If you are considering a private school in the UK for your child the cost must have discouraged you or at least brought some worry to you, no doubt. There are scholarships offered by those same private schools in the UK to help offset the high cost of tuition. I have curated a list of these UK private school scholarships, explained how they work, and how you can get them.
Parents and guardians dream of sending their child to a private school in the UK because they are mostly recognized as the best. These schools are known as citadels of academic excellence, with small class sizes, state-of-the-art facilities, and table-topping exam results. If you were wondering what makes them costly compared to their public counterparts, you now have your answer.
According to Simply London, the average fees for day students in private schools are nearly £5,218 per term, or just over £15,500 per year. Some schools like Hurtwood House in Surrey costs above £39,000 per year which ranks them among the most expensive schools in the UK.
The cost of independent schools in the UK is too high for many people to afford even if all they desire is to send their child to one. Now, imagine a situation where there is more than one child, how would they afford it?
The cost of private schools in the UK shouldn’t discourage parents or guardians from sending their child to one if that is what they want. There are private schools offering scholarships in the UK to pupils who meet the requirements for financial aid which are usually bursaries and scholarships.
Here is a quick fact; according to the Independent Schools Council (ISC), the cost of private schools has gone up to nearly 50% more expensive than a decade ago. However, despite this increase, the number of students entering a UK private school is on the rise. How is this even possible?
Scholarships and bursaries. That is how it is possible.
Private schools in the UK offer financial assistance to support low-income families who want to send their children to private schools and to recognize the talents of students. These financial aids are categorized into scholarships and bursaries.
Scholarships are often given to students who display excellent academic performance or demonstrate talent in a particular activity such as sports, music, dance, art, or drama. Bursaries on the other hand are awarded to students who demonstrate financial need. There are several factors that are set in place to assess students with financial need.
However, getting either a bursary or scholarship can cover from 10% to 100% of tuition fees. The value varies from school to school and the performance of the child.
Now, the next thing on your mind would be how to find these financial aids, how to apply for them, and how to know if your child is eligible to receive one. Don’t worry, I will demystify everything about these scholarships for you.
Firstly, you do not have to go through the stress of looking for private schools offering scholarships in the UK as I have curated a list of them here, all you just need to do is scroll through, read the requirements, and apply for them. And as for how to apply for them, the list below will guide you.
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How to Apply for Private School Scholarships in the UK
Applying for financial assistance like scholarships or bursaries in a private school is very easy and does not require much process.
However, before applying for a scholarship or bursary at an independent school your child must have been enrolled in that school or you must have indicated interest to enroll your child in that school and have begun the enrollment process. Once you are here, you can then contact the school through email, telephone, or in person regarding available scholarships or bursaries.
As I mentioned earlier, scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement or achievement in sports, art & design, performing arts, etc. while bursaries are awarded based on financial need, and some factors are used by schools to determine financial need.
When you know the kind of aid that is available parents and students will then figure out which one to get by knowing where the child excels.
When you contact the school to know which financial assistance is available remember to ask for requirements and details concerning other eligibility criteria for the scholarships and bursaries. This will also show you areas where your child is eligible. Whichever criteria your child satisfies, simply indicate interest and a form will be available for you to fill out online or in person.
That is all the info you need to know to apply for private school scholarships in the UK and without any further ado, let’s get into the main topic.
Private Schools Offering Scholarships in the UK
The following are private schools in the UK that offer scholarships and bursaries to students:
- Concord College
- The Webber Independent School
- Ackworth School
- Brentwood School
- Rossall School
- The Pointers School
- City of London School
- King’s College, Taunton
1. Concord College
Concord College is a co-educational private boarding school for pupils between the ages of 13 and 18 years old. The college is an international school, that is, it is open to accept students from all nationalities. In 2020/2021 alone, this school made the headlines for the best A-level and GCSE results, ranked 5th in The Times for A Level results in co-ed schools, and the majority of its students got into top universities in the country such as Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, UCL, Warwick, and LSE.
From the data above, it is clear that Concord College excels academically and, as you may have already guessed, it comes with a huge cost. However, the cost of Concord College shouldn’t discourage parents or guardians who wish to enroll their child at this school as they offer various scholarships and bursaries to students starting from Form 3 to assist parents with the financial burden.
Each of the scholarships has different requirements and values but the one with the highest value is the Principal’s Scholarship and it is also the most competitive.
2. The Webber Independent School
The Webber Independent School is a co-ed private school in Milton Keynes for pupils between the ages of 6 months to 16 years old. Here at Webber, your child will have access to quality academics and care for their well-being, learn moral values and good manners, and access cutting-edge facilities for sports and other social activities.
As an independent school in the UK, you already know that the cost of such a school would be on the high side but there are scholarships set in place to offset its expensive tuition. Webber Independent School offers generous scholarships that can cover up to 50% of your child’s tuition. The scholarships are awarded to students that demonstrate excellent achievement and potential in their area of talent be it sports, arts, or academics.
The scholarships at The Webber Independent School are only available to students from Year 6 to Year 11. To apply, parents will have to contact the school and arrange a meeting with the headteacher then proceed to submit required documents to assess your child for the scholarship.
3. Ackworth School
Ackworth School is another prestigious private school in the UK offering financial assistance, in the form of scholarships and bursaries, to students who meet the requirements. Ackworth is a private co-ed boarding and day school that has been around for more than 200 years and keeps innovating in the areas of teaching and learning to keep providing excellent academics to her students.
Here at Ackworth School, bursaries and varieties of scholarships are awarded to students to offset the cost of tuition. Scholarships are awarded based on merits while bursaries are awarded based on financial need but applicants for bursaries are tested. Scholarships are awarded to students between the ages of 11 years and 16 years old.
Also, awards for the scholarships are divided into academic scholarships, music scholarships, art scholarships, drama scholarships, sports scholarships, fixed value awards, GCSE awards, and Higher Scholarship Awards. Note that each of these awards has its various requirements and eligibility criteria, so, check in before you start applying.
4. Brentwood School
At Brentwood School, a wide range of scholarships and means-tested bursaries are available to assist families with the cost of tuition. Scholarships and bursaries are renewable for the entire duration of the pupil’s time at Brentwood but they are reviewed annually. Your child must be registered at Brentwood School before they can apply for a scholarship or bursary because the application for any financial assistance is also done during the application for admission.
The scholarships are categorized and have different application requirements but the academic scholarship does not require an application and is awarded based on the pupil’s entrance examination score, this scholarship is only for students entering from Year 7. There are also other scholarships – that require an application – which are in chess, dance, drama, music, and sports.
5. Rossall School
Rossall School is a co-ed boarding school for students aged 6 months to 18 years old based in Lancashire, UK. Whether you want to enroll your child in nursery, pre-prep & prep school, senior school, summer school, or sixth form Rossall School is ensuring you that it is the best place you can consider with varieties of activities and state-of-the-art facilities that will develop your child’s potential.
At Rossall, there are a wide variety of scholarships awarded annually to current and new students. There are also means-tested bursaries available to students. The scholarships are awarded based on merit to pupils entering Years 7, 9, and 12 with outstanding talent in the areas of academics, sport, music, and art.
6. The Pointers School
The Pointers School is a prep school that offers a range of scholarships to students and it is one of the few in the country to do that. The scholarships are awarded to students in Year 1 and above in the fields of academics, creative arts, sports, chess, and languages. If your child shows outstanding performance in any of these fields, you can enroll them at The Pointers School and sign them up for a scholarship to offset the financial burden.
7. City of London School
The City of London School offers bursaries to students whose parents cannot afford the cost of education at this school. Students who are awarded bursaries also have to show excellent academic records with financial need to be eligible.
There are various criteria for the bursary which largely depends on the financial circumstance of the family but it can cover part or all of the pupil’s tuition fees. Bursaries at the City of London School are competitive and limited.
8. King’s College, Taunton
King’s College in Taunton, Somerset, England, is an independent co-ed day and boarding school for pupils aged 2 to 18 years old. King’s College is one of the best private schools offering scholarships in the UK to pupils whose parents cannot afford the huge cost of tuition at this school.
Scholarships at King’s College are categorized as 11+ scholarships, 13+ scholarships, and 16+ scholarships than the Somerset Scholarship. Read the requirements for each of these scholarships to know where you fall and whether you are eligible to apply.
These are the 8 best private schools in the UK offering scholarships and bursaries to pupils. There are other ways to source for private school scholarships in the UK but an easy way is through the London Fee Assistance Consortium or LFAC where you will input your postcode and search for private schools within your area that offer financial assistance.
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