100 % Scholarships

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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Novice mum
Posts: 41
Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2016 11:11 pm

100 % Scholarships

Post by Novice mum »

Doing some research I see that most scholarships at best seem to be worth £4000 and on occasion up to 50 % of fees.
On paper we would be above the threshold for a bursary so we wouldn’t be able to apply for one? ( or get one )
If a child was very bright and the school really wanted them could they / would they offer more in scholarship ?
Has this ever happened to any one ?
The schools we are possibly looking at are Alleyn’s and James Allens both in Dulwich and possibly Sevenoaks ....

Regards ,
Novice Mum
mad?
Posts: 5621
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 6:27 pm
Location: london

Re: 100 % Scholarships

Post by mad? »

In short, no. Indeed 50% scholarships are pretty rare nowadays. What spare money schools have tends to go towards bursaries as part of attempts to justify charitable status.
mad?
kenyancowgirl
Posts: 6738
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: 100 % Scholarships

Post by kenyancowgirl »

As mad says, 100% scholarships do not exist. Even 50% ones are only likely to be one in a school year. The majority are called at 10-20%, some have no monetary value attached at all - just the kudos of being called a scholar!

A scholarship can be topped up to 100% by a bursary for an exceptional candidate who otherwise would not be able to attend - or to a % where the family can then afford the balance. The very high bursaries are usually just for the top performing children - most schools have a type of income calculator on their websites which indicates if you might be entitled to one - you may be surprised as the income level can seem quite high so always worth asking. Remember the Bursary pot is fixed though and does depend on how much they are already committed to over the school.
Last edited by kenyancowgirl on Mon Aug 26, 2019 11:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
Deb70
Posts: 340
Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2018 5:00 pm

Re: 100 % Scholarships

Post by Deb70 »

Remember the Assisted Places scheme of the 1980s? I was one of those pupils in the first year of the scheme. It's a shame they got rid of that. It paid virtually 100% of the fees, bursaries and scholarships only paid a few hundred pounds.
kenyancowgirl
Posts: 6738
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: 100 % Scholarships

Post by kenyancowgirl »

Yes, I had a scholarship and then an additional AP when family circumstances changed briefly, at the boarding school I was at. The AP scheme was paid by the government, which effectively meant they were double funding as there were state school places available. It has been, rightly, replaced by increased bursaries which are managed by the private schools themselves and has become a requirement for them to maintain their Charity statuses.
Novice mum
Posts: 41
Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2016 11:11 pm

Re: 100 % Scholarships

Post by Novice mum »

Thanks everyone for your swift replies . It is pretty much as I expected !
Was hoping might have been some wiggle room somewhere ....
No worries !
AML
Posts: 347
Joined: Fri Sep 19, 2014 5:32 pm

Re: 100 % Scholarships

Post by AML »

I know parents at DS prep school who have no intention of paying Indie fees but will be sitting them anyway to say he was 'able to pass the exam' or in case of a 'big' scholarship. Personally think its a waste of registration fees.
Moon unit
Posts: 654
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2014 9:14 am

Re: 100 % Scholarships

Post by Moon unit »

I do know that for 2013 entry Hampton School had a 100% scholarship but I’ve no idea if that continues.
The average academic scholarship is 10-20% these days.
This could increase if a child won a music/art/sport scholarship on top.
I know Trinity and Whitgift will add scholarships up to at least 40%.
Maybe it’s higher for a child who is exceptional across the board.
If the maximum scholarship would still make a school out of reach and there was no chance of a bursary I think it’s quite hard on a child to sit the exam.
kenyancowgirl
Posts: 6738
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: 100 % Scholarships

Post by kenyancowgirl »

Since the Charities Commission changed the rules, I don't think scholarships can be offered above 50% - this is not to say that a child couldn't hold multiple scholarships, but, in all honesty, private schools have been firmly "encouraged" to widen access to all by spreading it around and investing heavily in bursary schemes to the point that now scholarships can be (as I said above) in name only, with no financial prize attached. 2013 is a long time ago in school policy terms!
PettswoodFiona
Posts: 2134
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 11:24 pm
Location: Petts Wood, Bromley, Kent

Re: 100 % Scholarships

Post by PettswoodFiona »

I have heard from parents who had children in the junior school at Farringtons, Chislehurst, so not a million miles from the schools you are looking at (but this one is not very high achieving) that if you get an offer from one of the top grammars e.g. the likes of Newstead they will offer a fully funded place at the senior school. My examples however were eight years ago and I gather the school is more popular these days and don't have trouble filling their spaces like they did then.

I also know of a family that got their place funded by the council as their son had special needs and the council agreed they couldn't meet his needs in one of their schools so paid for a place at an independent school, it wasn't a school purely for SEN children either.

So it can happen but unlikely at the highly academic schools that are hugely popular.
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