What further support can QMGS offer to students and their families?
QMGS Community Hub
We have been busy this term developing our new QMGS Community Hub. The Hub is a place where we are able to safely store the pre-loved uniform and food donations and a place where students and families are able to come and pick up any requests of support.
The preloved uniform has come from school community donations, and we are supported with our food donations by Balbir Seimar of the Hindu Forum, Bushra Naureen of the Ahmaddiya Muslim Women’s Walsall Branch and Adil Parkar of Masjid al Falaah.
We are in a position to help if you need support for either of the above. Please complete this form.
If you have any uniform that your child has grown out of that you no longer need, we would love to have it please.
If you have any revision books that your child no longer needs, we will also welcome these as over the next academic year we want to continue to develop this provision. Our community is important to us, and we want to be able to support as many students and families as we can.
Technology Support
We are able to offer technological support in the form of a laptop to support students with their schoolwork at home. Now we as a school predominantly use Microsoft TEAMS to set work and to share resources, it is important that a device is used that allows the student to access the work clearly and easily. If you would like the school to try and help provide some technology for your child, please complete this Microsoft Form.
We may also be able to offer help at school during the day only if your child has had an injury which prevents them from writing and completing work in lessons as normal.
Please complete the same form as above.
Financial Support
Queen Mary’s Grammar School is a state-funded academy, which means that education is provided free of charge. However, we recognise that there are indirect costs involved in a child’s education, including the following examples:
- Transport to school
- School meals
- Educational visits and activities
- Materials/equipment for certain subjects
- Music and LAMDA Lessons
We want all students to be able to take full advantage of the opportunities available at QMGS and want to help remove any financial barriers that could be in the way.
If you do not qualify for any of the sources of support that are covered below, we will still give consideration to individual requests for assistance.
If you require financial support, please complete this form or please email financial.assistance@qmgs.merciantrust.org.uk
The Mercian Trust has a finance team who can be contacted via:
01922 211389 or merfinance@merciantrust.org.uk
Queen Mary’s Foundation Support Bursary
Social mobility and access to co-curricular activities
At Queen Mary’s Grammar School, we have a wide range of co-curricular opportunities which is a crucial part of our ethos. We would like to enable all students to take part in these and to make sure that there is not a participation gap due to family circumstances. As a school, we are acutely aware that there are many families who may struggle to afford the co-curricular opportunities that are open to their children which in recent years may be even more compounded by the cost-of-living crisis.
The QM Foundation Bursary is another avenue of support which works on a 3-tier system.
We would encourage students to apply to the Foundation if they would like support towards any co-curricular activities open to them.
Tier 1 – This would be covered through the pupil premium and financial assistance offer of support for trips and transport to school. This may be up to £100.
Tier 2 – This would require an application from the student who would be applying for funding between £100-£500. The application would be for support towards the cost of a bigger school trip, support for representative activities (e.g., county level sport) or those who require more support than is available in Tier 1.
Tier 3 – This would require an application from the student who would be applying for funding of £500+. This could be in order to support them to partly fund expeditions and other similarly large value items or co-curricular activities and opportunities.
The application form to apply for Tier 2 or 3 levels of support can be found here: Tier 2 or 3 support application form.
General Advice
If you find yourself in challenging financial circumstances, it may be helpful to check if you are receiving all the welfare benefits to which you are entitled. The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) provides a range of advice services on welfare benefits, money and credit problems, employment etc. – click here for the CAB Sandwell & Walsall website.
In addition, Turn2us is a charitable service (part of Elizabeth Finn Care) which helps people access the money available to them – through welfare benefits, grants and other sources. Their website provides a free tool to check if you may be entitled to various benefits. By registering for free with Turn2us you can gain access to their Grant Search database – financial assistance and other forms of support may be available from grant-giving organisations depending on your background and circumstances. Click here for the Turn2us website, or call their free, confidential helpline on 0808-802-2000.
Higher Education Loan
A guide to financial support for higher education students is available from the Government’s Student Finance Website