New Bursaries policy

Area for current parents, past parents and future parents of Blues or Old Blues.

Moderator: Moderators

ailurophile
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 454
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2009 12:42 pm
Real Name: Jo

New Bursaries policy

Post by ailurophile »

After months of waiting, I see that CH have finally published their all-new Bursaries Policy; go take a look! http://www.christs-hospital.org.uk/adm- ... amples.php

The helpful 'ready reckoner' has been replaced by a rather confusing table which seems worse than useless as a tool to help parents understand how their own contributions might be calculated; and there appear to have been some very significant policy changes to the method by which both eligibility for a bursary and the level of support is decided.

The new policy will apply from September 2012; I wonder whether/ to what extent these changes will impact on families with children already in the school?
Volupturaptor
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 187
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 8:14 pm
Real Name: Suzy
Location: Devon

Re: New Bursaries policy

Post by Volupturaptor »

"The Head Master’s decision is final in awarding, re-assessing or removing a bursary."

I've not got all the way through yet, but thought this was odd, as isn't it usually all down to the foundation, and nothing to do with the school..?
Volupturaptor
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 187
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 8:14 pm
Real Name: Suzy
Location: Devon

Re: New Bursaries policy

Post by Volupturaptor »

"The School does not give individual estimates prior to the point at which a place is offered. However, the School’s website contains some case studies which demonstrate the range of bursary support that is available."

Oh dear, I can't imagine those scenarios will apply to many people, there's certainly not one to fit our situation...

As if the whole process of applying and sending a child to CH is not scary and complicated enough, this new policy makes it look even scarier!

With the 10% ceiling on bursary increases after the initial award, I can see many more children having to leave due to changes in their parents circumstances. Plain awful!
Volupturaptor
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 187
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 8:14 pm
Real Name: Suzy
Location: Devon

Re: New Bursaries policy

Post by Volupturaptor »

ailurophile wrote: The new policy will apply from September 2012; I wonder whether/ to what extent these changes will impact on families with children already in the school?
Surely it can't affect existing pupils/families? That's not what any of us signed up to!
pinkhebe
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 455
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2010 11:57 am
Real Name: Helen
Location: Brighton

Re: New Bursaries policy

Post by pinkhebe »

well if I ignore the confusing fathers income/mothers income/maintence payments and just look at 'income' it works out about the same as what we are paying. I don't understand the difference in mortgage/rent makes though (hopes it's not too important as we've reduced our mortgage payments to pay the fees!)
pinkhebe
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 455
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2010 11:57 am
Real Name: Helen
Location: Brighton

Re: New Bursaries policy

Post by pinkhebe »

Volupturaptor wrote:
With the 10% ceiling on bursary increases after the initial award, I can see many more children having to leave due to changes in their parents circumstances. Plain awful!
There is a hardship fund, I assume in case of redundancies/bereavement etc. I was more concerned about the suitable jobs for both parents! - I wonder if mine counts, or what doesn't! :lol:
pinkhebe
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 455
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2010 11:57 am
Real Name: Helen
Location: Brighton

Re: New Bursaries policy

Post by pinkhebe »

My maths isn't great. so can someone tell me why example 4's bursery is similar to example 5's ? When their income is around £9000 higher? I know they have 3 children at home, but this doesn't seem to make much difference to the other families :?

I feel as though I'm in a maths exam!
Volupturaptor
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 187
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 8:14 pm
Real Name: Suzy
Location: Devon

Re: New Bursaries policy

Post by Volupturaptor »

pinkhebe wrote:
Volupturaptor wrote:
With the 10% ceiling on bursary increases after the initial award, I can see many more children having to leave due to changes in their parents circumstances. Plain awful!
There is a hardship fund, I assume in case of redundancies/bereavement etc. I was more concerned about the suitable jobs for both parents! - I wonder if mine counts, or what doesn't! :lol:
That's just for the short term though. If someone on a fairly high income (Ok, the supposed average even) loses their job and cannot get another one that pays so well, the hardship fund may help to begin with, but unless they can get another job that pays well...
ReallyMissingHer
UF (Upper Fourth)
Posts: 95
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 4:46 pm
Real Name: B

Re: New Bursaries policy

Post by ReallyMissingHer »

I wonder if they've removed lots of the previous information as it stops people working the system to their best advantage :?

The capping of the bursary I can understand from a financial planning point of view but in these times of redundancies and shortage of jobs thats a horrendous situation to be put in.

I wonder if this means the existing parents will be given a 10% limit based on what their next assessment is?
ailurophile
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 454
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2009 12:42 pm
Real Name: Jo

Re: New Bursaries policy

Post by ailurophile »

ReallyMissingHer wrote:
The capping of the bursary I can understand from a financial planning point of view but in these times of redundancies and shortage of jobs thats a horrendous situation to be put in.

I wonder if this means the existing parents will be given a 10% limit based on what their next assessment is?
So if you're threatened with redundancy or thinking of divorce, now's the time!!

Seriously though, thinking this through I can't see how the new policy will work unless it is applied equally to all pupils. It would surely be unworkable,for example, if somewhere down the line a parent was made redundant and the school could respond with an appropriate increase in bursary for one (pre-2012 entry) of their children but not for any siblings!

This whole 10% limit on increases to the initial bursary is a real worry. How many of us can be confident nowadays that our employment status/ financial security can be guaranteed for seven years ahead? It seems very odd that a school which admits children on the basis of need should effectively abandon them if their family's need becomes greater! And to take examples from the new Bursaries Table, let's imagine that the parent in example 2 loses his job and as a consequence his income drops to exactly the same level as that of the parent in example 6; is it fair that one should continue to receive a 90% bursary (with potential for 100% support) where the other is capped at 50% because he used to earn more? I'm finding it very hard to get my head around this!

And yes Pinkhebe, some of the figures in that Table look distinctly odd!
YadaYada
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 438
Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 7:12 pm

Re: New Bursaries policy

Post by YadaYada »

There are 2 parts of the policy that I think are of interest to us current parents.

The policy states: Once awarded, the bursary (as defined in the offer) normally applies for the duration of a pupil’s school career. However, each bursary holder will be issued with repeat means-testing forms at the beginning of April each year for return by the end of the month. and elsewhere:

Where parents’ circumstances have worsened and/or where fee levels have increased relative to the parents’ ability to pay, the level of bursary may be increased but, over the duration of the child’s time at the school, only up to a maximum figure, usually 10% above the original award made. This maximum figure will be given to parents at the same time as the original award.

I may be wrong but I don't ever recall seeing my bursary being talked of in terms of a % of school fees. I don't think I have ever been told a maximum figure that I would ever be awarded. I am assuming (never, ever assume!) that these are new changes for new parents. For existing parents I believe the school/foundation should honour whatever bursary is required for the child. I suspect this remains to be seen as situations for parents change.
User avatar
J.R.
Forum Moderator
Posts: 15835
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2005 4:53 pm
Real Name: John Rutley
Location: Dorking, Surrey

Re: New Bursaries policy

Post by J.R. »

I'm starting to be rather pleased my GD didn't get a place now !
John Rutley. Prep B & Coleridge B. 1958-1963.
sejintenej
Button Grecian
Posts: 4092
Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2005 12:19 pm
Real Name: David Brown ColA '52-'61
Location: Essex

Re: New Bursaries policy

Post by sejintenej »

YadaYada wrote:There are 2 parts of the policy that I think are of interest to us current parents.

The policy states: Once awarded, the bursary (as defined in the offer) normally applies for the duration of a pupil’s school career. However, each bursary holder will be issued with repeat means-testing forms at the beginning of April each year for return by the end of the month. and elsewhere:

Where parents’ circumstances have worsened and/or where fee levels have increased relative to the parents’ ability to pay, the level of bursary may be increased but, over the duration of the child’s time at the school, only up to a maximum figure, usually 10% above the original award made. This maximum figure will be given to parents at the same time as the original award.
If this has been quoted correctly then it is a promise of future horrors for some.

Lets take :master Q whose parents are far from well off. School fees are £20.000 and the bursary is £ 18.000 at the start. With inflation the fees rise 5% per annum for the next 5 years so the fees become £25.515 but the bursary becomes £19800: the parents contribution has risen from £2.000 to £4715 or 136% on no increase in family income. (Looking at the current economic climate an annual rise of as little as 5% seems very unlikely). Legalised expulsion of a pupil the school decided desperately needed the school's suppport?
YadaYada
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 438
Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 7:12 pm

Re: New Bursaries policy

Post by YadaYada »

Copied and pasted from the policy I'm afraid.
kingedwardrd
2nd Former
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2011 8:00 pm

Re: New Bursaries policy

Post by kingedwardrd »

There have been some major changes - the primary aim being to make it easier for parents on 'middle income' to send their children to CH. In the past it seemed that such parents were unfairly disciminated against. As a result there will be far greater competition for places where parents need high support, sue to supply and demand. The school is no longer needs blind but needs aware - a distinction that means that in the past the school would admit students without knowing the level of support they needed. Now, they do. Quite how we managed to be needs blind for so long is a mystery to me. It must have been like playing Russian roulette every year.
Post Reply