Additional information about bursaries and fee assistance

Latymer Upper School is a fully co-educational day school and we believe the rounded and grounded education it offers should be accessible to any academically ambitious child, regardless of ability to pay fees. To achieve this aim, we offer a number of means-tested bursaries every year, based on the twin criteria of academic merit and family financial circumstances. Latymer is a fully mixed community whose pupils, parents and staff represent all backgrounds and ethnicities, and reflect the cosmopolitan mix of West London. It is important to us that we retain that ethos.

We are now in a position to offer 1 in 4 of our Latymer Upper School students a bursary. School fees may well be one of the biggest financial commitments a family will ever undertake, but we hope that no parents should feel that Latymer is beyond their means if their child is of the academic standard the School expects.

We would like to help as many families as possible with fees, be that with a small partial award, a larger partial award or full fees. Every family’s circumstances and needs are different and we aim to recognise this in our bursary application process. We seek to make entry to Latymer Upper School a reality for children from a wide range of backgrounds.

Bursary applications are available to all parents including those who can afford some but not all of the fees and can vary in amount from 25% to 100%.

If you wish to apply for a means-tested bursary then please make a school registration via the website. Once your registration has been processed you will receive a confirmation of registration email which will contain more information on how to submit your bursary application and you will be sent a link to the Bursary Application form to complete. At this stage you will need to submit various financial information, full details of the financial documents required will be outlined in the confirmation email. Bursary awards are made in February at the same time as an offer of a place at Latymer Upper School and the full award details will be outlined in your offer letter. Our confidential bursary assessment process is managed by an external company appointed by Latymer Upper School.

After applying for a bursary, the process is very straightforward. Families of candidates being interviewed are contacted by the external bursary specialists to discuss the financial details supplied. Senior members of staff then meet those families who are being considered for awards. This meeting is both to offer you an opportunity to find out more about us, and for us to find out a bit more about you.

We do not apply a strictly income-based approach but look at each case on an individual basis, taking into account a number of factors including income, outgoings, value of property if owned, any savings and issues affecting ability to work. The registration fee of £180 (incl VAT) is normally payable but if this presents a difficulty, please let us know.

Below are some questions and answers which I hope will be of use. If you have any further queries, want to know more about the process, or explore eligibility then do please call one of the Admissions team on 020 8148 4519. They will be happy to explain in greater detail any aspect of applying to Latymer Upper School. It can be a confusing experience, and we are here to help and make it as easy as possible.

When do I apply for a bursary?

When you submit your online registration form, you indicate on it that you are applying for a bursary, either full or partial.

What is the closing date for registrations?

Registrations for 2026 entry into Year 7 will open in May 2025.  Registrations for 16+ and 11+ entry must  be with us via the online application form before midday on the application deadline date which will be announced in May. 

When do I get the bursary forms to fill in?

Full details of how to submit your bursary application, the supporting documents required and the deadline will be in the confirmation email that you will receive once your school registration has been processed if you indicated that you wish to apply for a bursary.

Is there a threshold for a 100% bursary?

We recognise that circumstances differ, so do not set strict thresholds and criteria but look at everyone as an individual.

What if I can afford some of the fees but not all?

We will ask you to indicate the level of contribution you think you can make on the form we send you. We are very aware that school fees are a significant expense especially with VAT and we look to make plenty of awards at all levels. Last year besides free places we awarded a large number of partial bursaries ranging in amount from 25% to 90%. These examples may help to show the type of families who have been awarded bursaries in the past:

• Single parent family, one child, mother working in low income job, rented accommodation. Bursary of 100% awarded 
• Family with three children, one much younger. One parent currently working with low income, own home with little equity. Bursary of 100% awarded
• Family with two children. Both parents self-employed with low to moderate income, not always stable, rented accommodation. Bursary of 70% awarded
• Family with two children. Both parents working with moderate income, own home with mortgage and some savings. Bursary of 50% awarded
• Family with three children. Two parents working with moderate to high income, own home with significant mortgage and other financial commitments. Bursary 25% awarded 

Does my child have to be a stronger candidate than anyone else to get a bursary?

No. Any student who is selected for interview, and has applied for a bursary, will be considered. We do not set a higher pass mark for bursary candidates. In any given year the number of bursaries available depends on both the number of successful applicants and the amount of money we have to offer.

How many apply for bursaries and how many get them?

Every year is different, a quarter of 11+ applicants for a place in 2025 applied for bursaries and almost a third of those who applied for Sixth Form applied for a bursary. 

How many places are available in Sixth Form next year?

We expect to take around 30 to 35 new students into the Sixth Form in September 2026.

What extras do you help with, on top of the bursary?

For students joining in Year 7 in receipt of 100% bursary, we offer help with uniform on entry to the School and again for Year 9. In addition, for these students and Sixth Form joiners on 100%, all fees for public exams are met by the School. In many cases, help is available for extras such as music or drama lessons, where ability is demonstrated. Financial assistance for trips is available to every family in School. The Director of Admissions and Bursaries is always available to deal with enquiries about extra help and costs. 

Are bursary holders identified in any way?

Most of the students who benefit from a bursary are happy to share this information and we would not identify any bursary holder without permission. We often find that our older pupils want to act as Ambassadors to both encourage other students to apply, and donors to be generous. We are keen to get the message about our Bursary Programme out to as wide an audience as possible. 

What is a Bursary Review and when does it happen?

We take our bursary responsibilities seriously. We have the highest number of bursary holders of any London school. We review bursaries every year as we have a duty to our donors to do so. We ask all bursary families to undertake an annual financial review in the Spring term of every year. This is an opportunity for an open dialogue between our external bursary firm and you to ensure that the bursary allowance is fair and proportionate. If you have been awarded a full 100% bursary, this will not change whilst you continue to receive universal credit or your earnings remain constant.  Reductions in bursary may occur when there is a large new source of income or a change in job adding substantially to a family in receipt of a partial bursary (below 100%). Adjustments to bursaries are generally by mutual agreement.

We understand that the concept of an annual review of a bursary may cause concern, in order to give this some context, of the hundreds of bursary recipients in School, following the annual bursary review in 2024-

• there are no changes to 100% full bursary recipients 
• 3 families had their bursary increased
• 6 families had significant changes to their income/outgoings so their bursaries were reduced by mutual agreement

What happens if my financial circumstances change and I can no longer afford to pay the fees?

In addition to bursaries given at the time of entry, we make awards in some cases where the family has suffered unexpected changes leading to difficulty meeting the fees. This is very often as a result of a family bereavement, redundancy or illness. We do this to ensure continuity of a student’s education where possible, particularly for those who are nearing GCSEs or A levels. These awards are usually given on a short-term basis and are reviewed regularly and are called ‘Hardship Funds’.

What is the difference between a scholarship and a bursary?

A bursary is means-tested based on family income/outgoings and can be between 25-100% of fees. A scholarship is based on the candidate’s ability and potential either academically or within a specific specialism- Art, Music, Drama or Sport, most scholarships are typically worth a nominal amount, typically 5-10% of tuition fees.

What Scholarships are available?

At 11+, students can apply for a Music Scholarship, The majority of Music scholarships consist of a fee reduction of not more than 20% and usually 10% of tuition fees, although one Music scholarship of up to 40% is available. In addition, there are Music awards comprising funded tuition on one or two musical instruments. 

At 16+ Candidates can apply for a Music, Art, Drama or Sport scholarship. Further information can be seen on the link below.

For parents, the Director of Admissions and Bursaries remains in contact throughout your time as a Latymer parent – to ensure you feel as happy here as your child, and become as big a part of the Latymer family. The Admissions Team, along with your child’s Form Tutor and Head of Year, are one of your main points of contact/liaison with the School. We hope this is helpful but do please call with any further queries.