Bursaries & Scholarships

Manchester High School for Girls is committed to providing education to academically gifted students regardless of circumstance, and offers financial assistance through a small number of part or full bursaries to girls joining in Year 7 and Year 12.

Please see our Financial Assistance & Scholarships Policy & Procedures document below for more information:

Financial Assistance & Scholarships Policy & Procedures PDF

Applicants should notify the School as soon as possible of their intention to apply for a bursary by completing the relevant question on the registration form. All bursaries are means tested and assistance is offered with tuition fees according to a sliding scale that is linked to family income.

Alumna and Bursary Recipient, Orla, shares her thoughts on what the Bursary Fund means to her:

Owing to high demand and a limited number of bursary places available, bursary assistance will be awarded on the basis of financial circumstance and academic achievement and are awarded at the discretion of the Head Mistress. Please note that, by applying for a bursary, you are not guaranteed financial assistance. As part of the process of assessing bursary applications, it is the School’s practice to visit the parents of a sample of applicants at home.  Such visits can also take place virtually.

Families will receive notification of any bursary award when they are advised whether their daughter has been given a place at Manchester High School for Girls.

How Bursaries Are Awarded

Bursaries will be awarded on the basis of an annual grant, the maximum amount of which will be specified when a place is offered. All awards, whether calculated according to family income or on a flat rate, will be based on a combination of academic merit and a parental statement of need. They will be re-evaluated annually to ensure any changes in circumstance are taken into account. Details will be confidential, but supporting documentation will be required and the School reserves the right to seek supplementary evidence in support of the income figures.

Pupils, who are in receipt of a bursary and live at a considerable distance from school, may qualify for an annual grant towards the costs of travel. A uniform grant of up to £420 may also be available to pupils in receipt of a bursary at the beginning of the first year in school only. To be considered for any of these extra grants (which are limited) parents must make a written request to the Head Mistress following their acceptance of a place.

List of Bursaries

  • School Award – to the value of an amount agreed with the Governors
  • General Charitable Trust Bursaries – funding agreed by the trustees of the School's General Charitable Trust
  • Thomas Frank Trust – currently funding one pupil for seven years
  • Peter Kershaw Trust – currently funding three pupils - £2,000 each, per academic year
  • NFL Trust – currently funding one pupil - £4,500 per academic year
  • RNCF – currently funding one pupil - £2,250 per academic year
  • Peggy Adler Trust - funding pupils from Oldham and the surrounding area

Scholarships

Academic Scholarships

One or more academic scholarships may be awarded by the Governing Body for excellence in performance in the entrance examination for admission to Year 7 in September.

Music, Sport and Dance Scholarships

Applicants should note their interest in Music, Sport and Dance Scholarships when completing the registration form. For the Music Scholarship applicants should have reached ABRSM Grade 4 or equivalent and, if chosen for audition, be prepared for sight-reading and aural tests as well as a performance on their choice of two instruments (or one instrument plus voice).

For Sports and Dance Scholarships, girls may be invited to come for an assessment where their performance will be evaluated against their peers. A written recommendation is required from a sports coach or dance teacher along with copies of any awards or certificates achieved. A scholarship is generally a percentage of fees paid and is not a fully sponsored place. The maximum allowed is 50%, but most are substantially less than this.

Joint Application for a Scholarship and Bursary Assisted Place

A student may be in receipt of a scholarship and a bursary. However, if a joint award is made, the total value of the support provided will not exceed the value of a full fee. For further information on scholarships, please contact the Registrar.

Please contact the Finance Office for further details regarding the eligibility criteria. Bursary applications received after the entrance examination will not be considered.

Please note: Financial assistance is not available to support girls in the Preparatory Department.

30 Hours of Free Childcare

Through the Government, families with pupils in Reception can get 30 hours of free childcare per week for 38 weeks of the year (during school term time).

You may be able to get free childcare for 52 weeks if you use fewer than 30 hours per week.

Families with pupils in Reception are eligible for this governmental support.

Please see the Government website here for more details and instructions of how to claim.