Farnworth Grammar School

Celebration time!

Contributed by Ron Hodson

What follows might fairly be said to represent life's first important hurdle. It's a transcription of parts of the letter that informed parents that their son or daughter had won a scholarship to the grammar school. I wonder how many still remember their own reaction when a similar letter arrived at their house?

In this 1943 version it is interesting to see the levels of family income that determined what percentage of the fees and expenses would actually be paid by the County Education Committee.

LANCASHIRE EDUCATION COMMITTEE.
HIGHER EDUCATION.

Education Department, County Offices, Preston. June, 1943.

JUNIOR SCHOLARSHIPS (Special Places) 1943.

DEAR SIR OR MADAM,

1.— I have pleasure in informing you that the Lancashire Education Committee have awarded to your son/daughter, ……………………………………….......……. a Junior Scholarship (Special Place) which will be tenable at ……………………………….......……….Grammar School. You should at once arrange with the Governors for his/her admission to the school on its re-opening after the summer vacation.

2.— The Scholarship cannot be held at any other secondary school without the special permission of the Lancashire Education Committee. It cannot be held with a scholarship or exhibition awarded by any other body except by the special consent of the Committee. Application for consent to such concurrent tenure should be made as soon as possible.

3.— The emoluments payable in connection with the Scholarship, including the remission of fees, are subject to the income limits set out in paragraphs 16 and 17 of the Appendix. Where the joint incomes of both parents exceed the limits, the award will be an honorary one, and the parents will be responsible for the payment of fees, etc., at the secondary school. In such cases, however, the Committee will be prepared to reconsider the value of the Scholarship should the parents' income fall within the limits of the scale during the tenure of the Scholarship.

4.—For Scholarship holders entitled to the full value of the award (Category A of the income scale), the following emoluments will be paid ;

(a) Full or partial remission of fees at the nearest approved secondary school. If a scholar attends a secondary school other than a municipal secondary school in a County Borough in which a municipal secondary school exists, the County Committee may pay either a part or the whole of the actual fees incurred up to a maximum of £9. 9s. per annum. The parents will be responsible to the Governors for payment of any remaining fee.

(b) Travelling expenses to the nearest approved secondary school if the distance between the scholar's home and the school is more than two miles. If a scholar attends a secondary school other than the one nearest to his home the parents will be responsible for the payment of any difference in travelling expenses as compared with the cost of travelling to the nearest approved secondary school.

(c) An allowance not exceeding £1. 10s. per annum towards the cost of books in schools where the fee paid by the Lancashire Education Committee does not include the provision of books.

(d) An allowance for maintenance not exceeding £5 per annum during the fourth and each subsequent year of tenure of the Scholarship.

5. — The emoluments payable for Scholarships placed in Categories B, C, D and E are shown with the income scale in paragraph 17 of the Appendix.

6. — As soon as possible after the return of form S.61/43 you will be informed if your child’s Scholarship is placed in Categories B, C, D, E or F. Unless you hear to the contrary you may assume that the Scholarship provides full emoluments (Category A).

... and so on. There follows a load of explanatory text (not reproduced here) after which the letter reaches paragraphs 16 and 17 of the Appendix as promised. Note the income limits that define the various values of the scholarship. For the benefit of younger readers, perhaps I should point out that these are annual incomes.

INCOME LIMITS FOR JUNIOR SCHOLARSHIPS.

16.— In order to satisfy the requirements of the Board of Education, it is necessary for the Lancashire Education Committee to satisfy themselves that holders of Scholarships are in need of financial assistance. As a condition of eligibility to receive emoluments parents will accordingly be required to submit to the Committee on prescribed forms such details of income as may be required by them. A review of financial circumstances of parents may from time to time be made by the Committee. (See paragraph 3 on page 1.)

17.— The following table shows the income limits prescribed for Junior Scholarships and the emoluments payable in each Category of the scale :

Category	Range of Income	Value of Scholarship
A	Up to £312, plus £52 for each child, other than the scholarship holder, under school age or undergoing full-time education.	Full fees, travelling expenses, an allowance of £1. 10s per annum towards the cost of books, and during the fourth and each subsequent year of tenure, a maintenance allowance of £5.
B	£313 to £334, plus £52 for each child, other than the scholarship holder, under school age or undergoing full-time education.	Full fees, travelling expenses, and an allowance of £1. 10s per annum towards the cost of books.
C	£335 to £360, plus £52 for each child, other than the scholarship holder, under school age or undergoing full-time education.	Three-quarters of fees and travelling expenses
D	£361 to £386, plus £52 for each child, other than the scholarship holder, under school age or undergoing full-time education.	One-half of fees and travelling expenses
E	£387 to £412, plus £52 for each child, other than the scholarship holder, under school age or undergoing full-time education.	One-quarter of fees and travelling expenses.
F	Where the annual income of the parents exceeds £412, plus £52 for each child under school age or undergoing full-time education other than the holder of the Scholarship, no emoluments will be payable.
Note.	The word" income" should be interpreted as the gross income of both parents with a deduction of 25 per cent. in the case of the wife's earnings.

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