16-19 Bursary Scheme

Each year, the sixth form at Chadwell Academy administers the 16-19
bursary. There are different types of bursary, but the overall aim of the scheme is to
provide financial assistance to students from low-income backgrounds in order to
help them attend school and access the post 16 curriculum that they are studying.
This is how the 16-19 bursary will be administered by the school in order to achieve
this aim.

Who is eligible?
There are two types of bursary with their own eligibility criteria. These are as
follows:

Level 1 Bursary

The defined vulnerable groups eligible for Level 1 Bursary are students who are:
• in care
• care leavers
• receiving Income Support (IS), or Universal Credit (UC) because they are
financially supporting themselves or financially supporting themselves and
someone who is dependent on them and living with them such as a child or
partner
• receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence
Payments (PIP) in their own right as well as Employment and Support
Allowance (ESA) or UC in their own right

Level 2 Bursary

This is a discretionary bursary for students who do not meet the level 1 bursary
criteria but do still face financial hardship or difficulty. The award is based on an
evaluation of household income as well as specific needs (e.g. a student who lives
further from school may have a greater need for help with travel expenses). Whilst
each case is assessed on its own merit, a good guide to eligibility is whether the
family is in receipt of Universal Credit or a similar form of income support. Students
who have previously received Free School Meals will often qualify for the bursary.

What is the Bursary?

Level 1 Bursary:

This is a maximum of £1200 for the academic year and will be paid based on an
assessment of student financial needs. Students are not automatically entitled to
receive the full amount. This may be in the form of payments to the student (e.g. to
pay for fares) or payment in kind (e.g. buying equipment for the student to use) The
school is only permitted to award the bursary to meet student needs and the amount
paid may, therefore, be less than £1200.

Level 2 Bursary:

The monetary value of this bursary is dependent on need as well as the available
funds. The precise needs and level of support will be decided based on the needs
assessment section of the application form. This support may be in the form of
payments to the student (e.g. to pay for fares) or payment in kind (e.g. buying
equipment for the student to use) As payments are based on financial need, not all
students receiving the bursary will receive the same amount.

Administration

Application

Students will be made aware of the bursary through assemblies and information at
the start of each term. All who think they are entitled will be encouraged to
apply. All applications will be treated as confidential. Students should complete
the school application form and submit to the sixth form office as soon as
possible. For level 1 bursary applications, students will need to provide appropriate
evidence for how they meet the criteria. For level 2 bursary applications, students
should attach a recent benefit statement or similar from their parent or carer that
shows household income. All applicants must carefully fill out the application form
to state what their needs are and the nature of why they require the bursary.

Assessment

The bursary awards panel will review all applications during the first half-term after
the application is made. Once this has taken place, all students will be informed
whether their application was successful or not. For those whose applications are
successful, they will then complete further paperwork to assess their financial needs
so that appropriate support can be provided.

Payments

Where students receive money as part of the bursary support, this will be done via
bank transfer into the student’s bank account. In addition, the school may purchase
equipment for students or pay directly for certain types of trips and admissions
tests.