Ways and means of cutting fees
◆ Bursaries, scholarships, and flexible payment options are all well worth considering, advises Sarah Devine
According to the Scottish Council of Independent Schools’ latest figures, the independent sector provides more than £55.5m in fee assistance to pupils across Scotland each year, ensuring each school remains accessible to all.
Most of the 71 independent schools offer means-tested bursaries from anywhere up to 100 per cent of the tuition fees, with some even offer a little bit more for extras such as uniforms.
The countryside setting for Glenalmond College was deliberately chosen when the school was founded and aims for students to strive outdoors alongside receiving a diverse academic curriculum.
School warden Mark Mortimer explains that expeditions and sporting activities are encouraged among its pupils but that he is keen for anyone who would thrive in such an environment to be able to benefit from a Glenalmond education.
He says: “We are working towards being able to increase the number of children here who otherwise wouldn’t be able to come here.
“Around 30 per cent of our pupils are on some sort of fee support, from 10 per cent to 110 per cent of support.
“It is very important that we play our part in making our education as accessible as possible so that we have a diverse pupil body.”
Wellington School in Ayr is the region’s independent day school with girls and boys travelling from as far as Stranraer.
The school supports parents by offering wraparound care for pupils before and after school.
Headmaster Simon Johnston agrees bursaries are important, but says families can make use of flexible payment options.
He maintains: “We have actually made a lot of changes in recent years to try to reduce the extras to ensure the fees are as low as possible.
“Parents do pay for lunches but not the stationary, for example, so we do what we can to make the costs as low as we can.
“We offer a range of payment options so payments can be made by direct debit over 10 or 12 months.
“Some people have applied to places in advance and that is something we would consider for a limited period of time.”
Scholarships, meanwhile, traditionally pay towards an area in which an individual excels, such as art, sport, or music.
Fairview International School, Bridge of Allan, is the only Scottish school to offer the International Baccalaureate without interruption, and recently hosted pupils from a sister school in Malaysia.
Headteacher David Hicks states: “We are soon launching scholarships for students who are 12 years old and up. They will range from 25 per cent to 100 per cent of tuition fees.
“These will be different in that we are looking at not just excellence, but people who will benefit from the curriculum, so we are looking for people who are passionate, committed and have desire rather than being a straight-a student.”
If a child is demonstrating a passion and talent for a subject, specialist schools may be an option.
St Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh teaches Highers and Advanced Highers alongside music programmes for instrumentalists and choristers.
Headteacher Dr Kenneth Taylor emphasises: “What people need to work out is if specialist music education is the right thing for their child. It is a demanding thing and we only recommend it for those with a real passion for music and who want to spent their energies with that at the centre of their activities.”
However, the curriculum does allow for students to go on to study other subjects and instrumentalists can benefit from a Scottish Government Aided Place. Choristers may apply for Cathedral Bursaries.
Dr Taylor adds: “We focus on supporting young people to become confident in performing music and we are keen students understand where music sits within culture and the role music has and can play in supporting people’s lives. We wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the government support.”
Many families will, understandably, have concerns over changes in circumstances.
Lise Hudson, High School of Dundee rector, advises to contact the school as early as possible to find out how best the school can support a family.
The day school, which benefits from being in the heart of the city, aims to support pupils throughout their learning journey.
Hudson concludes: “We allocate bursary funding annually but there are also funds available for shortterm support and we look at different options such as long-term payment plans.
“There is a foundation fund for extras that can’t be afforded and our pastoral team will see if a pupil may benefit from that for a school trip they might learn from, for example.
“There are lots of options and we try to find the combination that will work best for each family.”
There are lots of options and we try to find what works best