Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Hey
I'm a prospective parent my brother is an old blue and I would love my son to get a place, we are all signed up for the assessment on the 19th October but as well as being nervous if my son will get a place I've got a few issues mainly the fees I'm a single parent I have a shared ownership property and am self employed earning about 10k pa after expenses then obviously I get tax credit etc I'm terrified that if he gets a place I'm not going to be able to raise the funds would need at least 80% bursary is this unrealistic ? Also we live in the old borough of twickenham and have been told we could be put forward for west's gift ? ( we are not descendants though ) plus i used to go to skinner company school so I've also advised we might be able to be out forward for a presentation ? What does this entail ?. Help !!!!

One for our current 'parents' posters, I fancy !!

I have a close relative who is also undertaking selection this year, consequently I have researched the school website, have you looked at the following pages:-
1) http://www.christs-hospital.org.uk/pros ... ary-table/
Example 6 would be the closest to your situation and gives a bursary of 90%
( I don't think the school offer any further detailed guidance on bursaries ).
2) http://www.christs-hospital.org.uk/pros ... ior-entry/
question 8 relates to Donation Governors, I believe that the West Gift operates on a similar principal.

Hope this helps and good luck

Hi,

Thanks for the govenor info , so really that's the thing to go for I'm guessing , i am an ex skinners girl so hoping that might be a route in fingers crossed. Am guessing they won't send out for bursary info until you've passed the initial assessment .
What happens if they mess up on the day of the initial exam ? Am guessing because they have the school reports and headmasters info it wouldn't be an instant no ? Am really concerned his going to mess it up especially when the admissions lady told the kids you don't have to study before hand it's been a nightmare to get him to do anything !!!

Welcome I know nothing about your particular situation, the only advice I can give is to hold on to your state allocation, even if you are allocated a place at CH, until you receive notification about your bursery (about May time). There was a situation a couple of years ago when a parent had to pull their child out due to the assessed fees being too high.

Good luck, it is a nervous time but my son did no prep towards the exams and got in, so fingers crossed for your DC.

This flags up once again the need for clearer and more detailed financial information to be made available to prospective (and current!) parents.

Good luck with everything Surreymum!

Bursary offer doesn't go out til may !!????

I didn't know that , I thought the bursary info goes out with the offer of a place ? Am also applying to 2 other schools with bursaries so what happens if I get an offer from them then have to pay a registration / deposit ? this could get very expensive .

Now I'm even more concerned approached another school and the said I would be looking approx 1/3 rd of the fees yet CH can indicate nothing ?. Am very disappointed to hear that , just got bursary forms today will fill them in but may is way too late to hold on ....

A West Gift is extremely valuable if you fit the criteria, apply and the school will tell you. If you get one you only ever pay half of your assessed fees, West's Gift pay the other half. Sounds like you live in the right parish, so try.

Well its assessment time Saturday morning so fingers crossed we make it past the first post ....

Am gutted have just been advised by the school the west gift discount no longer applies

Am gutted have just been advised by the school the west gift discount no longer applies

A quick Google search on 'West's gift' brings up the following information posted in April this year
http://www.west-group.org/html/christhospital.html

Presumably the endowment income is still used to support pupils from the Newbury/ Twickenham areas, so this could still increase the your son's chance of being offered a place Surreymum. But it's interesting to hear that the West's gift families will no longer benefit from a 50% discount on their assessed contribution. The school's endowment income overall has been hit hard by the recession, so I guess this is just another example of CH not being able to offer the same level of financial help to families as they used to.

Am guessing that its due to the credit crunch plus they are already contributing towards current pupils so are unable to take anymore. Oh well can't be helped can still be presented but it doesn't have any financial value