Applying for a Bursary Award
The Governors of The Godolphin and Latymer School are committed to broadening access to the School by offering parents means-tested financial assistance with school fees.
Bursary awards are subject to annual review and the value of the award may vary from year to year, depending on parental circumstances. Awards are made on the basis of the family’s financial circumstances, taking into account income and realisable assets as well as any other pertinent circumstances.
Requests for financial support usually fall into two categories:
- Assistance on entry to the school into Year 7 (UIII) where a place has been offered but parents are unable to afford all or part of the school fees. A limited number of on entry bursaries into Year 12 (LVI) may be available.
- Assistance for existing girls where a change in parents’ circumstances has resulted in difficulty in meeting school fees and may result in the girl being withdrawn from the school.
Bursaries on Entry
The number of bursaries awarded on entry each September is at the discretion of the Governors. Awards are made by the Head Mistress and Bursar who are responsible for the management and co-ordination of the process.
Parents seeking assistance are required to complete an application form which seeks to establish the financial circumstances of the household. The form, which requests details of capital and income, must be accompanied by full documentary evidence. The completed form, along with the necessary documents, are to be submitted no later than the closing date in any year for bursaries to start the following September. Any application forms which are not returned by the deadline, or are incomplete, will not be processed.
The Bursar assesses all applications in order to establish the likely level of support which will be required. This will usually also involve the parents attending an interview to ensure the information has been correctly interpreted and the basis of the financial assessment has been fair.
The amount of the bursary award is not influenced by the academic ability of the girl but by the extent of need. Each case is assessed on its own merits and awards are made accordingly, subject to available funding. The School has a duty to ensure that all bursary awards are fairly awarded.
When parents are told that their daughter has been offered a place at the School they will, at the same time, be advised whether the School can provide bursary assistance towards the fees. If parents wish to accept the bursary, they are asked to agree in writing, to any conditions relating to the award. A bursary awarded on entry is, under normal circumstances, guaranteed for the duration of a girl’s education at Godolphin and Latymer. Parents are required to re-apply for assistance each academic year by completing a bursary application form and providing documentary evidence in support of their application. As long as there is no abnormal change in parents’ circumstances, the level of the award is likely to remain constant.
An award may be withdrawn and past awards reclaimed if false information is knowingly or recklessly provided or if parents fail to provide any additional information requested by the School in support of their application.
Hardship Bursaries
For girls already in the School, parents whose financial circumstances suddenly change may apply for a bursary to the Bursar, explaining their situation and by completing a bursary application form and providing documentary evidence in support of the application (as above). Such awards are made for short-term assistance only; usually for no longer than one academic year. The Governors allocate a budget for hardship bursaries each year and therefore, such awards are subject to the availability of funding and cannot be guaranteed. The conditions of application and award are the same as for Bursaries on entry.
Each case is assessed on its merits and awards are made accordingly, subject to need and available funding. Bursary Awards are only made as a contribution towards School fees; parents remain liable for extra charges incurred. It is a condition of the Bursary Award that outstanding charges are cleared as and when they become due. The School reserves the right to withdraw an award if parents fail to meet this commitment.
The School respects the confidentiality of bursary awards made to families and recipients are expected to do likewise. The school is a data controller under the Data Protection Act and information submitted in connection with bursary applications will be processed lawfully and fairly in accordance with the Data Protection Act.
The income threshold for bursary applications is currently £50,000.
The bursar may be contacted on 020 8735 9595 or finance@godolphinandlatymer.com.
