16 TO 19 BURSARY POLICY STATEMENT
The purpose of the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund is to help students meet the costs of continuing in full-time education such as for transport, books, equipment, trips and other course-related costs; it may also be used towards the costs of attending university interviews and open days. There are two types of bursary available to 16-19 year olds who meet the criteria below:
Students who are:
- in care,
- care leavers,
- receiving Income Support or the equivalent Universal Credit 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, or - receiving Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments in their
own right as well as Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit in their
own right - and have a financial need
may apply for a Bursary for Vulnerable Groups of up to £1,200, which will be paid in half-termly instalments.
Students who are:
- entitled to Free School Meals
may apply for a Discretionary Bursary, which is made up of a mixture of cash payments and benefits in kind including providing credit on our cashless catering system for lunches.
Cash payments will be made in arrears every half term by BACS at a rate of £15 a week for a maximum of 33 school weeks for students studying Level 2 courses and 39 school weeks for students studying Level 3 courses.
Receipt of bursary funding does not affect other means-tested benefits paid to families such as Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Child Benefit, Working Tax Credit and Housing Benefit.
CONDITIONS FOR RECEIVING BURSARY AWARDS
To be eligible to receive payments, a student must:• Attend all timetabled lessons. In the case of absence a valid note explaining the absence
must be received from home;
• Attend all timetabled lessons. In the case of absence, a valid note explaining the absence must be received from home; • Be up to date with classwork, coursework and homework;
• Demonstrate excellent effort and attitude to learning; and
• Participate fully in Tutor Curriculum Time activities, attending all agreed sessions with tutor.
Deductions will be made and future payments may be stopped for failing to meet these terms.
HARDSHIP FUND
The school also has a small Hardship Fund for students who do not meet the above criteria but who experience particular financial difficulties during their period of study. This may provide one-off funds in exceptional circumstances so please speak to Mr Moore, Head of Sixth Form to discuss any issues you need help with.
16-19 BURSARY FUND APPLICATION FORM
Application forms should submitted to Mr Moore, Head of Sixth Form, at the beginning of each school year but will also be considered at any other time if a student’s circumstances change.
ACADEMIC YEAR 2023-24
At James Calvert Spence College Sixth Form we have a wide variety of Level 3 Academic and Vocational subjects. Additionally, we also provide a level 2 course in Childcare alongside the options of re-sitting Level 2 GCSE English Language and Maths.
This academic year we have 8 students completing the re-sit GCSE Maths and 4 students completing the re-sit GCSE English qualification, in addition to 5 students completing the one-year level 2 Childcare course. In the previous academic year there were 8 students studying Maths, 6 students for English Language and 2 students on the level 2 Childcare course. All students attending resit classes have access to a minimum of 5 hours fortnight with this year’s cohort receiving 6 hours. Throughout our Sixth Form provision both Level 2 and Level 3 classes are small with the maximum class size this academic year only just into double figures. Students have access to tailored courses with tuition provided throughout, which has also enabled the school to provide the courses the students wish to study as part of their post 16 option courses. This academic year we have provided courses for individual students in French and Graphics.
For any students that were awarded qualifications last summer all students have the opportunity to sit the exam to increase their grade if they are not happy. This is for all students, even if they were awarded a grade 4+. Students should sit these exams at the centre where they were entered for the summer exams. The only exception is if they have gone to college/a different setting and did not achieved a 4+ in GCSE Maths or English Language, they will have to sit the Autumn exam at the new setting.
Students entered for GCSE resits will have the opportunity to re-sit their exam in November if both the student and teacher believe the student is capable of achieving a Grade 4. If students require further guidance and support all students will subsequently be entered for the summer exams. The school will pay for both November and summer exam entries.
If you require any further information please contact Neil Rodgers (Head of School), James Moore (Head of Sixth Form) or Lisa Hobden (Exams Officer).