Assisted Places and Bursaries at Pennthorpe School

The Headmaster and Governors are committed to ensuring, through the provision of means-tested bursary assistance, that the education offered to the children of fee paying parents is also made available to some children whose parents would not otherwise be able to send their children to Pennthorpe. In certain cases, these may include full fees bursaries.

Assistance with fees is available as follows:

Assisted Places

Assisted Places may be offered to children who show well above average academic ability and potential and/or exceptional promise in one or more non-academic areas such as music, art, drama or sport. They are normally available only for entry at 7+, 8 + or 9+ and for children whose parents are committed to an eventual 13+, as opposed to 11+ or 12+, transfer to senior school.

Assisted Places may be offered up to a maximum of 75% fee discount.

Subject to certain conditions being met, a number of senior schools support the Pennthorpe Assisted Places scheme by providing a continuation of the Assisted Place from age 13+ onward.

Assisted Place candidates will be assessed in English, Maths and Verbal Reasoning. Those offering exceptional or supporting strengths in music, art, drama, or sport will also be individually assessed in those disciplines. References will also be sought from previous educational settings in order to obtain evidence of good character.

Assisted Places are subject to annual means-test review and conditional upon continued satisfactory conduct.

Entrance Bursaries

Bursaries may be offered to children who show well above average academic ability and potential and/or exceptional promise in one or more non-academic areas such as music, art, drama or sport. They are normally available for entry at 7+ or above, although earlier entries may occasionally be considered.

Bursaries may be offered up to 100% fee discount, but are subject to annual means-test.

Bursary candidates will be assessed in English, Maths and Verbal Reasoning. Those offering exceptional or supporting strengths in music, art, drama, or sport may also be individually assessed in those disciplines. References will also be sought from previous educational settings in order to obtain evidence of good character.

Bursaries are subject to annual means-test review and conditional upon continued satisfactory conduct.

Bursaries for existing pupils

Parents of current Pennthorpe pupils may also apply for a bursary if, unavoidably, they find themselves in difficulties with meeting the fees. Such bursaries are also means tested and subject to annual review as above.

Music scholarships

These may be offered to internal or external candidates who have been assessed as having 13+ music scholarship potential. These scholarships are not means-tested, but are limited to the subsidy of lessons in a second musical instrument.

Sibling Discounts

No discount is offered for second children.

For families with three children at the school, an automatic discount of 33% applies to the third child.

For families with four children at the school, an additional automatic discount of 67% applies to the fourth child.

NB Sibling discounts are not means-tested. However, those parents whose financial situation is such that they are willing to forego a sibling discount will in due course be invited to have the discount funds placed into a special Endowment Fund, the sole purpose of which will be to provide free places at Pennthorpe for children from the least well-off families. Parents will be informed as soon as this fund has been established.

The means-testing process

Parents will be asked to complete a ‘Confidential Statement of Financial Circumstances' using the form produced by the Independent School Bursars Association, in order to establish the level of financial support that the school may offer. The school will require supporting documentary evidence such as tax returns, mortgage documents or property valuations. All information supplied during the means-testing process will be confidential to the Headmaster, Bursar, Assistant Bursar and members of the school's Finance Committee. The Committee will take into consideration all relevant aspects of a family's financial situation, including the number of children in the family, and in certain circumstances, may wish to conduct a home visit to see the child and family at home.

The totality of fee assistance that can be offered by the school may vary according to circumstance. Funds are finite, and in considering applications, the Headmaster and Governors will have regard not only for the individual circumstances of the applicants, but also for the prudent management of the charity's finances as a whole.