Financial Help

 

Scholarships

Scholarships are awarded at the point of entry to the school, generally at the age of 11 or 16. The principle behind them is that they enable the school to attract pupils who will be front-runners in academic (and occasionally musical, artistic or sporting) areas of activity; such pupils benefit all by setting high standards.

No scholarship worth more than 25% of the fees is awarded without a declaration of family income first being submitted to the school.

At age 11 Academic Scholarships are awarded on the basis of the written papers in the Entrance Examination, an Ability Test and a report from the feeder school. The aim is to recognise ability as much as achievement and all candidates are treated equally irrespective of whether they are already in the system (at Truro School Prep) or are coming from outside.

At age 13 Academic Scholarships are just occasionally awarded to those entering at this age and are based on performance in the 13+ entrance exam and on reports and interview.

At age 16 Academic Scholarships are awarded on the basis of Ability Test, Interviews and Reports from feeder schools. A very small number of awards may be made to internal candidates at this stage.

Applicants for the other types of scholarship undergo music auditions or sporting tests and interview or produce an art portfolio, as appropriate.

All Scholarships are awarded on the understanding that the recipients will continue to make good efforts in their studies and/or appropriate fields.

 

 

Assisted Places

Truro School Assisted Places Scheme provides a small number of means-tested bursaries up to the value of full fees. This scheme will operate in addition to the Scholarship scheme.

These Assisted Places will be awarded at the same time in the same way as Scholarships; all those who wish to apply will be invited to complete a preliminary financial declaration at the appropriate time, and are usually interviewed by the Headmaster.

Bursaries

Bursaries are awarded, usually for a limited time, when difficulties strike which were not foreseen at the time of entry. Bursaries are only granted when family financial circumstances have been declared - not something that anyone relishes but necessary if we are to be fair to all. Bursaries will generally only be awarded to cover a ‘critical’ period such as the completion of GCSE or A-Level courses.

Bursaries, responsibly and sparingly granted, are in the interests of all. Trying to help when disaster strikes is part of the ethos of the school.

Conclusion

We would like to be in a position to help everyone in the expensive business of private education and we are delighted to offer some assistance within the framework outlined above. But the school has virtually no endowment for Scholarships or Bursaries, and help has to come mostly from general income. We have to be stringent in order to be fair to all parents and look on the payment of the standard fee as the norm. It would be misleading if we allowed it to be assumed either that anyone has a ‘right’ to a Scholarship or that fees are negotiable.