bursariesMeans-tested bursary awards: review of 2010-11

Please click here for information about applying for a bursary for entry to Highgate School in September 2012

During 2010-11, 70 pupils held means-tested bursaries, of whom 21 received support in excess of 90% of fees. 16 of these 21 were 100% bursaries. 5 of the 70 were supported by The Friends of Highgate School (a registered charity, no. 1056624). The primary purpose of The Friends is to support pupils already at Highgate if their families fall into financial hardship, but they also fund bursary awards. 6 pupils were also given grants towards the cost of their uniform. The total value of the support provided by the School was £610,686 which represented an increase in funding of 24% compared with 2009-10. The contribution from The Friends was just over £40,000. Additionally, the School allocated £5000 to enable bursary holders to participate in those School trips for which there is a charge. Through a donation from an alumnus of the School, 12 bursary award holders had support with the costs of instrumental music lessons and associated expenses. Furthermore, the equivalent of one bursary has been funded by those parents and carers who have voluntarily returned the fee remission attached to the academic or music scholarships that their children have been awarded. The School very much appreciates the support and generosity of the Friends and individual donors.

Governors’ policy is to concentrate bursary awards (i.e. means-tested fee remission) amongst children in low-income families who are able to pay very little or none of the fees. During 2010-11 considerable effort was put into making such families aware of the awards. In particular, the head teachers of primary schools within 3km of the School and those near to bus routes direct to Highgate Village, were written to, to advertise the existence of bursary awards and to ask them to speak to parents and carers of potential applicants. This strategy was very successful, and has been built upon: for example, head teachers were invited in June 2011 to visit the School to find out more about out bursary awards and our outreach activities. A number of new partnerships have already grown out of this. In Autumn 2010 the bursary awards were advertised in appropriate locations, and also in Haringey People magazine, which is delivered to every household in the borough. Some information on the School’s website was translated into other languages. Highgate School was one of the schools advertising bursary awards on the shared website www.feeassistancelondonschools.org.uk. This marketing campaign also included Tube and press advertisements.

The School invests considerable time, thought and resources in the awarding of bursaries. Almost all bursary applicants are visited at home, most by the Director of the Charity; some colleagues who are keen to learn more about the Director’s work have been trained and made a small number of visits each in 2010-11. Altogether, nearly 100 visits were made. These visits mean that parents and carers have support with the completion of the inevitably complicated application form (called the Statement of Financial Circumstances) and that supporting documentation can be readily verified. The visits also help the School carry out due diligence. Feedback surveys confirm that the visits are very warmly appreciated by parents and carers. A full statement of the School’s policy on Bursaries is available on the website; there is also further information available for parents and carers within the Admissions section of the website.

Governors retain their ambition of seeking to continue over coming years the recent upward trend in the level of means-tested fee remission. They intend to continue to put income from the School’s non-academic estate towards bursary provision, but donations from parents and alumni will become increasingly important as the extent of bursary support increases.