Free private school places for poor - Daily Mail

HappySad

Anyone know anything about this?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=438476&in_page_id=1770


What do you need to be to quality to be poor?
Low income?
Which benefits would you need to be on?
Registered disabled
Do those who live closer to the private school get priority?

Any info on this would be very much welcome.

Scarlett1

I got distracted by the incest story next to it

grastgirl

If it's anything like the system my old school used to run, it will be school dependent (unless the government sets up strict minimums or something). They used to have a number of scholarship places (academic or musical ability based) that were completely free including uniform vouchers etc, and then an undefined number of bursaries, which were all income assessed (and probably ability assessed as well) and came from a set pot of money I think. I would have thought it depends on the entry year what the income threshold would be and the process may not be entirely transparent.

I don't know whether benefits would have any bearing on it, although the one girl I knew who had a full scholarship, both her parents were out of work for whatever reason. Distance to school probably has little influence if the school has an entrance exam (but I wouldn't know), we certainly had kids bussed in from about 30 miles away (and all areas of the city were represented).

I think a child would need to be particularly gifted to get a free place. Bear in mind that there are conditions sometimes, where the child has to continue to perform to keep getting the scholarship, which is a lot of pressure for the whole of their secondary education.

inkie

Our DD sat has this year sat the competative entrance exam for a prestigious girls high school ,and has been offered a place. However, we have to pay 50% fees - still £4500, and so out of our reach - and so will not be going. This system would have been of benefit to us - as our DD is the type of child who would have really benefitted from such a system. However, as we both work, I expect that we would not have been poor enough.

dmg24

This sounds like an extension of the current system of bursaries (or perhaps just another way of stating what is already in place).

Bursaries are awarded according to academic performance and family income. However, even with a full bursary it would still be difficult to educate a child at an independent school, there are many additional costs to consider.

It appears to be something that will be administered by individual schools, so the best thing to do would be to contact the particular school that you are interested in.

In my experience, if a child is really that talented, the school will move heaven and earth to provide adequate funding to enable the child to attend their school. However, though many children are very gifted, there are few that will fill this 'elite' criteria.

pippamannequin

inkie wrote:

Our DD sat has this year sat the competative entrance exam for a prestigious girls high school ,and has been offered a place. However, we have to pay 50% fees - still £4500, and so out of our reach - and so will not be going. This system would have been of benefit to us - as our DD is the type of child who would have really benefitted from such a system. However, as we both work, I expect that we would not have been poor enough.

Hi, well done to your daughter. Have you contacted the school to see if they offer a bursery to help towards the rest of the fees, most private schools have them.

On the OP's question, from what I know these places will be given along the same lines of the assisted places. Those who pass the entrance exams with a high enough result will then be offered a reduced/free place based on the level of income..the higher the income lesser help with the fees.
The old assisted places were free for those whose parents were on benefits and contributions increased the higher the income. There wasnt any other criteria for the places as far as i can remember other than passing the entrance exams.

exil

I'm in 2 minds about this. On the one hand it would benefit some kids to go to a top school on the basis of merit rather than money. On the other hand it will cost money which could be spent on raising standards in all schools.

Emmylou_2

There used to be a similar system to this in place - it was called the Assisted Places Scheme. It was like a scholarship except the government paid your fees. I went to private school on an Assisted Place (mum was a disabled single mother so reliant on benefits) - there were about 3 or 4 per year at the school I went to. Mine not only paid my school fees but an amount towards uniform/equipment and, because mum was on benefits, I also had free school meals.

However...this was one of the first things that Labour abolished when they came to power. Apparently it wasn't fair (or something like that).

ruthyjo

k60sav wrote:

Hi, well done to your daughter. Have you contacted the school to see if they offer a bursery to help towards the rest of the fees, most private schools have them.

Surely Inkie's point was that daughter had got a fifty percent bursary but this still wasn't enough of a discount for them to afford for her to go?

inkie

Quote:
Originally Posted by k60sav
Hi, well done to your daughter. Have you contacted the school to see if they offer a bursery to help towards the rest of the fees, most private schools have them.

Surely Inkie's point was that daughter had got a fifty percent bursary but this still wasn't enough of a discount for them to afford for her to go?

That's right - we were banking on getting the 1 100% fee remission place, but was offered an assisted place - therefore 50% reduction on a sliding scale due to our income. At a push we could have managed it, but then we have another DD who is younger, and also if our income went up even marginally, we would have become liable for full fees. Didn't want to be in a position to pull daugher out in future due to going under trying to pay the fees - and all the extras associated. So, Still out of our reach though! Still, hoping to get daughter into top denominational school - just waiting for the envelope! Most of the money that we will be saving by doing this will be put aside for uni.

pippamannequin

inkie wrote:

Quote:
Originally Posted by k60sav
Hi, well done to your daughter. Have you contacted the school to see if they offer a bursery to help towards the rest of the fees, most private schools have them.






That's right - we were banking on getting the 1 100% fee remission place, but was offered an assisted place - therefore 50% reduction on a sliding scale due to our income. At a push we could have managed it, but then we have another DD who is younger, and also if our income went up even marginally, we would have become liable for full fees. Didn't want to be in a position to pull daugher out in future due to going under trying to pay the fees - and all the extras associated. So, Still out of our reach though! Still, hoping to get daughter into top denominational school - just waiting for the envelope! Most of the money that we will be saving by doing this will be put aside for uni.

Sorry i didnt quite read what you said right. In my experience the assisted places were funded by the government, in the past, hence me saying maybe contact the school to see if they would add funds themselves from the bursary. If it wasnt outside funds that the place was based on and it was the school funding the 50% I can see where it will be difficult for you to subsidise the rest of the fees. Ive been in a very similar situation myself in the past.