Mitchell offers two types of support for pupils of secondary school age:

• For a single-parent family, when a child already attends a UK independent school or state boarding school, and has been at the school for at least one year
• For a child with one or both parents who already attends a UK independent school or state boarding school, and is about to enter the 6^th Form (or is already in the 6^thForm) and has been at the school for at least one year

It is essential that the applicant has the ‘City Qualification’.

Either
The child must be attending a ‘City School’ (a school within the City of London). Because of their connections with the City this includes Christ’s Hospital School, Horsham; City of London Freemen’s School, Ashtead; King Edward’s School Witley, Godalming.

Or
Either parent must be living or working, or have lived or worked, in the City of London for at least five years.

• The City of London is roughly the square mile area around St Paul’s Cathedral.
• The following is an approximate guide for the boundary:
  Middle Temple Lane; Temple Bar; Chancery Lane; Holborn; Charterhouse Square; Barbican; Chiswell Street; Liverpool Street Station; Middlesex Street; Aldgate; Minories; Tower Hill; and on the South, the river.
• The London Postal Districts EC3 and EC4 lie almost entirely within the City.
• The southern portion of EC2, the south-eastern corner of EC1, a very small part of E1 and a small part of Chancery Lane and Bell Yard WC2 are also in the City.
• All other postal districts are outside the City.

For an application to be considered there has to be a change in circumstance leading to a need for assistance. Typically, a ‘change in circumstance’ would be bereavement, separation / divorce, health issues, significant change to financial or home situation. School choice alone is not considered a change in circumstance.

An application will need to clearly establish need for financial assistance.

Awards are considered to be more of a ‘top up’, usually where the school are already awarding a substantial bursary, or where there is a school bursary and other charities also supporting. It isn’t mandatory for the school to be awarding a bursary.

Funds are not available towards outstanding fees.

Trustees would not usually make an award if family income is over £60,000 per year or there is a large value in savings / investments or capital in property.
Income includes maintenance payments, partner’s income, benefits, pensions, rental income from additional properties.

Trustees will consider the recommendation from the current school; the need for the child to attend the school that has been chosen; how the child benefits from attending the chosen school.

For 6th Form Bursary applications the minimum attainment at GCSE of six Grade 5’s or equivalent grade is usually essential for support.