Bursaries – Assistance with fees (Dummy)

A bursary award gives parents who have accepted the offer of a place at St Paul’s a percentage reduction in the school fees.  It is only awarded to those parents who are unable to pay the full fees and who successfully apply to the school for a formal assessment of their financial situation.  The value of the award is therefore means-tested, and depending on the parents’ financial circumstances it could be between 5% and 100% of fees. Bursary awards are discretionary and subject to the financial resources of the school.

Families with a gross household income of up £126,000 pa or less and net assets up to £1.4m may be eligible for a bursary.  From 2023/24, those with gross household incomes below £68,000 pa may be eligible for an award of up to 100% of fees, subject to net assets. An allowance of £15,000 per child will be made against assessable income for any dependent children in the family other than the applicant. These examples are indicative only and the school cannot guarantee that they will apply to particular parents.

The money to support bursaries all comes from the school.  There is no government support.

Firstly, all applicants must fill in the online registration form and pay the registration fee of £200 for entry at 7+, 8+ and 13+ or the £75 application fee at 11+ and 16+. On completing the online registration form, please state you wish to be assessed for a bursary.

The examples below illustrate the types of families who could benefit from our bursary scheme.

Both parents self-employed on low income. Living in rented accommodation. One child receiving 100% fee remission.
Both parents employed with low incomes. Living in modest home with mortgage. One child receiving 90% fee remission.
One parent with moderate income. Living in rented accommodation. Two children receiving 70% fee remission.
Parents both working in moderately paid employment. Modest home with mortgage. One child receiving 20% fee remission.

A new scheme introduced in 2016 offers more generous support to families with a household income less than £126,000. All bursary places are subject to successful completion of the entrance requirements.

The parents of any successful candidate for either school, who meet the residency criteria above, may apply for a bursary.

The bursary will cover or part-cover the school fees, which includes tuition, boarding (if applicable), games, loan books (which must be returned at the end of the academic year), careers aptitude tests, learning needs tests, certain school publications and lunch. It may also cover or part-cover educational trips, training camps, tutorial outings, examination fees, School bus fare, private music tuition and iPads/smart devices where applicable. Annual allowances will be made for school uniform/sports kit costs and textbooks.

Parents in receipt of a bursary award will be required to pay any balance of termly fees in accordance with the school’s terms and conditions. A reduced deposit of £500 is also payable when parents accept the offer of a place.

Bursaries are granted on the basis of financial need and scholarships are awarded to signify outstanding achievement in academic work or talent in music at 11+ and 13+ (and art at 16+). Scholarships at St Paul’s are honorary, worth £60 per annum.

We will only assess you for a bursary as and when your son makes significant progress through the academic admissions process.  This is because we have many more applicants for places at the school than there are places available, and we have to be certain that we think your son would really benefit from the very particular type of education we offer here.  At that stage, we will automatically send you all the relevant forms and guidance notes to complete.  This will usually happen at the following points:

7+ and 8+ – if successful in being called for interview following the written examination.

11+ entry – following completion of the ISEB pre-test and if invited for the written assessment.

13+ entry – Spring of Year 7.

16+ entry – after interview.

You will be sent an application form and guidance notes to complete and return. It will ask questions about your household financial income, expenditure and assets/liabilities, details of any investments you hold, your accommodation and your dependants. We require documented evidence to verify the information you provide.

Provided the Finance Office has received a completed application form and full supporting documentation, you will be notified of the outcome of the assessment prior to the Admissions Acceptance Deadline for your son’s point of entry. Late submission will not disqualify you from bursary assistance but may delay the assessment process.

St Paul’s is a highly academically selective school. The admission processes for each entry point differ and are set out in the school’s Admissions Policy. Full details and timings of the process for each entry point can be found in the Admissions section. Please be aware deadlines for registration differ depending on selected year of entry.

Bursary application assessments are conducted independently of the academic selection process after an applicant has met the academic entrance criteria.

Bursary Awards are only available to candidates whose family home is in the UK where at least one Parent resides and where Parents and candidate fall into one of the following categories:

i. British Citizens in possession of a British passport (The United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland) and Irish Citizens in possession of an Irish passport.

ii. Have ‘settled’ or ‘pre-settled’ status

iii. Have ‘indefinite leave’ to remain in the UK

Yes, a bursary awarded for one son will be taken into account in assessing the support necessary for another.

The bursary application process is undertaken by the Finance Office at St Paul’s School, independent of the admissions process, and the data provided is used for the purposes of assessing your application for financial assistance. An application for bursary support will not affect a candidate’s academic eligibility and vice-versa.  Once a place is awarded, only certain senior members of staff and staff on the pastoral team will be aware of bursary recipients and this information is treated with discretion.

Support is offered by a member of staff who is appointed to be the first point of contact for bursary pupils or their parents if they have any queries or concerns. The School is therefore able to focus on ensuring that every boy is fully integrated into school life irrespective of their economic background, so that they can all benefit from what the school has to offer.

The bursary award is discretionary and is subject to an annual means-test re-assessment. The value of any award is calculated against a sliding scale, which means if your income increases the amount of assistance may diminish and vice-versa.

Call the Admissions Team on 020 8748 9162 (or 020 8748 3461 for St Paul’s Juniors) or email admissions@stpaulsschool.org.uk. We will be happy to arrange a school visit for you and your son to view the school and talk to staff and pupils.