Financial Assistance
Means-tested Financial Assistance
Bursary Awards
The school sets aside generous funds in the form of bursaries to enable children to come to Norwich School who would not be able to do so without financial help. All bursaries are means-tested and can result in a reduction in fees of up to 100%. There is a sliding scale dependent on family income and finances, and on the resources of the school. Our assessment is based on both income and asset levels; it is unlikely that a bursary will be awarded to pupils whose household income is greater than 4x the annual senior school fees and/or whose household net assets are more than 20x the annual senior school fees. Resources are finite and each year demand exceeds the funds available.
The Bursary Process
If you wish to be considered for bursarial assistance, please indicate that interest on the application form and the relevant electronic paperwork will be sent to you. An Application for Financial Assistance form, covering all aspects of your family’s finances, will need to be completed and returned prior to the prospective applicant’s assessments. Once the applicant assessment process is complete, an advisory panel made up from Admissions and the Finance Team come together with the Head to discuss each bursary application in depth. The Head makes the final decisions about bursary awards and places, the results of which will be outlined in the decision letter that families receive about the applicant's application.
We encourage open conversations with the Admissions Team in the first instance, as we appreciate that every family situation is unique. The school will always seek to fully understand each individual situation and is open to financial discussions with families through the admissions process.
For more information about means-tested financial assistance for prospective pupils, please read below or contact the Admissions Team at admissions@norwich-school.org.uk.
Click on the tiles for more information.
Application Process – Prospective Pupils
Parents of prospective pupils who would like to apply for a bursary should indicate their interest in the online electronic application form by ticking the box above “Please tick this box if you are interested in making an application for bursarial assistance for this applicant”. They will then be sent an “Application for Financial Assistance” form requesting a comprehensive set of information about the family’s financial circumstances.
The fully completed “Application for Financial Assistance” form, together with all of the relevant documents must be returned to the school on or before the relevant entry application deadline to guarantee consideration by the school. Late or incomplete bursary applications would only be considered at the discretion of the Head and the Bursar.
Assessment Process and Criteria
We may contact you to review the information provided in the “Application for Financial Assistance” form. The assessor will then make a recommendation for consideration by the Bursary Review Panel.
Although the school sets aside generous funds for bursary awards each year, the popularity of the scheme means that the demand for financial assistance often exceeds the level of funds available. The Bursary Review Panel will consider the financial assessments as well as the performance of prospective pupils in the assessment process when determining the level of bursary award for each applicant.
If a prospective pupil has shown potential during the admissions process and meets the criteria for financial assistance but falls below the cut-off for an award, they may be offered a full fee paying place at the school. At the time that such an offer is made, the parents or guardians will be invited to meet with the Bursar to discuss whether full fees may be affordable for the duration of the prospective pupil’s school career at Norwich School.
The school will advise the successful bursary applicants of their awards in their offer letter for a place at the school.
The level of award, as a percentage of fees, would normally remain the same for the whole of the pupil’s school career. However, the school reserves the right to vary the level of the award if there is a significant improvement in the family’s financial circumstances. It is the parents’/guardians’ responsibility to notify the Bursar of these changes at the earliest opportunity. The school may request a part or full refund of the award if its annual review of the family’s financial circumstances identifies any significant improvements which have not been reported on a timely basis. Bursaries are reviewed on an annual basis.
Current Pupils
When parents/guardians accept a full fee paying place at the school for their child, it is expected that they do so with sufficient funds to meet the fee obligations for the whole of the pupil’s school career.
Bursary applications from parents of a current pupil, whether already in the Senior School or in the final year of the Lower School (U3 - Year 6), will only be considered in light of an exceptional change of circumstances and at the discretion of the Head and/or the Bursar.
We understand that unexpected financial circumstances do arise. Thus, parents/guardians of current pupils who are experiencing financial difficulties should contact the Bursar’s Office at bursar@norwich-school.org.uk as soon as possible to arrange a meeting with the Bursar and discuss how the school may be able to assist.
Building futures through bursary awards
Click on a button to view a case study about previous students who have benefitted from a bursary at Norwich School:
