A third of pupils at UK independent schools receive some kind of reduction in fees

The Independent Schools Council (ISC) annual census for 2018 revealed that almost £400 million was provided in means-tested fee assistance for pupils at ISC schools, four per cent more than last year. A third of pupils at ISC schools benefit from reduced fees and 5,657 pupils pay no fees at all.

Commenting on the results, chair of the ISC Barnaby Lenon said: ‘In recent years, independent schools have raised money to subsidise the fees of lower income families, widening access.’ He added: ‘Students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are on bursaries at ISC schools often go on to secure further financial help in order to attend top UK universities.’

The way in which schools fund and award scholarships and bursaries has changed over the last decade or so and the terminology, let alone the terms and conditions, of fee assistance can be confusing. Schools are now much more up front about what they offer, but parents may find little common ground when trying to compare one school’s provision with another’s.

Scholarships
Generally speaking, scholarships are awarded on merit, irrespective of financial means, and these days most are capped at five or ten per cent of the fees. Scholarships are essentially honorary, intended to recognise outstanding ability in specific areas (sport, music, drama, art and DT) or more broadly (academic and all-rounder). They are awarded at various stages, such as 11+, 13+ and the sixth form. Fewer are available at prep schools. Many scholarships are historic in origin and named for past benefactors; at some schools, scholars are distinguished by, for instance, different ties or special privileges.

Bursaries
Most independent schools now direct the funds they have for fee assistance into means-tested bursaries. Why? Because they’re keen to attract and help able pupils who would benefit from attending their school but wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford the fees. A bursary will generally fund a percentage of the fees; some cover the entire cost. Bursaries can also be combined with scholarships. Unlike scholars, pupils whose places are supported by bursaries are not identified as such and schools do their utmost to be sensitive and ensure confidentiality about pupils’ and families’ personal circumstances.

The older the school, the more generous its scholarship and bursary provision is likely to be, simply because it has had longer to gather bequests and endowments from grateful former pupils. Boys’ schools (or former boys’ schools) have had a head start of centuries over girls’ schools, the oldest of which date from the mid 19th century. For this and other sociological reasons, girls’ schools tend to have more limited resources for fee assistance.

In an interview with The Times earlier this month (July), Eton College headmaster Simon Henderson revealed that the school is spending £7 million a year on means-tested bursaries. ‘We want talented boys to come to Eton whatever their financial circumstances, because that’s what we fundamentally believe in,’ he said. Tom Arbuthnott, Eton’s head of outreach, added: ‘We do more than any other school in the country, with the possible exception of Christ’s Hospital.’ Christ’s Hospital, the co-ed day and boarding school in Horsham, West Sussex, prides itself on offering ‘first class, free or supported education to talented young people from disadvantaged and modest backgrounds’. Around 75 per cent of pupils receive financial support and 13 per cent pay no fees at all.

Schools provide advice and guidance on their criteria for fee assistance on their websites. For instance, St Paul’s School, the high-achieving boys’ school in west London, requests full details of parental income and capital resources from those applying for bursaries. It even illustrates the types of families who could benefit from its bursary scheme. A boy whose parents are both self-employed and live in rented accommodation might be eligible for 100 per cent fee remission.

There’s no doubt that schools are keen to ensure that fee assistance goes to children who deserve it. When our writers visit schools up and down the country we always ask about the scholarships and bursaries they offer and include this information in our reviews.

If you’d like to find out more about the scholarships and bursaries on offer at independent schools the Good Schools Guide has a Scholarships and Bursaries Service. This is a paid-for service but we keep our fees as low as possible. The service provides everything from information on the schools offering scholarships and bursaries to their criteria for awarding these and what parents’ income needs to be to qualify for bursarial help of some kind. To find out more, go to: Scholarships and Bursaries Service

Each month the Good Schools Guide Newsletter chooses a brand-new book that we think children will enjoy.

Our choice for July is: The Last Chance Hotel by Nicki Thornton (Chicken House, £6.99)

Age: 9+

With the long summer holidays stretching ahead, now is the perfect time for children to switch off their screens and get stuck into a novel.

We reckon that boys and girls alike will enjoy The Last Chance Hotel, an entertaining whodunnit with a sprinkle of magic thrown in for good measure.

Downtrodden kitchen boy Seth Seppi works at a remote hotel owned by the spiteful Norrie Bunn and her oily husband Horatio. A talented cook, Seth only has one friend in the world, a talking cat called Nightshade. When a group of magicians arrive for dinner, Seth prepares a special dessert – only to discover that the dish has poisoned VIP guest Dr Torpor Thallomius. Innocent Seth is the prime suspect – but how on earth can he clear his name?

Bookshop owner turned author Nicki Thornton won the 2016 Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition with this delightful debut novel. Billed as Agatha Christie meets Harry Potter, it’s snappily written and wonderfully atmospheric. Let’s hope there’ll be many more Seth Seppi adventures to come.

Going up

Partnership Bursaries. Eton, Rugby, Shrewsbury and Charterhouse are among 40 of the UK’s top boarding schools that have signed up to provide Partnership Bursaries, a government initiative to support the education of ‘vulnerable’ children. Under the scheme local authorities will fund 60 per cent of the cost of places and the balance will be met by the schools.

Silence is golden. Val Masson, headteacher at The Albany School in east London, claims that her new policy of getting pupils to walk between lessons in silence has ‘transformed’ behaviour. Pupils in years 7, 8 and 9 must also queue silently in the playground before coming in from break times. Mrs Masson says that staff have also remarked on how much calmer the pupils are.

Going down

‘If…’ It may have been voted the nation’s favourite poem, but members of the University of Manchester Students’ Union were decidedly uninspired when they discovered Rudyard Kipling’s ode to the stiff upper lip had been used to decorate their HQ. It has now been replaced with Maya Angelou’s Still I Rise.

Teenage rebellion. Government data for England and Wales seems to indicate that being a teenager today means less sex, fewer drugs and moderate rock and roll. Young people are drinking and smoking less, teenage pregnancies are down, drug use is declining and fewer under-18s are being arrested. So, is ‘Generation Sensible’ unadulterated good news, or the calm before a perfect storm of mid-life crises in 30 years’ time?

Going down under. University College London’s Centre for Global Higher Education says that the UK has been pushed from second into third place, behind the USA and Australia, as destination of choice for international students.

Highlights from this summer issue of Chalk & Chat magazine include an interview with mental health expert Cat Williams, who believes resilience is the golden ticket to coping with the challenges of growing up – one that parents can help their offspring with probably more than they realised.

Other features include schools that stand out for teaching enterprise, how to teach your kids to touch type and the tell-tale signs that you might have been – shock, horror – wasting money on a tutor. Our regular lowdown on moving to a particular area focuses on Royal Tunbridge Wells. On a lighter note, we bring you the best bikes for your kids to ride around on this summer, as well as some of the top places to holiday with your family. And there’s more.

Chalk & Chat first came about in 2016 as a result of website subscribers asking us to widen our conversation around schooling and parenting into a magazine for parents. The result was a termly magazine that aims to have the Good Schools Guide hallmark of frank, honest and transparent writing that’s witty, informative and fresh. It’s all about celebrating being a parent, while at the same time as acknowledging the hurdles and lower points. There are debates, opinions, roundups, guides, features and more – always with our children at the very heart of discussions.

As I said at the launch of our first issue, if we all knew each other, this is what we’d do – share experiences, offer advice and discuss challenges. We hope you’ll join our conversation and that you’ll tell us what you think of the new-look magazine. We always strive to do better, so keep the suggestions coming – this magazine is for you.

Kate Hilpern
Editor
Chalk & Chat

Wellington College and The Good Schools Guide invite you to the must-attend event for any school with students interested in applying to university in the United States, with experts and admissions officers from top American universities giving behind-closed-doors information on every aspect of the process.

In a departure from previous years, this year's conference will be structured into a full day for advisers new to the process, and a half day for experts.

Morning session (9.00am onwards) will cover the absolute basics for the complete application process and the US university system, but will be aimed at advisers with little or no experience. Experienced advisers are welcome, but are not to expect an advanced perspective. This is Admissions 101!

Afternoon session (12.50 onwards) will look in detail at SATs/ACTs, financial aid, reference letters, essays useful whether experienced or beginners. Beginners are welcome but should expect the sessions to be aimed at a general audience that includes long-time counsellors who are experts at the US process.

Speakers: Speakers will include admissions representatives from Harvard, Bowdoin, University of Southern California, Brown, Columbia, Swarthmore and Yale, as well as experts working in US admissions, testing and financial aid. These include AJ Nemecek Education, ACS Cobham International School, A-List, Highgate School, College Prospects of America (sports scholarships)

Who should attend: School advisers and career guidance counsellors, directors of studies, year 12 tutors and heads of 5th and 6th form or any other school representative helping a student navigate the US University admissions process. We welcome both beginner and experts in the field.
For full details of topics covered and to book please click on the link: Applying to University in the USA: Adviser Training Conference for Beginners and Experts

Delegate fee: 
All day: £140 per delegate inclusive of all refreshments and lunch. 

Afternoon session only (for experts only) - £120 per delegate. Delegates attending the afternoon session should register between 1100-1130 to be able to join the working lunch groups.
The Good School Guide's Uni in the USA is included in the ticket price for each attendee.

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