should children from prep schools be eligible for bursaries?

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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AML
Posts: 347
Joined: Fri Sep 19, 2014 5:32 pm

should children from prep schools be eligible for bursaries?

Post by AML »

Just wanted people's opinions. If you attend a prep/independent primary (not on a bursary) then should you be eligible for a bursary at secondary school ( assuming circumstances haven't changed).

I know one family who were offered a bursary at my DS prep school for top north london Indie, but both siblings attend the prep school so this means they cannot be too hard up??

Any thoughts ?
scary mum
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Re: should children from prep schools be eligible for bursar

Post by scary mum »

You can never know someone else's circumstances & I suggest you stop worrying about it. Their situation may have changed, or the school may have different criteria.
scary mum
mad?
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Re: should children from prep schools be eligible for bursar

Post by mad? »

AML wrote:I know one family who were offered a bursary at my DS prep school for top north london Indie, but both siblings attend the prep school so this means they cannot be too hard up??
It does not necessarily meant that at all. There may be all manner of confidential circumstances of which you are unaware. Spending time worrying about other people's personal financial situation is not going to help anyone sleep at night so best left to the Hyacinth Bouquets of this world.

ETA crossed posts with Scary, but I agree!
mad?
hermanmunster
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Re: should children from prep schools be eligible for bursar

Post by hermanmunster »

there are sometimes bursaries at prep schools and TBH quite a few people can afford the prep school fees but can't do the same for the senior school fees.
Moon unit
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Re: should children from prep schools be eligible for bursar

Post by Moon unit »

It maybe perhaps that grandparents are paying the prep fees but are not able to keep going. Unless you know the parents are being dishonest I would forget all about it.
AML
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Joined: Fri Sep 19, 2014 5:32 pm

Re: should children from prep schools be eligible for bursar

Post by AML »

Was just one of these fleeting thoughts. Thanks all.
zeinab
Posts: 353
Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2010 11:25 pm

Re: should children from prep schools be eligible for bursar

Post by zeinab »

Let's not jump to conclusions about anyone. There's so much pressure and stress on parents already without the negative thoughts. Let's put positive energy in our children's happiness and future success. To me that is more important than the man with the big house and a bursary because we don't know his full story.

Let's not judge but try to better ourselves instead. :D
Last edited by zeinab on Thu Nov 19, 2015 7:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
enema
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Re: should children from prep schools be eligible for bursar

Post by enema »

Pupils already attending Y6 of the desired independent school for Y7 onwards in some schools automatically gain a place without having to pass the entrance exam. It might be far easier to pay for 1 year od schooling ie Y6 via a loan/savings/grandparent and then apply for a bursary knowing you'll likely be high on the list as you've already secured the Y7 place.
Woodbine
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Re: should children from prep schools be eligible for bursar

Post by Woodbine »

zeinab wrote:Let's not jump to conclusions about anyone. We had someone on here saying things like how could I afford tutoring if my DD was on free school meals. She didn't know me personally, nor my full circumstances and if I was able eventually to afford a tutor etc, etc.

There's so much pressure and stress on parents already without the negative thoughts. Let's put positive energy in our children's happiness and future success. To me that is more important than the man with the big house and a bursary because we don't know his full story.

Let's not judge but try to better ourselves instead. :D

The problem I have though is that I can't square how someone can be on a low income and afford the luxury of private school and private tutors etc, given that is genuinely their only source of income. I say this because although it maybe possible - in a few cases - to get 100% remission of school fees, the information I have seen states that parent will still have to pay for school meals, uniforms, trips and other miscellaneous costs. Thus even if one does secure a full bursary it is difficult for me to imagine how other than having an undisclosed income source that a private school would be affordable. Additional to this from year 11 onwards the State provides an additional £1200 bursary for low income students studying in the state sector and only ask for voluntary contributions for school trips. Moreover, Public schools can't access pupil premium funding to afford further assistance to children from a low income background.

The only way I can see affording the ancillary costs is through tapping some sort of charitable grant. I don't suppose in current climate there are too many of them with money sloshing around.

It is for this reason that I hold the prejudice that many bursary recipients probably have support for schooling from extended family which is not being taken into account when calculating the value of the bursary And that if someone is actually properly 'working class' without the benefit of a prosperous support network, rather than 'middle class', then they're probably not going to fritter precious cash on private schooling.
zeinab
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Re: should children from prep schools be eligible for bursar

Post by zeinab »

But you could go on and on dissecting everything that you disagree with on here but at the end of the day it is nothing more than an opinion. And I firmly believe in freedom of speech. :lol:
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