16-19 Bursary Funding
Copleston Sixth Form 16-19 Bursary Policy
ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for either type of bursary students must be enrolled in Copleston sixth form, have settled status or have been ordinarily resident in the UK for 3 years from the start of sixth form and be aged over 16 and under 19 as at 31 August 2025.
Students aged 19 or over are only eligible to receive a discretionary bursary if they are continuing a study programme, they began aged 16 to 18 (19+ continuers) or have an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP)
In all cases of students applying for a bursary the school will consider individual family circumstances which may affect household income. For example, whether the young person lives in a single parent household, or if there are other children or young people living in the household.
BURSARY FUNDS AND LEVELS
VULNERABLE BURSARY
Students in the following defined vulnerable groups will be eligible for a bursary of up to £1200 a year:
- Young people who are in care
- Young care leavers,
- Young people in receipt of Income Support or Universal Credit in their own right;
- Young people in receipt of both Disability Living Allowance (or Personal Independence Payments) as well as Employment Support Allowance (ESA) in their own right.
The bursary will be paid in six instalments at the start of each half term by BACS transfer directly into the student account.
DISCRETIONARY BURSARY
Students who are in receipt of free school meals or have a total household income of £16,190 or less can apply for a half termly bursary
Income can be evidenced by receipt of benefit and/or P60, Tax Credit Award Notice or evidence of self-employment income. The allowance will be established upon agreement by the school to make awards to students. All evidence of household income will be in strict confidence.
Payments will be transferred half termly to the students’ bank account via BACS upon authorisation from the school that the student has satisfied all the attendance and behaviour requirements. These payments will be made in arrears. There may be delays in some cases if there is any query regarding attendance.
Students will be informed of any non-payment in writing. However, students should check their payments regularly and in the case of non-payment they should contact the Director of Sixth Form for clarification.
Students who have a total household income of between £16,190 and £30,000 can apply for a discretionary bursary for specific educational purposes. These include:
- Costs of transport and accommodation associated with attending the school
- IT equipment to support learning
- Books and Equipment
- Educational Trips and visits
Household income can be evidenced by receipt of benefit and/or P60, Tax Credit Award Notice or evidence of self-employment income. All evidence of household income will be in strict confidence. No student will receive more than £500 per year.
Payments will be made on an ad-hoc basis by the most mutually convenient method. Receipts for any purchases will need to be provided for audit purposes.
EMERGENCY FUND
Copleston High School will aim to support students who face exceptional circumstances during the year that impact on their ability to attend and participate in sixth form education.
Copleston High School will use the ESFS checklist for all applications and if students are eligible awards will be made dependant on evidenced financial need.
APPLYING
To apply for either of the bursary elements students will need to complete a confidential application form annually, which can be found on Bursary16+
https://coplestonbursary.applicaa.com/
The Head of Sixth Form will assess the application, and the students will be informed of the outcome once the application has been assessed.
CHANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCES
A student in receipt of any level of bursary must inform the Director of Sixth Form of any changes to family circumstances that may affect the support during the academic year. Students who become eligible during the academic year should contact the Director of Sixth Form and make an application.
ATTENDANCE & BEHAVIOUR REQUIREMENTS
To receive any funds once the school has acknowledged eligibility, participating students at Copleston Sixth Form must adhere to the following criteria.
To receive the half termly allowance (Level Two only) students should have 90% attendance for period unless they have prior permission from the Sixth Form Management Team for authorised absence. Holidays will not be authorised. Approved Examination Study Leave, participation on approved educational trips, or approved representative activities will be counted as an attendance.
Students must abide by the standards of behaviour and effort as agreed at the start of their learning programme as detailed in the Sixth Form Code of Conduct. If poor behaviour or effort is reported and supported by documentary evidence, the student will not be paid for that period.
APPEALS AND COMPLAINTS
If any student or their parent/guardian/carer(s) are not satisfied with the outcome of their application, they should write to the school Principal outlining their reasons why.
The Principal will convene a 16-19 Bursary Appeals Panel, consisting of the Principal and a member of the Governing Body. The Panel will consider and respond to appeals within two weeks of receipt. If the appeal is upheld or partly upheld, it will be referred back to the Director of Sixth Form with recommendations. If the appeal is not upheld the appealing party will be signposted to the School’s Complaints Procedure.
