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Children are winning scholarships to top private schools in Years 3 and 4 and are even younger when they apply. Search them here.

Callum Smith with school mate Ella Silvy who relocated to Adelaide from Mt Gambier with her family when she won a maths scholarship at Westminister. Picture: Mike Burton

The state’s primary school children – some as young as Year 2 – are being prepped for lucrative scholarships at top private schools in a trend being mirrored nationally, experts say.

In Adelaide, several schools now offer scholarships – general and academic – for children in Years 3, 4 and 5, with applications closing up to two years prior to kids entering this class.

Jack Stevens, the CEO of Edstart, a lender that specialises in helping families pay school fees, says the expansion of scholarships into more junior years is not surprising.

“We are seeing scholarships emerge for younger children in a few different ways, driven by a number of things,” he said.

“(Parents are) wanting a more tailored education for their kids – where they are looking to find a school that is a ‘good fit’ for their child.

“We’ve data showing parents are looking beyond academic performance to areas such as the wellbeing of the child and more opportunities for extra-curricular activities and they are willing to invest in private schools to get that.

“However, due to financial reasons – exacerbated for many by COVID-19 – they are reconsidering when they will send their child to a private school, perhaps putting it off until Year 7 rather than Year 3 or Year 5 … we are speaking to lots of parents who are telling us this.”

From a school’s perspective, there are benefits in boosting enrolment in the junior levels.

“There is a fair bit to be gained by having that enrolment there for a longer period of time … there’s not much in way of additional costs for the school but it’s getting that fee and government funding that goes along with an extra enrolment for those extra years,” Mr Stevens said.

He said scholarship options were appealing for parents wavering on whether to send their child to a private school in the primary years, or holding off until secondary school.

“There will always be families who will send their children to private school for the entire 12 or 13 years but for that swing group in the middle, who would like to but are put off by the financial cost, even a small percentage off school fees will be attractive,” Mr Stevens said.

Tutors SA, which specialises in preparing children for the ACER scholarship tests, is working with children aged just eight and nine.

“There is an increasing demand for our ACER scholarship courses … (parents are wanting) their children to get prepared early,” managing director Don Wenura Dissanayake said.

Academic scholarships for St Andrew’s School where fees range from $16,560 in reception to $23,650 in Year 7, are offered from Year 4.

A school spokeswoman says the focus is allowing children who might not otherwise be able to, the chance to attend.

The Walkerville primary school also offers a scholarship for new students starting in Year 3, with applications made in Year 2.

Bright Futures’ applicants are required to write a letter to the principal, explaining why they would like to be a part of the school community and how they’d make a difference to it.

Other examples include Pulteney Grammar and St John’s Grammar which offer scholarships from Year 3 and 4 respectively while all-boys’ Prince Alfred College awards “general excellence” scholarships from Year 5.