John Grant School 16-19 Bursary Policy
1. INTRODUCTION
The school receives a limited allocation which is managed in accordance with guidelines laid down by the EFA (Education Funding Agency). This policy is based on the recommended Local Authority Model Policy with some adaptations made specifically for a Complex Needs School.
To be eligible, students must be aged between 16 and 19.
Pupils who become 16 during their time in year 11 will not be eligible for the 16-19 Bursary until they begin year 12 in school. Pupils must be under 19 on 31 August in the academic year they start their programme of study. Where a student turns 19 during their programme of study, support will continue until the end of the academic year they turn 19 or the end of the programme of study, whichever is sooner.
The school will use the fund to support the most vulnerable young people to participate in and benefit from post-16 education and training, and will look to raise awareness of the fund wherever possible.
Funding for the discretionary bursary must be received in the school budget before payment is made. There will be no payments ‘in kind’.
This Fund has been allocated to individual providers of Post 16 education for the following purposes:
1.1 Guaranteed Bursary
The school will approve applications from young people who fall into any of the following defined vulnerable groups:
· Young people in care
· Care leavers
· Young people in receipt of Income Support or Universal Credit
· Disabled young people in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Employment Support Allowance (ESA), or
· Young people in receipt of Employment Support Allowance (ESA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
Eligible students will receive a bursary of £1200 a year. Payment will be made by cheque.
Appropriate evidence of the above must be provided to the school to enable approval (see Appendix i)
1.2 Discretionary Bursary
The Discretionary Bursary award is targeted towards young people facing financial barriers to participation. Eligible students may receive a discretionary bursary to help them with financial barriers to participating, but this is dependent on: evidence of need, government funding and the volume of eligible applications. Payment will be made by cheque.
2. COMMUNICATION
Full details of the 16-19 Bursary Fund will be made available to all Post 16 and prospective Post 16 students via school internet and directly to individual students and prospective students through the application process.
3. APPLICATION
Whilst students can make application for support at any time in the school year, the school will not make any payment of discretionary bursaries to pupils until written confirmation of its discretionary bursary allocation is received from the EFA (Education Funding Agency), currently administered by Sam Derbyshire at Norfolk County Council on behalf of the Complex Needs schools. If applying in year for the discretionary bursary there is no guarantee that funding will be available, and students accessing the discretionary element will have their award based individually on the support needed over the time they are in learning.
The school will maintain a record of all applications and awards including number, value, whether awarded or not, and brief justification.
4. Appeals/Complaints
In the event that a student wishes to appeal against the decision made, they are requested to follow the school’s standard complaints procedure.
5. Help and Advice
The school is unable to provide benefits advice, but parents are advised to contact their local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), Norfolk County Council Welfare Rights Office or ring the Contact a Family freephone helpline on 0808 808 3555.
The 16-19 Bursary is subject to change in national guidance.