King’s School – Bursary applications are encouraged
The King’s School is encouraging applications for its bursary awards scheme, having seen a decline in those applying for bursaries since the announcement of VAT on school fees. With only weeks to go before applications should be made for next year’s awards, some part and full fee assistance packages are still available at the 522-year-old Macclesfield school.
Director of External Relations, Mrs Caroline Johnson, said: “The Government’s decision to put VAT on independent school fees has had a major effect on our sector, particularly putting off lower and middle income families.
“However, our bursary awards are designed to enable those families to access the education of their choice for their son or daughter.”
“We are proud of the fact that part of our founding mission decreed in the early 16th Century is to offer education to children from all local families. We are keen to maintain this, and our bursary fund is a vital element of helping local children be able to come to King’s.”
Bursaries are available at 11+ (Year 7) entry to the Senior School, or at 16+ (Year 12) entry to the Sixth Form.
All bursaries are means-tested and are based on both parents’ income and assets. The level of award varies from 10% up to 100% of school fees and is based on two things: parental need and a child’s academic performance in the entrance examinations in January (during Year 6).
For Sixth Form bursaries, the school requires a strong academic performance at GCSE. Bursaries can stand alone or supplement an Academic Scholarship or Music Scholarship.
At any time, King’s typically has around 50 to 60 pupils in receipt of some bursary support with fees, and many will have full fee remission.
In the Sixth Form, bursaries are available that are funded by generous donors and each year King’s offers up to five pupils in Year 12 a bursary, which can be up to full fee remission.
Bursary applications are now open with the deadline in mid-December for children wishing to join King’s in September 2025 in toYear 7 or Year 12.
A previous bursary recipient, wrote this when he was in Year 13:
“I am writing this on the final day of my time at King’s, before heading off to university. I joined King’s at age 11 on a bursary and would not have been able to attend without it. As I look back on my time at the school, I realise that attending King’s has been nothing short of life changing – from singing in the choir at the Vatican and stage-managing the school production of Bugsy Malone to receiving an offer to study Medicine at Cambridge, I have been able to do so much at this school which I would not be able to do otherwise.
“In a few months, I will be beginning my medical training .The idea of working for the community is something that is ingrained in every King’s student and the fact so many go on to a career of public service or philanthropy is a mark of pride. The bursary fund allows young students to achieve their fullest, even when they otherwise couldn’t, and it has the potential to change a young boy or girl’s life – it certainly did mine.”
