Discretionary Bursary Fund

The Discretionary Bursary Fund is a fund made available by the government to support students in completing their education and is targeted at students who face the greatest financial barriers in doing so.

Students who have successfully applied for this award will receive money to contribute towards the purchases that support their education. This can include, but is not limited to,  transport costs, course textbooks, educational website, magazine and journal subscriptions, educational trips, attending university open days, equipment linked to studies (including laptops), dress code items and other items at the school’s discretion.

The 16-19 Bursary is awarded by the school on a discretionary basis. Students can apply for the Bursary if fulfilling the following criteria:

1. The student is over 16 and under 19.
2. The student must satisfy Education Funding Agency residency criteria – meaning you normally live in the UK.
3. The student must provide evidence of receipt of benefits or gross household income of less than £28,000.

Free School Meals do not affect a bursary any student receives, so we would advise any student applying for the bursary to apply for Free School Meals in addition to the bursary.

Educational Material (textbooks)

In addition to the bursary, the school will always endeavour to pay for educational textbooks required for courses. These will be paid for directly out of the bursary funds before individual bursaries are calculated and awarded.

Free School Meals Post-16

Any student in receipt of Free School Meals in Year 11 is still entitled to receive them in the Sixth Form. The school will provide any student entitled to Free School Meals with £2.45 of credit on the school cashless payment system on a daily basis.

To apply for this entitlement, please click the link below and apply directly through Kent County Council’s (KCC) website.

KCC 16+ Travel Saver

The KCC 16+ Travel Saver (and the KCC Travel Saver) are bus passes provided by Kent County Council (KCC) and can save up to 50% on the cost of bus travel to and from school and college.

Once you have bought the card you will then be sharing the fare with KCC, who will meet the rest of the costs of bus travel at any time of the day, 7 days a week and all year round from September until the end of August.

Pupils at secondary school can benefit from the KCC Travel Saver. Visit:

To apply for a KCC 16+ Travel Saver for the period from 1 September 2023 until 31 August 2024, every applicant MUST:

• Be 16-19 years old and in academic years 12-14 (to be eligible, your date of birth must be between 01/09/2005 and 31/08/2007)

Full terms and conditions and further information about schools and participating operators are available on the website link above.