16-19 Bursary 2023/2024

Dear Parents/Carers,

RE. 16-19 Bursary 2023/2024

Students who are facing a significant financial barrier to participation are invited to apply for a share of the discretionary bursary fund for this current academic year. Applications are invited from students whose combined household income will not exceed £32,000 for the year. In order to ensure fairness and transparency, proof of household income will be required as part of the application. Please find attached the Bursary Application form. Once a need has been demonstrated, the funds will be allocated on an individual household basis.

We are aware that the loss of Student Bus Passes as students move into Post-16 education can be an unexpected financial concern for families, in addition to the need to buy school clothes that adhere to a professional and smart dress code, as well as the ongoing costs of the Level 3 qualification resources. Bursary monies awarded are to support families with these costs and allow students to begin to build financial self-management skills. Students should be able to demonstrate that they are spending their bursary awarded funds towards these aims.

All applications will be open until Monday 18 September and should be handed to Ms Pearce by 3pm on this date. Applications will be considered during the week of 25 September, and applicants will be written to with a decision as soon as possible thereafter. The monies decided upon will be paid at the end of Terms 1 through to 5 (no payments are made in Term 6) through BACS into a student bank account; therefore student’s banking details will need to be provided at the time of application.

Receipt of the fund will be conditional on a satisfactory progress report each term, in particular:

• Attendance will need to be at 97% or higher.
• All effort and homework grades will need to be rated at G or E.
• There must be no effort or homework grades of R or C at all.

What I am unable to tell you at this stage is the amount that each student will receive, as this does depend on the number of applications received to ensure all students are supported equitably in addition to the termly review of each student’s attendance and progress reports. However, in the event of exceptional circumstances, or if household circumstances change within the Academic year please do contact us, as we may be in a position to allocate one-off payments to support your family. For those students awarded the Bursary and would be primarily using this award to fund travel via the buses, we would be able to discuss on a one-to-one basis the ability to take termly payments over the academic year into a one-off annual bus pass purchase.

If you have any specific queries, then please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,
Ms C Pearce
Director Post-16