Elisa Gianoncelli the founder of kidslearnfast has got countless children, scholarships into the very best schools in London. For example: St. Pauls, Westminster, North London Collegiate, Haberdashers, Merchant Taylors and St Albans.
Elisa is now working on-line and continues to do that together with her team, with children all over the country. If Elisa sees your child early enough, (for example at the age of 7), and recognises a certain brightness in your child, she will encourage expert development in an area best suited to him or her. Egs; Music, drama, art or a qualifying sport, such as tennis, sailing & athletics. These are the most popular extra-curricular activities, accepted for scholarships. They are readily available, but must be prepared for thoroughly through the use of after-school tutors. On-line is becoming more and more popular as kidslearnfast is experiencing. To reach a high level in one of these areas is as essential as the academic ability of your child, as the competition is ferocious.
The examinations require perfect English; in its spoken form, in the use of grammar and punctuation, with particular attention to spelling. Verbal reasoning is also a very important exam and requires a good general knowledge, logic and a varied vocabulary; both in use and understanding. Comprehensions, using understanding in inference, is an essential skill, also. Non-verbal reasoning and numerical reasoning require plenty of practise. For the maths paper, precision and methodology are essential.
Very often Elisa attains a creative writing scholarship for children that are talented in this area. This often happens to children that have read a lot and have a superb imagination. Her creative writing classes are extremely enjoyable and make children into excellent writers. Most of these schools examine creative writing in the English paper.
Scholarships save parents a sizeable amount of finance, enabling the ones that can’t afford these prestigious schools to get their children into them and to have a life changing experience.
How do you apply for a scholarship and how much work should a pupil expect to undertake to achieve one?
Scholarships – which recognise a pupil’s special talent both academically and in a recognised extra-curricular activity, such as: sports, drama, music and art, are different from bursaries, which tend to be means-tested. Applying for a scholarship takes pupils on a tough journey, far beyond the normal prep-school curriculum – and for that reason, they’re best suited to children who love learning and are totally committed academically and physically to attaining their goals to pursue their talent. However, ability and talent alone, in their chosen extra-curricular activity, are not sufficient to win a scholarship.
Scholarship applications must be treated separately to senior-school applications – and the process normally begins in Year 6, after senior-school offers have gone out. But, in order to achieve the best result you need to consider well in advance, whether your son or daughter might be a candidate. It’s at this point that you need to consider what additional tuition is needed to give your child the best possible support to achieve success. In kidslearnfast’s experience, it’s important not to leave any conversations about scholarship aspirations until Year 6 – you should talk to your child’s school in Year 4, about your aims for your child, so they understand what they’re aiming for. Additional tuition must be carefully introduced at this stage to ensure that their maths and English language knowledge is boosted and maintained to the highest of their abilities, well in advance of their examinations and scholarship applications. Children whose parents extend their vocabulary at a young age by reading to them or taking them on daytrips to art galleries, museums, safari parks, coastal walks and country parks, will have a greater chance of succeeding.
Remember that we as scholarship tutors at kidslearnfast are here to help your child’s school make a confident decision in recommending your child for a scholarship. The school knows its pupils and should advise parents on the best route for every child. There should be a minimum of three additional hours of work a week – thinking and exploring above and beyond a pupil’s work in the classroom. If there are existing gaps in your child’s basic knowledge then you will need to consider the additional hours needed more carefully against the 11 plus curriculum and the demands of the scholarship board. It’s about reminding pupils that it’s important to work hard and do well at school. It is a finely balanced commitment to both the academic and the extra-curricular activity – winning a scholarship should follow.
It’s important to remember that pupils applying for a secondary school scholarship are relatively young. They are still children and need some relief from just studying. Focus on your first-choice school and work towards that one. Don’t put your children through several exams. Better to focus on a single goal.
Choosing the right senior school for your child is one of the most important decisions a parent can make – and that’s why it’s essential for schools to have an honest and open relationship with parents. Inevitably, there will always be disappointments – particularly when parents have strong aspirations for their child when it’s clearly not the correct move for them. Parents must trust the scholarship school to do what is best – no school would turn down a child who has obvious potential. So if your child doesn’t get through the examinations it is probably for the best as your child would probably have struggled once there and reviews take place annually or bi-annually.
Scholarships checklist:
- Are you eligible?
- Do you know the deadline?
- Have you got all the necessary information? ...
- Do your referees know what scholarship(s) you are applying for?
- Have you and a friend/family member proof-read your scholarship application?
- Have you submitted your application before the deadline?
What are the requirements for a scholarship in the UK?
The scholarship opportunities in the UK are based on a student's academic achievements, such as grades, test scores, and class rankings.
What you need to do?
1. Start as Early as Possible
If you wish to pursue a qualification abroad in the UK, it is important to start as early as possible, preferably three years before, provided your child has the appropriate knowledge for their age.. What this means is that you should become acquainted with your options, figure out what the requirements are and make sure you meet them when the time of application comes. Usually, scholarships are awarded to pupils who have shown to be exceptional in their education. It depends on the type of scholarship you are interested in, also.
So, whatever the case may be, it is important to know these requirements beforehand so you have time to actually meet them and increase your chances to win the scholarship.
2. Go Through Your Options
Since there are numerous scholarships available in the UK, you must first do your research well and find one which covers your needs and is suitable for your child and you as a parent, maybe you’re eligible for a scholarship because you’re a foster child, have a disability, are a single parent. We at kidslearnfast can advise you on in this. With this objective in mind, we will will give you an advantage in the selection process.
3. Check the Eligibility Criteria
Always check the eligibility criteria. You do not want to apply for a scholarship you are not eligible for because you will be wasting your time. This is why this step and the aforementioned ones are particularly important since they ensure you find a scholarship that is just right for you, and if you can’t find one, you still have time to keep searching if you begin early.
4. Check the Application Deadline
As previously mentioned, scholarships attract a large number of students, so you must not miss the deadline. It is essential that you write down the deadlines of each scholarship you are interested in and even set yourself reminders that ensure you will not miss the submission date. Should you decide to submit more than one scholarship application, make sure to give yourself enough time to complete each application properly. You should be providing the necessary documents in the required manner (online or by post) depending on the scholarship you are applying for.
5. Check the Requirements
Different scholarships have different requirements, so go through them carefully and make sure you don’t miss any of them. Some scholarship providers might ask you to submit additional documents the likes of academic transcripts, financial records, cover letter, or some might even ask you to attend an interview. You should always submit the documents in the format that is required, if they ask for certified copies of documents, you should provide certified copies.
Additionally, if you find yourself having questions about the application process, do not give up. Ask a tutor or an experienced provider, like kidslearnfast, who have gone through a similar process before or contact the scholarship providers and ask them to clarify the requirements for you.
6. Provide Letters of Reference
Many scholarship providers ask the applicants to provide letters of reference alongside their application. You should not underestimate this part of the process since it can prove to be a big help in the long run. You should be careful when choosing someone to write you a letter of reference since this person should carefully highlight and emphasize all the skills that are deemed necessary for you to be awarded the scholarship. An experienced tutor, like kidslearnfast can manage this on your behalf if you are concerned about writing the application. Let the reference providers know when the deadline is and also give them information on your child’s skills, that you would like highlighted.
7. Triple-Check the Application
Do check your scholarship application, more than just once. Make sure that you are submitting all the necessary documents, make sure you have not made any spelling errors or grammatical mistakes, or included incorrect information. You do not want to seem unprofessional in front of the selection committee. Contact an experienced tutor you can trust to go through it for you. At kidslearnfast we provide this service.
8. Submit Your Application
Finally, submit your scholarship application. Keep in mind that it might take time until you get an answer, so be patient. You can always contact the school secretary to check on progress or ask us at kidslearnfast to do that for you.
If you need further information relating to your your child's education please contact Elisa's Tutorial School on the link provided.
