Bursary Fund

The School is committed to broadening access to a BSM education by offering to eligible parents/guardians means-tested financial support. Such support may be awarded in the form of a discount on tuition fees payable, depending on the financial, compassionate or other pertinent circumstances of applicants.

Applications are open to students not currently at BSM who meet the eligibility criteria and families currently at the School who find themselves in financial difficulties.

Applicants should demonstrate:

• A positive attitude to learning
• A good academic record
• Age appropriate participation in co-curricular activities beyond the classroom – e.g. music, drama, sport and charitable service.

Awards are made on the basis of a family’s financial circumstances (e.g. their savings, investments and realisable assets, as well as their income, the size of their family, any other persons dependent upon them and similar factors). Bursaries are subject to regular review.

1. Parents/guardians of bursary candidates will be required to complete an application form that seeks to establish the financial circumstances of the household. The form, which requests details of income and capital, must be accompanied by full documentary evidence, including school records and references as appropriate.
2. The CFO assesses all applications to establish the likely level of support that will be required in order to allow the child to attend the School. This may involve the CFO, or his or her representative, visiting the parents’/guardians’ home to ensure the information has been correctly interpreted and the basis of the financial assessment has been fair.
3. The Bursary Fund Committee considers the applications and a decision about the level of financial support is reached.
4. The parents/guardians are advised whether their child is to be granted a bursary (subject to admissions process).
5. Parents/guardians will be required to sign an Acceptance Form accepting the bursary and its terms and conditions.

The amount of the means-tested bursary is influenced by the extent of need. Each case is assessed on its own merits and awards are made accordingly. It is recognised that judgments about what sacrifices a family should make to pay school fees will be personal. However, the School has a duty to ensure that all bursaries are fair and so, as well as current earnings, other factors which will be considered in determining the necessary level of bursary will include:

• The ability to improve the financial position or earning power of the family
• Opportunities to release any capital
• Contribution to household costs by other, wider, family members, any adults related or unrelated to the child or by outside sources
• Fees paid to other schools or universities
• The social need of the child
• The parents/guardians health and ability to secure permanent employment

The School considers that inter alia the following would not be consistent with the receipt of an award:

• Frequent or expensive holidays
• New or luxury cars
• Investment in significant home improvements
• A second property/land holding

All bursaries are subject to regular review. The continuation of bursaries is dependent upon good school reports for effort and achievement, attendance and punctuality. The Bursary Fund Committee has the discretion to reduce and/or withdraw an award not only where a pupil’s progress, attitude, behaviour, attendance and punctuality are deemed to have been unsatisfactory, but also where the parents/guardians have failed to support the School, for example by the late payment of any contribution they are making to the fees, or failure to adhere to the Parental Code of Conduct.

The Bursary Fund Committee respects the confidentiality of means-tested awards made to families and recipients are expected to do likewise.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis during the school year. For further information about the Bursary Fund, please write to development@bsm.school.