16-19 Bursary Fund
The 16-19 Bursary Fund at Highams Park School is available to support students aged 16 to 19 with financial assistance to help them stay in education. The fund is aimed at helping students from low-income households, care leavers, and students with disabilities. It can be used to help with costs such as transport, books, equipment, and other essential expenses.
There are 2 types of 16 to 19 bursary, with the following eligibility:
- a bursary for students in vulnerable groups: you’re in or you recently left local authority care, you get Income Support or Universal Credit because you’re financially supporting yourself, you are in receipt of Employment Support Allowance or Universal credit, you get Personal independence payment in your name.
- a discretionary bursary: this is assessed by the school. Students can apply through our Applicaa system and if granted the bursary will need to provide receipts of their purchases to the finance office to receive their bursary entitlement.
If you think you are eligible you will need to provide evidence of your status along with your application. This could include either a letter from the DWP setting out the benefit to which you (the young person – not parents/carers) are entitled or written confirmation of your current or previous-looked after status from the local authority which looks after you or provides your leaving care services. If you are applying for the discretionary bursary you will need to upload information to Applicaa linked to your financial status. This will include benefit statements or pay slips.
The Bursary Funds are there to provide for vulnerable students: this financial help provides for things such as transport, meals, books and equipment where the school deems it to be legitimate and related to the child's educational progress. As specified in the Education Funding Guidance "payments are for participation-related costs only". The student must therefore have a bank account in their own name which the bursary will be paid into.
Education institutions are responsible for managing both types of bursary. Students are expected to meet reasonable conditions relating to Attendance and Progress on your courses and these conditions are shown on the application form. The school can stop payments if you do not meet the conditions for attendance and progress as well as the requirements on how your bursary is to be used.
To apply for the bursary, students need to complete the following steps through Applicaa: /docs/Year_12_Bursary_Application_Form__4_.pdf
If your child was registered for FSM at his / her previous school, you will need to inform Waltham Forest that your child has moved to Highams Park School. This update of your records does not happen automatically, and we as a school cannot do this on your behalf. If you do not inform LBWF, your child will not receive Free School Meals (FSM) at Highams Park School. A cashless account on Arbor must be set up with us to receive the FSM. To apply, visit this link and ensure that you put that your child is in a state school Year 3-13.
