as many people as possible (you will see stats on their websites like 1 in 4 people receive some form of bursary or scholarship, in an attempt to get people to apply), which means that the actual amount each individual gets is less and less, as the total pot remains the same. I know the Charities Commission had an input into reducing scholarship levels and, where, when I was at school, 100% scholarships existed, as well as bursaries, most of the scholarships in schools around us now, appear to be limited to around 10% or 20% for a "major" scholarship. (I know this as we went through the process with my ds1.) Scholarships tend to be money off the fees only. The general consensus for private schools is, whatever the fees are, you have to double that to get the true cost per year of attending, with all the extras and the fact that trip costs/uniform etc tend to be higher due to smaller numbers etc (I spoke to two bursars at the two privates we shortlisted and this was their assessment of the minimum parents needed to budget for, realistically). And, I know that there will now be a flood of parents from indies probably decrying all this - of course, it may not cost you exactly double every year but be honest about the hidden costs - when you are able to afford them, you may not even see them. When you can't, trust me, you absolutely can. We were very lucky and were offered the one 100% "scholarship" (I think it was referred to as the Governor's Foundation Award, rather than a scholarship) available for ds1...after a weekend of thought, we opted for the local GS as we knew that he, and we, would feel more comfortable there.

[Valmont]

Blimey! AGGS still blows them all out the water.

Thanks for your post JSN some interesting stats in there.

[rimi01]

JSN - How does The Grange compare to MGS boys n Cheadle Hulme school. I am not asking Stats wise, but generally how is it perceived?

[JSN]

not as many "airs and graces" compared to MGS.
Relaxed ,friendly, modern and forward looking.
takes top 25% of the national cohort (MGS about top 10% or less).
renowned for its value added.
CHS only know one parent who sends their child there , they seem very happy with it , lovely,polite well mannered boy but not as academic as MGS or The Grange IMO.
not very helpful I know

[LooniesMum2]

We have applied and hidden costs are a worry. More of a worry is putting a child through exam stress, knowing that the children at the Indies own junior schools have had in house prep for the exams. With no past papers to work on, even with a tutor it's not exactly a level playing field

[Nimbus]

We have applied and hidden costs are a worry. More of a worry is putting a child through exam stress, knowing that the children at the Indies own junior schools have had in house prep for the exams. With no past papers to work on, even with a tutor it's not exactly a level playing field

I guess life isn't but good for you and DC- best of luck.

[JSN]

We have applied and hidden costs are a worry. More of a worry is putting a child through exam stress, knowing that the children at the Indies own junior schools have had in house prep for the exams. With no past papers to work on, even with a tutor it's not exactly a level playing field

If you are referring to The Grange I have done a little research for you I know quite a few parents and children who attend there at prep and senior level.
The entrance exam is CEM computer adaptive test i.e the questions asked are dependent on the previous correct answers .
There is no special prep provided by the The Grange Junior School for this test.
Prep kids are not guaranteed a place at Senior School it is an open competition with pupils from other Primary/Prep schools.
However 70% of the senior cohort originate from their own prep/junior section.
If your child is within the top 25% of the national cohort they stand a very good chance of passing and being offered a place.
Almost all exams at 16 at iGCSE's but only A levels are offered at 18 no IB or pre-u A levels
Oxbridge entry is between 10-15% and out performs all Grammars in the N.W in the important stats i.e points per A level and % of A levels that are facilitating subjects.Almost all go to Russel Group Unis. this yrs igcse results 90% A-A* with 60% at A*
The Grange is a relatively young school( by Indie standards) and has only a small endowment towards bursaries and only a few are offered compared to more established Pubic Schools like MGS/WGS
The biggest hidden cost is travel , some students commute from upto 25 miles away and transport costs can be upto £400 per term!You do not have to indulge in the expensive trips to California ect, most educational trips are day trips within the U.K
Anyway best of luck