Sixth Form Learning Grant

At Forge we encourage our sixth form students to be aspirant; to strive to progress to the top universities, the very best apprenticeship providers and seize every opportunity available to them.

We recognise that this can come with a cost. Travelling further afield to university open days or job interviews incurs expenses, as do some additional courses, such as virtual work experience programmes that are designed to enhance students’ learning experiences, develop commercial awareness and make them more marketable when entering the world of work.

We are introducing a learning grant for students at Forge Sixth Form. Our Learning Grant is designed to contribute towards some of the costs our students may face during their time in sixth form. These may be costs directly linked to the courses they undertake, costs linked to accessing resources that will support their learning and/or costs linked to progressing towards their post-sixth form goal, be it university or employment.

The Learning Grant can provide a student with up to £200 of financial support per academic year, so a total of £400 by the time they complete their programme of study and leave at the end of year 13.

The Learning Grant is for all students in sixth form following a programme of study equivalent to 3 or more A levels, irrespective of household income and irrespective of whether a student is already entitled to one of the other sixth form bursaries, such as the Vulnerable Group Bursary or the Discretionary Bursary.

To be eligible, students also need to maintain the following standards:

  • Attendance above 90% overall and for individual subjects (including enrichment qualifications and non-qualification enrichments)
  • Exemplary behaviour and excellent conduct at all times
  • Punctual attendance to all lessons and morning form sessions
  • Good commitment to the completion of homework and private study
  • Good attendance to weekly university and employment workshops (Year 13 students only)

The Learning Grant can be used to contribute towards some, or all of the cost of the following:

  • Educational textbooks or revision guides linked to the courses being studied
  • Material and equipment that will support learning, such as art material
  • IT devices such as a Chromebook if there is limited IT access in the family home
  • A school visit, such as field study, integral to the successful completion of a course
  • An extra-curricular trip, such as a theatre visit, designed to enrich learning experiences
  • The fee for an online course linked to current studies or subjects that are likely to be studied at university
  • The fee for a virtual work experience course
  • Any fees for university admissions tests, such as the UCAT and UMAT tests for students intending to study medicine.
  • Travel to a university open day, university interview or a job interview
  • An additional external tutoring programme linked to the sixth form courses being studied.

The Leaning Grant cannot be used to cover the cost of clothing or daily travel to and from the Academy.

For more information and instructions on how to apply for the learning grant, download the policy here.

Forge Sixth Form Learning GrantDownload