LOCATION, LOCATION
SCHOLARSHIPS & BURSARIES 2021/22
Wanted: bright local students
THE INSIDERS
SIMON EVERSON There is a moral case for support
12 ways to get a bursary
FUTURAMA Schools with 21st century foundations
schoolsshow.co.uk
PLAN YOUR CHILD’S FUTURE
The leading schools, the brightest thinkers, the most respected heads | 13-14 November, Battersea Evolution
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PAST MASTERS A tradition of giving
MEET US AT THE SHOW
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Transforming boys’ lives through education… Founded in 1596, Whitgift is an independent day and boarding school providing a challenging and inclusive learning environment for boys aged 10 to 18. Set within 45 acres of serene parkland in South London, we have exceptional academic standards, a comprehensive pastoral support structure, and a broad and vibrant co-curricular programme with 100+ clubs and societies. With a range of educational pathways, including IB and A Levels, our vision is to develop highly accomplished, grounded, and community-minded young men, well equipped to succeed in their personal aspirations and goals. To find out more about our inspirational school community please visit our website or sign up to receive updates about Open Events at www.whitgift.co.uk/keep-in-touch
INDEPENDENT BOYS’ SCHOOL OF THE YEAR 2020
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admissions@whitgift.co.uk | Telephone: +44 (0)20 8633 9935 |
www.whitgift.co.uk
Whitgift School | Haling Park | South Croydon | CR2 6YT
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Inspiring girls’ futures since 1889 For girls aged 3-18
Outstanding, Independent, academically selective, day school for girls aged 3-18. Pre School & Preparatory (ages 3-11) Melville Avenue South Croydon CR2 7YN
Seniors and Sixth Form (11+) Old Palace Road Croydon CR0 1AX
Extensive mini bus service covering surrounding areas
Find out more at: www.oldpalace.croydon.sch.uk
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CONTENTS SCHOLARSHIPS & BURSARIES
44
NEWS 12
WHAT’S UP Schools building bridges and star pupils soaring
16
COMMENT 11
15
17
19
21 23
25
27
TOP SCHOLAR Valeria and Victoria Badham from Mayfield School, East Sussex OPEN FOR BUSINESS Rosie McColl on how Brighton Girls is moving with the times THE MORAL CASE Bursaries change lives for the better, says Simon Everson NEVER TOO SOON Prep school bursaries are extremely powerful resources, says Phillip Evitt ABOVE AND BEYOND Alastair Chirnside looks outside Teddies PLAYING OUR PART Nathaniel McCullagh on his Tutor the Nation initiative BETTER TOGETHER David Neill discusses the impact Canford School has had on the Bourne Academy HOMEWORK… FOR PARENTS Samantha Price gives advice for parents who are considering scholarships for their children
34 34
38
44
50
FEATURES 28
OLD SCHOOLS, NEW FOUNDATIONS Victoria Lambert charts how funds are being harvested, grown and spent
PARENTS’ PRIMER Eleanor Doughty gives us a 12-step insiders’ guide to bursaries COMMUNITY SPIRIT Sally Jones discovers the schools giving bursaries to promising young locals BACK TO THE FUTURE Emma Reed looks back through the centuries at age-old bursaries CLASS ACTS Victoria Lambert hears from six young students about their life-changing bursaries
DIRECTORY 54 64 78
LONDON SCHOOLS COUNTRY SCHOOLS SCHOOLS’ LISTINGS
ON THE COVER: Whitgift School, Photographed by Hester Marriott
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The country’s leading Catholic prep school for boys aged 7-13
PHILLIP EVITT
Phillip Evitt is headmaster of Highfield School in Hampshire, a co-educational boarding and day prep school, set in 175 acres in the South Downs National Park. Educated at Gonville and Caius, Cambridge, he taught at Monmouth School and Dulwich College before joining Highfield in 1999. Phillip is especially proud that his pupils are overwhelmingly selected for their first-choice senior schools.
EMMA REED
Emma Reed is a freelance journalist who writes about lifestyle, education and careers. Proving that you can successfully enjoy more than one career, Emma was previously a construction litigation lawyer in the City. With three children of her own, she has a particular passion for issues affecting young people today. For this issue, Emma explores some of the oldest British schools to offer financial support.
Inspirational teaching in a warm and nurturing environment with exceptional results
c.50% of leavers since 2019 to Eton, City of London and Dulwich admissions@stpschool.co.uk 6 Wetherby Place, London SW7 4NE
SIMON EVERSON
Simon Everson attended Solihull School before reading English at Fitzwilliam, Cambridge, and gaining a Philosophy MA. He joined Merchant Taylors’ as head in 2013 after being Chair of the Grammar School Heads Association while at the Skinners’ School. In this issue, he writes on schools’ duty to improve access to independent education. ‘Each bursary is more than a statistic or an exemplar in an argument,’ he says.
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SCHOLARSHIPS & BURSARIES 2021/22 C O N T R I B U TO R S
INDEPENDENT DAY SCHOOL FOR GIRLS AGED 11-18
SALLY JONES
A prolific broadsheet journalist and morning TV presenter, Sally Jones was Britain’s first networked woman sports presenter covering the British Olympics. Real Tennis world champion 1993-95, she played county sport for Warwickshire, won five Oxford Blues and half-Blues for tennis, squash, netball, cricket and modern pentathlon. This issue, she looks into schools offering bursaries to local children.
NATHANIEL MCCULLAGH
Nathaniel founded Simply Learning Tuition in 2009 after working as a private tutor in London, working with children of a range of ages and abilities. Educated at Durham and the University of Southern California, Nathaniel is a trustee of new charity Tutor The Nation which he helped establish. Its aim? To offer thousands of hours of free tuition to disadvantaged children.
ELEANOR DOUGHTY
Eleanor is a feature writer and editor. Formerly an education reporter for the Daily Telegraph, Eleanor also focuses on countryside issues. When free, she hot-foots it to the country, or rides out with the Household Cavalry in Hyde Park. Eleanor went to Lincoln Minster School, where she spent six years as a cathedral chorister making friends for life – including her English teachers, to whom she is ‘indebted’.
FULLY FUNDED PLACES AVAILABLE REGISTER NOW FOR 2022 ENTRY:
www.godolphinandlatymer.com Godolphin and Latymer
Iffley Road, Hammersmith London W6 0PG
@gandlschool
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SCHOLARSHIPS & BURSARIES 2021/22
EDITOR Victoria Lambert EDITORIAL & PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Ruby Featherstone CREATIVE & PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Parm Bhamra PRODUCTION DESIGNER Samuel Thomas ONLINE EDITOR Rebecca Cox JUNIOR ONLINE EDITOR Ellie Smith JUNIOR SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Daniella Saunders ONLINE WRITER Charlotte Rickards ONLINE INTERN Carina Murphy ONLINE INTERN Charlie Colville EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Lucy Cleland MANAGING EDITOR Amy Wakeham FEATURES ASSISTANT Sofia Tindall
PUBLISHER Camilla van Praagh ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE Melissa Campbell SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Pandora Lewis ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Ellie Rix DIGITAL MANAGER Adam Dean TECHNICAL MANAGER Hannah Johnson TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Mark Pearson FINANCE CONTROLLER Lauren Hartley SALES AND ADMIN ASSISTANT Bea Cerullo PROPERTY & MARKETING ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Gemma Cowley FINANCE DIRECTOR Jill Newey GROUP PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Tia Graham MANAGING DIRECTOR Jeremy Isaac CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Max Davidson, Eleanor Doughty, Charlotte Fairbairn, Sally Jones, Emma Love, Anna Tyzack EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES victorialambert@schoolhousemagazine.co.uk ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES camilla@schoolhousemagazine.co.uk
Scholarships and bursaries available Coaches: Hampstead, Highgate, Ealing & St John’s Wood
Copyright © 2020 School House. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. Materials are accepted on the understanding that no liability is incurred for safe custody. The publisher cannot be responsible for unsolicited material. All prices are correct at the time of going to press but are subject to change. Whilst every care is taken to ensure all information is correct at the time of going to press, it is subject to change, and School House takes no responsibility for omissions or errors. School House is published by Country & Town House Ltd.
Moor Park (Baker Street 35 minutes) Tel. +44 (0)1923 845514 Email. admissions@mtsn.org.uk Merchant Taylors’ School, Sandy Lodge, Northwood, Middlesex HA6 2HT Excellence, integrity and distinction since 1561
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SCHOOL HOUSE is a biannual magazine published with Country & Town House magazine and distributed to AB homes in Barnes, Battersea, Bayswater, Belgravia, Brook Green, Chelsea, Chiswick, Clapham, Coombe, Fulham, Hampstead, Highgate, Holland Park, Kensington, Knightsbridge, Marylebone, Mayfair, Notting Hill, Pimlico, Putney, Richmond, South Kensington, St John’s Wood, Wandsworth and Wimbledon. It is also on sale at selected WHSmith, Sainsbury’s, M&S, and Waitrose stores and independent newsagents nationwide. School House is published by Country & Town House Ltd, Studio 2, Chelsea Gate Studios, 115 Harwood Road, London SW6 4QL (tel: 020 7384 9011). Registered number 576850 England and Wales. Printed in the UK by William Gibbons and Sons Ltd, West Midlands. Paper supplied by Gerald Judd. Distribution by Letterbox.
www.mtsn.org.uk For boys 3 - 18
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‘They will tell you it is very down to earth – we thought it was
FLYING HIGH
’
the good schools guide
St Edward’s offers Academic and Music Scholarships, and Awards in Sport, Art, Dance, Drama and Design Technology. All pupils applying to St Edward’s in Years 9 and 12 are eligible to apply for means-tested Bursaries.
School coach from London via Beaconsfield every weekend Book for Open Days at www.stedwardsoxford.org
WEEKLY & FULL BOARDING | DAY | A LEVEL & IB | CO-EDUCATIONAL | 13 – 18
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Editor’s LETTER A new school year has begun, and while the spectre of Covid is still haunting our thoughts and plans, it has been a huge relief to encounter once again so much that is familiar. Whether that’s rugby training on the pitches, rehearsals in dance and drama studios, lively lessons or lunch-time larks, it’s that continuity which comforts and reassures us that all will be well in the end. But for me, this autumn term marks the start of something new and exciting as I take on the role of Editor of School House, a magazine I know well both as writer and – as parent of an independently educated sixth-former – reader. But while my Editor’s hat here is box-fresh, my experience as a journalist spans more than 30 years’ writing and editing for much of the national print media, including the Daily Telegraph where I am currently Senior Commissioning Editor. I have also contributed to the international press and worked for four years in Sydney for Australian media, as well as writing Boundaries, a bestselling book about relationships at work, home and school. For this first issue then, I hope you will forgive me looking a little to the past for inspiration. For example, many of our oldest schools still pursue the bursary dream of offering independent education to children who would really benefit from it yet could not otherwise afford it (p44). Sometimes, the tradition dates back centuries: 400 or more years, as in the case of Whitgift School which – with the official school peacocks on parade – is gracing this edition’s cover. At other long-established schools, the focus is on re-evaluating the financial foundations that support their bursary structures (p28). At Stonyhurst, founded in 1593, that means taking a wholly 21st-century attitude to fundraising, investment as well as disbursement: no mean feat. We’re also shining a spotlight this month on schools which work hard to support their communities by recruiting local young people (p38). And don’t miss our new Insiders’ Guide where the experts – in this issue, it is school bursars – separate the facts from the myths about applying for financial support for a school place (p34). Don’t even think about applying without reading this invaluable resource!
Rugby School
Marlborough College
Gordonstoun School
Rossall School
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SPG Advert 202012_Layout 1 23/09/2020 15:36 Page 1
Transformation through education Offering more fee assisted places than other independent schools.
T: 01403 246 555 E: hello@christs-hospital.org.uk Christ’s Hospital, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 0LJ www.christs-hospital.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1120090
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Day and boarding for boys and girls 13-18
1
MOR N ING
is all we think you will need to be inspired.
Join us at one of our open mornings
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SCHOOL HOUSE SCHOLARSHIPS & BURSARIES 2021/22
Valeria & Victoria Badham, Mayfield School Twins Valeria and Victoria Badham, 17, are prefects at Mayfield School in Sussex, a Catholic independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18, with 400 students. The twins are academic powerhouses, each with 12 GCSEs – all at Grade 9, and are now working towards A-levels in physics, chemistry, maths and further maths. They both aim to read natural sciences at Cambridge. While unsure where the future will take them after university, Valeria and Victoria are interested in engineering as a possible career choice; and they have both been awarded the prestigious national Arkwright Engineering Scholarship which links them to major employers for mentoring and work experience. For Valeria, that means Rolls-Royce is already on her CV, Victoria is receiving similar support from the ERA Foundation – a not-for-profit in the electech manufacturing sector – and BAE Systems. When not at their studies, the girls play tennis and athletics for the school teams. and piano for pleasure: Chopin for Valeria, Tchaikovsky for Victoria. Both students also speak Russian fluently. The girls are already well-travelled having lived abroad in countries such as Dubai, Russia and Norway. Both say they will miss Mayfield terribly when it’s time to leave next summer. But what exactly will they miss? ‘Everything!’
Portrait by Hester Marriott SCHOOLHOUSEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 11
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WHAT’S UP The latest on new bursaries and scholarships
SCHOLARLY SUCCESS Cranleigh Prep students in Design Technology
PREP SCHOOL WINS
This year has seen great success for Cranleigh Prep School pupils in gaining a combined 28 scholarship awards at six different schools across a variety of disciplines. Nick French, Master of Scholars, says, ‘We are absolutely thrilled with all the achievements of our pupils, not only those who gain an award, but also those who narrowly miss out. Each and every pupil puts heart and soul into their scholarship journey and we are proud of them all.
DIVING IN
Dolphin School had a round of success with 21 scholarships and 100 offers of places from 35 superb senior schools in a class only 28. It has recently opened a new Noah’s Ark Nursery for children aged two to four. Young scholars in the making! Papplewick boys
Dolphin School
RECORD AWARDS
Port Regis School in Wiltshire has achieved a record-breaking 39 scholarships this year, with just under half of their top year being awarded one.
BACK AT IT
Two boys at Papplewick, Berkshire, have been awarded King’s Scholarships to Eton College, of which there are only 70 in the entire school. Other scholarships have been awarded to Winchester College, Harrow School and Tonbridge. Papplewick’s headmaster Tom Bunbury says, ‘It has felt wonderfully normal to be celebrating some scholarships once again here at Papplewick. We are hugely proud of the high standards that our boys reach.’
St Paul’s School offers John Colet Scholarships, in honour of its founder, and Durston House in Ealing has secured four of seven of these awards. As the school is non-selective at reception, it’s very proud.
MILITARY MIGHT
Mill Hill pupil, Toby, has been awarded an Army Officer Scholarship which is offered to students with the potential to make excellent army officers. It will partly fund his fees at Bristol University and guarantees him a place at Sandhurst.
Working hard at Bedales
HIGH EDUCATION, LOW FEES Maisie McGregor, former deputy head girl of Bedales, Hampshire, has been awarded a Foundation Scholarship at Trinity College, Dublin. Maisie is going into her third year at Trinity and hopes to continue on to complete a masters and perhaps further as her fees are impressively waivered for the next five years. Durham University have awarded Ewan C, from Felsted School in Essex, a ViceChancellor’s Scholarship for Music at Durham University. For Music awards, applicants must be at the highest level of ability and the application process involves an audition, personal statement and supporting references. The award is designed to allow students to further their personal development with extra-curricular activities. Rugby School’s revolutionary Arnold Foundation bursary programme celebrated its 18th birthday in May 2021 with the launch of an ambitious campaign to secure funding for future generations. The Arnold Foundation is Rugby’s biggest bursary and offers 100+ per cent support to include books, school trips and other extras.
Toby from Mill Hill
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SCHOLARSHIPS & BURSARIES Science class at Stoke College
Naomi Simon, pupil at Bilton Grange
CHORAL OPPORTUNITIES Wells Cathedral School has announced that all cathedral choristers will be entitled to a 50 per cent reduction on boarding fees. The places will be offered in a newly refurbished boarding house for children in Years 4 to 8, which opens this September. The headmaster Alastair Tighe comments, ‘Wells is larger than many cathedral schools and we are in the very fortunate position of continuing to thrive as we celebrate our 1,111th birthday.’
SIXTH FORM DELIGHTS
Stoke College, Suffolk, has confirmed the continuation of its sixth form scholarship programme with the announcement that up to 10 scholarships worth 50-100 per cent of fees will be awarded to new entrants to the sixth form in 2022. The scholarships will effectively give discounts worth up to a whopping £30,000 over the two-year course. ‘The Dovecote’, the school’s sixth form centre, has been designed to offer social and personal study space for its Year 12 and 13 pupils – a space where they can flourish in the heart of the school. Kneller Hall
NEW DEVELOPMENTS
Dukes Education has announced the purchase of Kneller Hall in Twickenham alongside plans to transform the grade IIlisted Ministry of Defence (MoD) building into a brand new, state-of-the-art Upper School for nearby Radnor House. A team of architects and designers are planning to sensitively transform the hall and grounds.
Bilton Grange, Warwickshire, will now provide children with the opportunity to become part of separate chorister teams of four boys and four girls from each year group (Years 3 to 8). The chorister programme, starting in September 2022, will be part of an enhanced music offering at Bilton Grange – Music Every Day. Music scholarships, with means-tested bursary support of up to 100 per cent of fees are available, as they are at Rugby School, with whom they merged in early 2020.
St George’s School Windsor
ONWARDS AND UPWARDS
Reigate Grammar School has been shortlisted for School/College of the Year in the UK Social Mobility Awards (SOMOs) 2021 which recognise organisations with plans to advance social mobility. Reigate Grammar
WINDSOR SCHOOLS
St George’s School Windsor has recently launched its Windsor Schools Partnership, made up of many different schools to enhance opportunity to all pupils across the network. The partnership will pool resources across the schools to increase community collaboration, links with international partner schools, shared charity days and other outreach opportunities. SCHOOLHOUSEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 13
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S S, N U IO ON IO AT ND AC OC O SP N L O L E T RE SE G LO C
THE WORLD NEEDS NEW THINKING. GET READY. ARE YOU ELIGIBLE FOR A BURSARY FROM ACS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS? ACS International Schools is offering means-tested bursaries with fee reductions from 10 –100%, for the start of the 2022 academic year. Our ethos inspires children to be open-minded and curious, capable of great accomplishments when encouraged and challenged. We realise this through exceptional teaching and a curriculum built on the world-renowned International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes.
BURSARIES AVAILABLE AT 11+, 13+ AND 16+.
COBHAM | EGHAM | HILLINGDON PLEASE VISIT WWW.ACS-SCHOOLS.COM/BURSARIES TO UNDERSTAND MORE ON HOW TO APPLY. APPLICATIONS ARE NOW WELCOME.
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SCHOLARSHIPS & BURSARIES
OPEN FOR BUSINESS
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Inviting entrepreneurs to work inside our school will pay dividends for pupils, says Rosie McColl, head of Brighton Girls GDST
hen I took the helm of Brighton Girls in early 2020, bringing the school into the heart of the community was my ambition. Just weeks later, the global pandemic hit. People were forced to retreat into their homes, schools closed, clubs and societies were put on pause and human contact was kept to a minimum. How then to fuse school with city, when the world seemed like it had stopped turning? In fact, the formidable hurdle of Covid turned out to inspire me further. I think it was when I saw how successful our remote learning offering was and we as a school realised that if we could educate children from our own school like this, why not other children in the city, too? We put this into practice with our previously face-to-face STEM sessions for Year 6 children across the city, delivering it online and seeing we could reach so many more children. We went on to create online lessons in English and science for primary schools across the city, and two of our English teachers ran an online book club for Years 4 and 5 throughout the summer. But this is just a jigsaw piece in our ambitions to ensure that Brighton Girls gives more to its community. The physical manifestation of this is our current multimillion pound school renovation, which will see our buildings play a bigger part in city life. Our elegant Thomas Kemp Temple building, named for the Regency city landowner who developed Kemp Town, will be the hub of this plan, welcoming in the public for the first time. The ground floor is becoming a wellbeing café run by pupils and a catering team. There will also be flexible working space for local entrepreneurs (and we hope to create working relationships between them and our sixth form team to nurture future local talent). We are also about to transform the landscaping at the front of the Temple and the school’s green spaces, with plans to open this to the
community at weekends. The focus on looking outwards continues through to our admissions and we proudly unveiled our brand-new (and unique, we think!) skateboarding scholarship earlier this year, with the hope that young girls with a wide range of talents will be able to imagine themselves at our school. Skateboarding requires dogged determination, bravery and the ability to shrug off mistakes and Rosie McColl (right) in keep trying – exactly the sort action on her skateboard of characteristics that we try to instil here at Brighton Girls. We want to open out our sport more, too. So far, we have launched a community netball club, Brighton Bees, which offers training to girls of all ages. Our sponsorship of the Brighton Mini Mile in September 2021 meant little ones from across the city could show their running chops. The Guild, our school’s charity arm, raises thousands of pounds every year for local organizations and our partnership work extends to local businesses. We enjoy teaming up with local artists, designers and entrepreneurs because our students learn from them and we nourish our local community in the process. This summer, we collaborated with TV’s Charis Williams, also known as the Salvage Sister, to deliver power-tools and DIY workshops to our students. We hope to send a message to prospective families about our mission. We know academic strengths are hugely important but this school also wants its pupils to think around the angles and work out creative solutions – something that happens just as much in the DT rooms as it does in the lab. A lesson that we must take away from what we have all been through in the past 18 months is that community matters. A lot. Which means I’m more determined than ever to make sure our school contributes as much as it can to the vibrant, joyful place Brighton is.
Our elegant Thomas Kemp building is to become the hub of this plan. The ground floor is being redesigned to create a wellbeing café run by pupils and a catering team and there will also be flexible working space for local entrepreneurs to use, nurturing Brighton talent
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Using a 3D printer in Design & Technology at Merchant Taylors’ School
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THE MORAL CASE
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Bursaries are our duty – they change lives, says Simon Everson, head of Merchant Taylors’ School
hen making a moral case for bursaries, the temptation is to take an intellectual route. Perhaps one might survey the recent educational landscape, with special reference to the loss of assisted places. Perhaps one might focus upon the ever-increasing fees demanded by the private sector, rendering access impossible to all but a gilded few. Perhaps one might reach for the utilitarian or Kantian ethics that advocate universally excellent education for all. However, I begin elsewhere with an image of an angry young man in my classroom, holding a baseball bat. For me, each bursary is more than a statistic or an example in an argument. Each bursary has a face, each represents a life altered and shaped towards better and happier outcomes. I think, then, of the ones that got away, the pupils I couldn’t help. Let me take you back in time to the early 1990s. My memory of the modern estate that my first school served is less than positive. The first school to employ me was a community comprehensive in a howling concrete wilderness inhabited by a population that had been economically abandoned. Carl was intelligent but irrepressible. We got on, so he humoured me as his young English teacher. In other subjects, he used his quick-wittedness to amuse himself at the expense of his teachers. I had been pleased with the B grades the GCSE Results Day had brought Carl in English, but was not surprised that his performance in other subjects had prevented any progression to the sixth form. What, then, brought him to my classroom the following September, angrily swinging his baseball bat? ‘What are you doing, Carl?’ ‘I got nothing but lousy grades in my GCSEs, so I’m here to smash the school’s windows.’ ‘It’s not the school’s fault that you got bad grades, Carl. It’s the
government’s fault. They’re the ones who set the exams and made it harder for you.’ Carl lowered the bat. ‘Where do I go to smash their windows?’ Carl went away. He never had a chance. I have never seen him again. Or what about Lee, in another class? Lee was all inward anger – though he was a dogged worker. Essays were on time, but on ragged Simon Everson scraps of varied sheets of paper. I remember the day he presented himself in my classroom tightly bundled up in his black puffer jacket. The school rules did not permit the wearing of jackets and coats in the classroom so I asked him to remove it. It took three attempts before he even acknowledged my presence, and then he spoke only to refuse to comply. I could have raised my voice and issued some form of punishment, but some instinct prompted me to draw him aside and speak softly. ‘Why can’t you remove your jacket?’ I asked. ‘We’ve only got one shirt, and my brother is wearing it today,’ he replied. The lesson resumed, and the jacket stayed on. I involved social services. Later on, Lee dropped out of school anyway. I am now the head of a very different school. I could not save Carl or Lee in the moment that our lives intersected. However, I know both would have made it at my current school. The young men of my memories would both be about 45 years old now. If I can’t go back and help them, then I feel a burning duty to try to do something for those that come after them. That is my moral case for bursaries. We must think of the generations of young men and women who might have had their needs met, who might have escaped a challenging home life, who might have shaped a brighter future, who missed the opportunity to become most fully themselves. They must be better served.
We must think of the generations of young men and women who might have had their needs met, who might have escaped a challenging home life, who might have shaped a brighter future, who missed the opportunity to become most fully themselves. They must be better served.
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Highfield and Brookham Schools
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SCHOLARSHIPS & BURSARIES
NEVER TOO SOON
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Prep school bursaries are no myth and can have a powerful impact, says Phillip Evitt, headmaster of Highfield and Brookham Schools
or many people, prep school bursaries are something of a taboo subject – they are out of reach, they are for other people. That couldn’t be further from the truth. At Highfield and Brookham Schools, Hampshire, we have been exploding that myth since setting up our very own Centenary Bursaries Fund in 2007, which marked 100 years of exceptional schooling at Highfield. The aim of the fund is to raise enough money to support children who would not otherwise come to a school such as ours. In the current climate, access to private education is becoming more and more of a privilege, and we recognise our responsibility to ensure we bridge this advantage gap. We know there are a large number of children who would benefit greatly from attending an independent school and there is a need to bring this opportunity to as many as possible. In fact, many parents may not even entertain the idea of applying for a bursary at a prep school because they don’t believe they can. Well, we have awarded 15 bursaries over the past 12 years – and they have proved to be an enormous success. All but one of these bursaries have been for 100 per cent, the other one was for 90 per cent. Our Centenary Bursaries Fund also provides additional support for music lessons, sports equipment, school trips and uniform. In some circumstances, it has also funded travel to and from the school for the children – and even the parents. The purpose of the bursary is to make a difference in a child’s life, not just academically but also physically, emotionally and socially. Ours are awarded to children we believe will gain the most from attending, ensuring they reach their full potential. These are the children we believe will engage with all of the
opportunities Highfield and Brookham has to offer – ensuring they build life-long skills and develop long-lasting positive experiences and relationships. We place great importance on all our pupils understanding their position in the community. We encourage them to look beyond the school grounds, to engage with the wider world and to Phillip Evitt and his find the part that they can wife, Jo, at Sports Day this summer play in society and as global citizens. As a school we can set an example. In our position of privilege, it is our duty to ensure we are doing all we can to bridge the advantage gap. The UK is one of the worst countries for fostering social mobility. Therefore, it is important that we do our bit to ensure everyone receives the same opportunities regardless of their background. So it was heartening when a Year 8 leaver expressed to me recently that, ‘I love the fact that my school gives so many opportunities for all types of children. I am a child on a bursary and I have had so many doors opened for me that I would never have thought could possibly be available to me.’ What better endorsement could there be? Five of the past bursary children have gone on to secure 100 per cent bursaries and scholarships at secondary schools such as Charterhouse School, Marlborough College and Seaford College. Eight children are currently still with us and because of our excellent relationships with senior schools and the outstanding support we offer, the hope is our current cohort will follow in those footsteps. It’s rare for prep schools to offer 100 per cent bursaries, especially at the rate that we do, but we want to lead the way, in faith that other prep schools will follow and to allow this amazing opportunity to be brought to even more children.
The purpose of the bursary is to make a difference in a child’s life, not just academically, but also physically, emotionally and socially. At Highfield and Brookham, we offer them to those children who we believe will gain the most from attending, ensuring they reach their full potential
Phillip Evitt is headmaster of Highfield and Brookham Prep Schools n SCHOOLHOUSEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 19
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ABOVE AND BEYOND
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Looking beyond school boundaries brings rich rewards to pupils, says Alastair Chirnside, warden of St Edward’s, Oxford
ake a moment to think about your clearest memories from your time at school. Where were they made? Who was there with you? What were you doing? Some of those memories will come from academic lessons. If, like me, you were lucky enough to go to a boarding school, some will come from your boarding House. It’s likely, however, that most of them will come from what used to be called extra-curricular activities – sport, music, drama, clubs and societies. It is often in those activities that our strongest friendships were forged, the ones that outlasted school to be there for our lifetimes. At St Edward’s in Oxford, we do not refer to extra-curricular activities anymore. We talk about the co-curriculum, because we have understood how formative it can be for pupils and how integral it is to their personal development. That is partly a function of time: a child might spend two hours per week in an academic subject, but two hours per day training, practising or rehearsing. The bonds which they forge with each other and the relationships they build up with their teachers are lasting, often strengthened by the intensity of experience. The medal at the finish line of a windswept regatta course, the curtain call on the last night of a play, the hand-clapping, foottapping finale to a big band concert – those are the memories of which the richest experience of school is made. Sitting within our co-curricular activity is Beyond Teddies, the partnership programme at St Edward’s. Its impact – on pupils and on those with whom they are working – goes far beyond the school. It goes to the heart of public benefit, ensuring that the pupils who leave St Edward’s know how fortunate they have been and, much more importantly, want to have a lasting and positive impact on society. Some pupils work with children at local primary schools, coaching sport and assisting with arts, crafts
and games. Others help on our community farm on school grounds, working alongside FarmAbility, a local charity supporting young people with autism and learning disabilities to engage in outdoor activities. The pupils who volunteer there enjoy the company of young people with backgrounds and abilities different from their own. They are able to support the participants, promoting health, well-being Alastair Chirnside and social inclusion. Pupils are also engaged with local care homes, performing music, reciting poetry and helping residents with technology. Staff lead by example, with visits to local primary and secondary schools for both academic and sporting partnerships. As a community, the School chooses a local charity each year to support by raising funds and by getting involved on the ground. This year’s charity is a nearby drop-in centre for vulnerable adults, and pupils attend regularly to make sandwiches for food parcels. St Edward’s is fortunate to have exceptional facilities, including The North Wall Arts Centre, ninety acres of pitches and all-weather surfaces, and the Ogston Music School. More than 50 clubs, societies, institutions and organisations make use of the School’s buildings and spaces, including community rowing, football and cricket clubs. Those relationships have never been more important, as we all play our part in the recovery from the pandemic. It is through this rewarding programme that our pupils learn how to be part of the city and its community. They make memories and friendships that will endure throughout their lives, just as they do in dance, in drama and in all the other activities available to them at St Edward’s. At the same time, however, they also learn the most important lesson of all: how to be good people beyond Teddies.
Through this rewarding programme, our pupils learn how to be part of the city and its community. They make memories and friendships that will endure throughout their lives. At the same time, they also learn the most important lesson of all: how to be good people beyond Teddies
Alastair Chirnside is the new warden of St Edward’s School, Oxford n SCHOOLHOUSEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 21
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Lancing College Senior School & Sixth Form
Be inspired Be brilliant Be you 13-18 years, co-educational boarding and day school
Registration for Year 9 entry in 2024 now open
Registered Charity No. 1076483
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SCHOLARSHIPS & BURSARIES
PLAYING OUR PART
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There is a new, altruistic role for tutoring, says Nathaniel McCullagh, founder of Simply Learning Tuition
aunching a new charity in a pandemic is the last thing I ever imagined being involved with. Yet, here it is: Tutor The Nation, an organisation which connects university students and recent graduates with pupils in the State sector for free online tutoring.Through academic support, Tutor The Nation aims to give young people the confidence and tools they need both to perform better and to gain the motivation to work towards their future aspirations. I’ve no doubt we are offering an essential service for pupils, but as the charity has been developed, I’ve become convinced that Tutor The Nation is vital for those involved in the tutoring itself. So why am I surprised at my own role? Well, this is new to me, too. Until now, I have managed to avoid doing any voluntary work. Yet, thanks to the insurmountable charms of Jacky Lambert and Charles Bonas, whose idea Tutor The Nation was, charity work has come to dominate my life. As to why it has taken this long, I can only say that as the son of a country vet, always being roped in to help deal with the misfortunes of sick animals left me feeling like, ‘Don’t I do enough already?’. Then at school and university, although I received several scholarships and the occasional bursary, I never thought about giving back. Like many students, I was in survival mode. It was only when I set up my company, Simply Learning Tuition, in 2009, that I started to donate to charity. The thing that changed this was entering that mid-life stage and accepting that I was never going to fulfil my teenage dreams. I began to understand what I now teach my mentees: to see value not in how ‘successful’ you can be, but rather in how much meaning you can derive from life. I had help along the way: at Simply Learning Tuition, my colleague Sophie insisted the company give two hours paid time per week for each member of the team to volunteer to help a charity. It was
incredible to hear how rewarding everyone found it. So why scale my charity involvement up from that? The reasons are two-fold: I like that Tutor The Nation is entirely altruistic – and yet has the potential to be grand in scale, the embryonic beginnings of a social movement. Plus, no one involved is here to make money. Tutors get no Nathaniel McCullagh salary, schools are not charged. For the volunteer tutors, the payoff is simple – they tell us that they enjoy the teaching, the feeling of giving back and the fact that it is a manageable commitment (at one hour a week – more if they want to) and that they see results quickly. We trustees reward them, too, by inviting leaders in industry and the professions to help mentor and coach them. Moreover, this is a hugely efficient organisation. Together with The Coronavirus Tutoring Initiative, which merged with Tutor The Nation in July 2021, more than 50,000 hours of free tuition have been delivered to disadvantaged children at zero cost to the tax payer, in less than 24 months. Several independent schools are also supporting Tutor The Nation, by creating inspiring videos made by passionate teachers and heads of department to help the students develop a real passion for their subjects. In this way, as well as giving access to fantastic tutors and mentors, the charity is also proving access to some of the best teachers in the world. One school has even offered to have their head master record a video! We are looking for other schools to join our outreach programme and hope that they will also pass on news of Tutor The Nation to their recently graduated old boys and girls and ask them to sign up and volunteer during their time at university. The benefits to them, and their tutees as well as society in general, will be unparalleled.
Several independent schools are already supporting Tutor The Nation, by creating inspiring videos made by passionate teachers and heads of department. In this way, the charity is providing access to some of the best educators in the world. The old boys and girls are volunteering, too
Nathaniel McCullagh is founder and director of Simply Learning Tuition n SCHOOLHOUSEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 23
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Canford School
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SCHOLARSHIPS & BURSARIES
BETTER TOGETHER
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Warm relationships are at the heart of local school partnerships, says David Neill, deputy head of co-curricular at Canford School
t has been a decade since Canford began its partnership with The Bourne Academy. It’s something we are hugely proud to do. Working together has benefited staff and pupils at both schools not to mention the wider community. And even after 10 years, it really does feel like we are only just at the beginning of a significant collaboration with exciting possibilities to come which could inspire other schools to do the same. Canford’s involvement came after several years of poor examination results and falling numbers at what was then the nearby King’s High School. In 2008, we were approached by the Department for Education (DfE) and agreed to fully sponsor the school by offering time, expertise and support without any financial input. Renamed The Bourne Academy, the school opened its doors to students in September 2010 with many new staff, a new principal and a distinctive black, white and pink uniform, as voted for by the students. A £10 million investment programme followed, which included major building and refurbishment along with 21st-century state-of-the-art IT. The building works were completed in September 2013 and coincided with the opening of a new sixth form block. A key part of the vision for the new academy was that it would be at the heart of the community of East Howe, offering local families an excellent education, new opportunities and facilities available to all. Raising pupils’ expectations, building their self-confidence and teaching them appropriate skills that allow them to build a successful career and contribute to society were, and remain, central to the academy’s aims. Canford’s belief that good education depends crucially on the relationships between staff, pupils, parents and key stakeholders was another core part of the vision. Mutual support, pride, ambition, trust and high expectations combine to allow impressive academic achievements against a background of respect.
Since the Academy opened, exam results and student outcomes have improved dramatically. After five years of A-level results, the Academy had 20 per cent of A-level students progress to Russell Group Universities and 18 per cent embark on medical degrees. The school was also very proud to be named ‘School of the Year’ in the 2021 BTEC Awards. However, success is more than a measurement of results and reports. As Bourne’s Principal Mark Avoth says, ‘how do you measure the impact of David Neill teaching archery some of our most vulnerable in Canford’s extensive extra-curricular offering students designing and building a Greenpower car that ranked 27th in the international finals at Silverstone (a project first held and supported by Canford)?’ Mr Avoth adds: ‘Or the impact of an opportunity for all our sixth form students to have access to an individual Business Mentor (Bourne Ambassador), or the value of a Reading Programme that has been purposely constructed so students are exposed to a range of reading sources that offer a high value of cultural capital. This is a particular necessity in a state school like The Bourne Academy that serves a disadvantaged community.’ The success of our link with The Bourne Academy is evident not only through impressive attendance records and examination results, but also in the joint enthusiasm and engagement from staff and pupils in each school both in and out of the classroom. We see it at a personal level too: Year 9 pupils at both schools share a book club. During lockdown, laptops were donated by Drilling Systems to support home learning, thanks to Mr Battisby, Head of Simulation at 3t Energy Group, which includes Drilling Systems. Mr Battisby’s son Scott, a current Canford pupil, spent his free time configuring the laptops. Now we look forward to building on the first decade in the coming years, dedicated to offering prime opportunities for those in the school communities.
The vision for the new academy was that it would be at the heart of the community, offering local families an excellent education, new opportunities, and facilities available to all. Raising pupils’ expectations, building their self-confidence and teaching them appropriate skills were central aims
David Neill is deputy head (co-curricular) at Canford n SCHOOLHOUSEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 25
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THERE IS GENIUS IN EVERY CHILD Good Morning Africa Education is an educational consultancy that deals with the whole child, putting together a SWOT analysis for your child and matching them with the right school and university. We have also launched our own tutoring agency, home schooling services and university preparation courses. Get in touch so we can help you with planning your child’s education. hello@goodmorningafrica.club www.goodmorningafrica.club www.elainecunninghamwalker.com
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24/09/2021 12:44
SCHOLARSHIPS & BURSARIES Benenden girls
HOMEWORK… for parents
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Considering a scholarship? From past papers to pressure, Samantha Price, headmistress of Benenden School shares her advice
f you are reading this, the chances are your child has a particular strength you feel could be developed further with the award of a scholarship. If that is the case, I urge you to apply. There is nothing to lose and taking part in the process will be a valuable experience for your son or daughter. At Benenden, we offer more than 30 scholarships every year across a range of subject areas – academic, drama, music, art and design, design and technology, sports and an all-round award – so we have accumulated substantial wisdom on the process. These are some thoughts to consider:
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Prep Schools Will Help. Firstly, most will
have a scholarship preparation stream or extra provision to help scholarship candidates to develop their skills in their chosen area, so definitely make use of this and speak to the expert at your child’s school.
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Expect Differences. Senior schools will
invariably handle the process in different ways so you should expect to encounter different approaches, timing and demands in their assessments. Do check the details with each school’s Admissions department in advance.
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Fee Reductions. Increasingly, schools are
making scholarships honorary: in other words, not offering fee reductions as part of a scholarship award. Parents must not feel this in any way dilutes the honour of being a scholar because this enables schools to divert funds to means-tested bursaries. Therefore, it is important to check what is included as part of a scholarship award, such as music tuition or sports coaching.
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Past Papers. Senior schools want every
candidate to do their best and will help them prepare as much as they can. Most schools will be happy to share examples of past academic scholarship paper, either on request or, increasingly, published on their website.
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All-Rounders. Some schools offer an
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It’s Not Just About the Performance.
all-round award, based on a combination of other scholarship papers, which can provide additional opportunities. It is worth bearing in mind that co-curricular scholarships may not only be seeking the highest level of attainment in sport, music or drama, but also assessing candidates on leadership, teamwork, experience, coachability etc.
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Interview Preparation. Most scholarship
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Scholarship Programmes. Do ask schools
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Check Responsibilities. Often, scholarship
assessments include an interview, so preparation is important. Senior schools are looking for academic curiosity, leadership, awareness and the ability to act in an ambassadorial role for the subject or discipline. what their scholarship mentoring or support programme consists of. Look for enrichment opportunities over and above the normal academic and co-curricular programme. positions come with responsibilities like helping younger pupils or giving tours to prospective parents.
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There’s No Pressure. Scholarship
applications are highly competitive and should be viewed as ‘over and above’ gaining a place at a senior school. Not winning an award should not be seen as failure. Many schools consider pupils for awards throughout their school career, so the award on entry should not be the final opportunity for recognition of talent. Samantha Price is headmistress of Benenden School in Kent, and President of the Girls’ Schools Association n SCHOOLHOUSEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 27
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OLD SCHOOLS...
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NEW FOUNDATIONS Radical changes are being made to the way funds are harvested – and spent, says Victoria Lambert
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Stonyhurst College
adical changes are afoot at Stonyhurst, the oldest continuously active Jesuit school in the world. Outside, the school is sited in the timeless landscape of Lancashire’s Ribble Valley, close to the Saxon market town of Clitheroe. But within Stonyhurst’s imposing high walls, attitudes are strictly 21st century. In particular, the school has completely overhauled its bursary strategy. As a result, the new Stonyhurst Foundation was registered in late 2019 and blessed by the Pope. The goal of the Foundation, the school says, is to remove financial barriers, making a Stonyhurst education available to as many young people as possible. The Stonyhurst Foundation aims to be the largest endowed and ringfenced independent bursary and financial aid charity of its kind in Catholic education in the UK. Given its long history and Catholic mission, Stonyhurst has always offered a progressive bursary and fee assistance programme with previously about 37 per cent of pupils in receipt of some level of fee support or bursary assistance, funded largely from school income. Yet, it is now joining other schools which are not just reassessing how many children can receive additional support, but also on what basis the money to provide those places is found. This is not just a question of modernising the financial vehicles by which funds are managed, but also a thorough reappraisal of where donations may be found. Schools with global outlooks or outposts are suddenly finding that donations are as likely to be made in dollars and yen as in pounds. At Marlborough College in Wiltshire, work is underway on a new longterm vision and strategy for the College, says the Foundation Director, Simon Lerwill, with one goal to be the doubling of bursaries on offer. ‘Reaching this goal will require a major fundraising campaign,’ says Lerwill, ‘which we are currently planning. This focus on increased access builds on our original foundation and our commitment to ensuring that talented young people from any background can benefit from the exceptional education we provide, regardless of their ability to pay.’ So, given its nearly 200-year history, why now? ‘Arguably there has never been a more important time to focus on bursaries and access,’ says Lerwill, ‘recent events have powerfully highlighted the social, economic and ethnic inequalities in our society. ‘We know that bursaries can be life-transforming for the recipients – and their families, friends and communities – but we also strongly believe that the whole school will benefit from increasing diversity, in all its forms, because it will be more representative of the society that pupils will go on to live and work in.’ SCHOOLHOUSEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 29
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Wellington College
He adds: ‘I think our plans to create a College community that is more inclusive and diverse means Marlborough is now well positioned to make a difference and we hope we can become a beacon for change within the independent sector.’ Lerwill also points out that his school is not alone. ‘The good news is that many independent schools are focusing on accessibility now and, in terms of philanthropy, more money is being raised for bursaries than ever before. There has been an important shift from capital fundraising (for buildings) to bursary fundraising in recent years.’ Wellington College’s original foundation has always had a special purpose – educating, free of charge, the children of deceased servicemen or servicewomen of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces irrespective of rank, plus the orphan children of persons who, in the sole opinion of Governors, died in acts of selfless bravery. Independent of that, explains Tim Head, Deputy Director of Admissions, the Berkshire college is looking to grow its modern Prince Albert Foundation. ‘These bursaries, of 110 per cent fee remission, also seek to aid the family with transition and to support the student when they finally leave the College. ‘At the moment we have 15 Prince Albert Foundationers in the school – our aim is to get to 40 over the next three years. This foundation is independently funded and is the focus of targeted fundraising.’
In science class at Marlborough School
Not all new foundations are dealing with bursaries direct but are still concerned with improving access; one of the newest comes from Dukes Education, a UK family of nurseries, schools, and colleges, based mainly in the London area. The Dukes Foundation was created to open up co-curricular enrichment programmes to pupils from state schools across the UK, with a particular focus on London and the South-East. The Foundation supports schools within the Dukes family to build partnerships with these local maintained schools, sharing resources and best practice as well as pathways for potential bursary applicants. The manager Anna Thorne explains: ‘The Foundation aims to improve access to enrichment opportunities for students of all backgrounds as well as financially supporting the brilliant work of charities already in this area, such as Place2Be and The Access Project.’ At Cheam School, Hampshire, traditional bursaries have always been provided, but three years ago, the Governors decided to set up a new Cheam Foundation, a dedicated fundraising vehicle to extend bursary provision to more children where funds are kept separate from school finances. ‘The Foundation is fully committed to raising funds for life-changing bursaries,’ says its dedicated Development Director, Victoria Edgington. ‘Following a lengthy assessment process in 2019, The Cheam Foundation became an accredited partner of The Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation,’ Edgington explains. ‘We are delighted to now have several fully funded bursary recipients within the school, and it is wonderful to watch them develop their talents within our community.’ Like all schools, Cheam has support from the parent body and wider old-pupil community. ‘We are grateful for all the financial support we have received,’ says Edgington, ‘and have had overwhelming support for the concept of bursary provision from the whole Cheam community. Bursary recipients have been welcomed by our current parents who have gone out of their way to help the children settle in.’ At Stonyhurst, Stephen Withnell is deputy head (External) as well as Director of the Foundation. He is a former pupil but he has also been a Governor and now his own two children attend the school in turn. Prior to returning to his alma mater, Withnell worked at Goldman Sachs as a Managing Director and was recently appointed to the University of Durham as a Professor of Economics and Finance. So
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Year 7, 9 and 12 Scholarship Application Deadline F R I D AY 3 R D D E C E M B E R
Apply Now www.rossall.org.uk SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR: ACADEMICS, ART, DRAMA, MUSIC, AND SPORT INCLUDING GOLF AND FOOTBALL FOR ENTRY INTO YEARS 7, 9 AND 12
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Stonyhurst College’s impressive façade
perhaps he understands more than most how things work outside One of the things that Stephen Withnell is keen on is that schools of the schools’ sector and how to reach those donors who can really work together and replicate best practice across the sector – all make a difference. widening access work is for public benefit and as such schools should The Stonyhurst Foundation could even be a model for other schools share knowledge and experience. He has already given advice to other as a result. ‘When we started planning the Foundation,’ Withnell says, schools setting up new foundations. ‘We started with a blank sheet of paper. What we didn’t want was to set Some points about bursaries don’t change. Marlborough College up something cosy. We knew that wouldn’t attract seven-figure donors, was founded with the aim of educating the sons (and orphans) of the clergy, who could not afford an independent education and still the sort of donors who have the ability to really drive social mobility by offers places on that basis. broadening access to life-changing education – and that’s what bursaries Now however, says Simon Lerwill, daughters of clergy are included, are all about. We wanted to measure ourselves against best practice in while governors include clergy governance and management across the whole UK charities too. ‘For Marlborough not sector, not just education.’ only do we have our historic As a result, the Stonyhurst foundation,’ he points out, Foundation is its own ‘but we also have a history of independent charity, with its being a progressive educational own board of trustees and its institution. The College was an early proponent of full own independent constitution, co-education (girls were accountants, auditors and solicitors. ‘Setting up a new admitted for the first time in charity is a huge amount of work 1968) and it was at the forefront but it is what donors wanted and of introducing the modern Stephen Withnell, deputy head of Stonyhurst College the clear feedback we received at science method to schools. So in that sense we have a history the time was that this structure of making bold decisions like this and making change happen.’ is what gives donors confidence.’ Looking to the future, the Cheam Foundation will also continue to He adds: ‘The fundraising and grants systems are utterly transparent. Nothing is paid out from any of the Foundation’s designated funds fundraise in order to extend fully funded bursary provision to even more except for bursaries.’ Already, donors have responded to this structure children, says Victoria Edgington. ‘The school recognises not only what we by proffering more than £6m in support. The 25 current pupils funded can do for these children but also what they bring to the school,’ she says. through the Foundation will be increased to 35 this year. The Foundation Could we reach a point where all places at a school are funded does not choose bursary recipients, the College must nominate pupils through one of these modern foundations? Stephen Withnell doesn’t and confirm that their applications have met all of the standards for see why not. ‘There is no kudos in my opinion to charging fees,’ he entry to the school in order for the Foundation to grant funds. says. ‘It is the dream of all Jesuit schools to be fully endowed.’ n
‘Setting up a new charity is a huge amount of work but it is what the donors wanted and the clear feedback we received at the time was that this structure is what gives donors confidence’
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Scholarship Days Monday 24th and Tuesday 25th January 2022
“An exceptional school”
All our scholarships can be supplemented by means-tested bursaries
- Good Schools Guide 2020 Application deadline Friday 7th January https://wells.cathedral.school/scholarships Or contact admissions@wells.cathedral.school
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SCHOLARSHIPS & BURSARIES
PARENTS’ PRIMER
The Insiders: Your 12-step guide to applying for a bursary – with success! By Eleanor Doughty
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onsidering applying for a bursary, but do not know where to start? You’re not alone – and you probably have a lot of questions. To help, we have assembled an expert panel to answer some of the most essential queries before you start on your bursary journey.
THE PANEL: Rachel Frier, Bursar of Heathfield School, Berkshire Peter Knell, Bursar of Wells Cathedral School, Somerset Nicola Jones, Registrar of St Edward’s School, Oxford Andrew Cook, Chief Development & Commercial Officer of Repton School, Derbyshire
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In the Art Department Heathfield School
When should parents looking for bursaries think about applying?
We ask for applications to be in by the middle of October the year before their daughter is due to start – but each school varies. We like to have bursary applications in at the same time as we assess their daughters, because if we’re going to offer a place, and the family doesn’t have the finances, we can put that in the letter at the same time. Some parents think the sooner they apply the better, which doesn’t help us – if they want to apply for a bursary two years before their daughter is due to start, finances might have changed. On the other hand, we get parents who don’t tell us they need a bursary until they have an offer of a place, by which point I’ve allocated the money. Some parents think applying for a bursary might prejudice them when their child applies for a place at the school, but the process is very separate. Rachel Frier
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Do I apply to more than one school?
The key thing is that parents identify the schools that are right for their child. The more applications you make, the greater the possibility that you will find a school which is able to help – but it’s not much use if the school is not right for your family. If, having done the research, you feel that there are a number of schools that appear to fit the bill, it makes sense to apply to more than one – but don’t do it just as a numbers game, do it because you’ve identified that your child would benefit from each of them. Peter Knell
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Am I more likely to get a day bursary or a boarding one? It makes no odds – in
one sense you have more chance of getting a boarding place because we are 85 per cent boarding. It’s about finding the fit between the pupil, the school, and the family. Schools are just like people – they have characters, so you need to get underneath the skin of the school. Nicola Jones
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What happens if my circumstances change (for better or worse)? We can
put a financial plan in place if circumstances change. What’s key is the continuity of education for the pupil – especially if they are in Year 11 or 13. If circumstances change, as they have done during Covid-19, we invite those individuals to make the bursars aware. Andrew Cook
5
Is there extra pastoral support?
Yes, if asked for. You may have people who have never stepped inside this world: they can be embarrassed about asking questions. All pupils joining in Year 9 get ‘the shell guide’ – it contains all the little things you might be afraid to ask about. I give it to parents too. It’s about being warm, open, saying we can help, and that there are no silly questions. Nicola Jones
6
Who pays for school trips?
For those on transformational bursaries (those providing wraparound financial support) – the school would. For those on ‘normal’ bursaries, it may be that trips are included, and sometimes they might be discounted, and that will be something that admissions and the headmaster would determine. Andrew Cook
7
Does it matter if my child is not gifted in some way? No,
most of our bursary students are just your average pupil who needs financial support. We look at academic, sporting, musical and drama ability, as well as whether a child will fit in. We want an all-round child of whatever ability, someone who will give it a go. Rachel Frier
8
Repton School
Will my child stand out? No, they won’t. We’re a school of about 730 pupils, and about 100 of those, roughly 14 per cent, have some kind of financial support. We are mindful that people want to have privacy, and we would never disclose anything unless a family was happy to do so. The entire application process is in the strictest of confidence. Nicola Jones
9
Are boarding fees covered? Can I ask for boarding fees to be covered? Yes – we would
take the same approach for a boarder as a day pupil, and the process is exactly the same. We consider the difference between the net disposal income of the household and the published fees for either day or boarding, and the process is the same, regardless of whether they want to board or not. Peter Knell SCHOOLHOUSEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 35
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Choristers at Wells Cathedral School
10
St Edward’s School, Oxford
Is there an income limit? We use Bursary
Administration Limited (BAL) to assess our applications, which takes away the emotional connection because they don’t know the family. Parents apply to the school, I send them the documents, and then send it all to BAL who look at income, assets, and liabilities, so it’s not purely down to what a family’s income is. We’re looking at the whole picture. I may have to remind parents that we make sure that our funds are allocated fairly. Rachel Frier
11
Do I still have the same rights as other parents – to complain about poor teaching, for example...?
Yes. Once you join the school, you’re a Reptonian for life – it doesn’t matter where you come from or what your
background is. The last thing we want is for young people to come here and feel so overawed that it has a negative impact on them and their family. That is crucial, as is how we on-board the pupil and the family as a collective, and how we communicate with the family and the parents. Andrew Cook
12
Is it better to go local when looking for a school with a bursary? Will that be preferred by the school? Our objective
is to provide an excellent education for young people, and part of that is trying to match up the pupils that we think will benefit the most from that experience. We have a specialist music programme, and we want to recruit the best from the pool. It stands to reason that those pupils are not all going to be found within 20 minutes travelling time from Wells. Peter Knell
TIPS FROM THE BURSAR’S OFFICE Don’t assume that you won’t be eligible for a bursary, says Rachel Friar. ‘Apply by the deadline, and give it a go – what’s the worst that can happen?’ Be prepared for means-testing, warns Peter Knell: ‘It can feel invasive, but we have a duty to make best use of the school’s charitable funds.’ The distinction between bursary and scholarship is grey, and parents can hear the word ‘scholarship’ and assume a huge fee remission, says Andrew Cook. ‘Scholarship is about prestige and achievement, whereas bursary is about means-tested financial support.’ ‘Don’t worry that because you need 100 per cent or more that this will go against you,’ Nicola Jones: ‘At Teddies, the average award tends to be on the 70 per cent side, so we give away more large bursaries than small ones.’ n
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SCHOOL HOUSE PARTNERSHIP
KNIGHTSBRIDGE SCHOOL EXPANDS Knightsbridge School is getting bigger and better as it extends to offer a superlative education to pupils up to 16
K
nightsbridge School (KS) opened its doors in 2006 as a co-educational prep school offering schooling for children aged three to 13 year olds. Since then it has proven itself as a nurturing and energetic school with popularity for places soaring. ‘We opened Knightsbridge School to address a shortage of pre-prep and prep places in central London,’ says founder and principal, Magoo Giles.‘But over the years we’ve had many conversations with parents who have expressed disappointment that their child couldn’t stay on at Knightsbridge School past 13-years-old. ‘We decided that it was time to address this issue; so, last academic year, we introduced a Year 9 class, with Years 10 and 11 to follow this year and next respectively. This step fulfills the ambition of the school to provide an all-through education.’ The extension will progress yearon-year organically, to ensure the KS culture throughout. Shona Colaço, head, is responsible for planning this exciting extension, a role for which she feels well equipped, having had previous experience of the same task. ‘The excitement from students and parents has been matched by that of the staff across the school,’ says Shona Colaço. ‘Many of our teachers are qualified and experienced in teaching through to GCSE and have been eagerly developing the new curriculum.
We have developed the curriculum around our KS code, which allows our students to pursue their own unique path. From creative subjects such as dance, drama, music and visual art, to the more academic sciences, humanities, business and computing, our bespoke curriculum is tailored to the needs of our students. We are proud of our multicultural community and embrace this through our celebrations, offering of languages and in the curriculum we teach. Our life perspectives curriculum allows students to explore subjects such as citizenship, religious studies and sociology, with scope to achieve qualifications at GCSE, and incorporates opportunities for our children to engage in discussion with role models across diverse industries and communities. Our holistic approach to wellbeing includes weekly yoga and team building sessions at the start and end of each week. This provision, alongside our weekly sports sessions, ensures our students continue to have healthy bodies and healthy minds. It’s not just the staff that have an active role in shaping the senior school however. ‘Our current year eights were the ones to choose the new senior uniform design, so that they had a say in what they see themselves wearing with pride at age 16,’ explains Colaço. The current year eights and nines have also been involved in the design of their student common room and dining area. ‘It’s a very exciting time for us here at Knightsbridge,’ says Magoo. ‘We look forward to the coming years to see how we all, staff and students alike, can progress and develop together in this new chapter of Knightsbridge School.’
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COMMUNITY
SPIRIT
Larking about on the beach near Rossall School
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SCHOLARSHIPS & BURSARIES
Wise schools are offering bursaries to promising local youngsters to the benefit of everyone, says Sally Jones
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SCHOLARSHIPS & BURSARIES
ABOVE & LEFT: Developing seamanship skills; 1st XI Hockey at Gordonstoun
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iera sprints down the wing, the hockey ball seemingly glued to her stick and, after eluding two defenders, finds the back of the net with an expert flick. Her teammates crowd around her, delighted at the winning goal. For Kiera, it seems all in a day’s work, but the bright, multi-talented 17-year-old has particular reason to celebrate: she is enjoying a coveted place at outdoorsy Gordonstoun School in north-east Scotland, thanks to a generous bursary targeted at fishing families in the area. Many of Kiera’s relatives including her grandfather and many of her uncles are or were fishermen and she grew up in Buckie, a nearby fishing village. ‘I applied for a sports scholarship but then Gordonstoun told me I was eligible for the bursary for fishing families,’ Kiera explains. ‘I couldn’t have come here without this bursary as my mum is a single parent. Although I only came here for the sixth form, I’ve already been on a five-day sail training voyage and two expeditions. ‘I am the Captain of Hockey, the Captain of the Sports Centre and Physical Education, the Captain of the Sports Service, the Captain of Dialogue and the Captain of Juniors, which just goes to show the impact you can make in a short space of time!’ She adds: ‘I plan to study Sports Science and Physiotherapy at university – and I’m so grateful for the
opportunity this bursary gave me to come to Gordonstoun.’ Her award is one of thousands given by independent schools each year to enable gifted local youngsters from non-privileged backgrounds to benefit from a top-class education. With full fees at many boarding schools more than £30,000 a year and rising inexorably, it is an opportunity otherwise beyond all but the offspring of the well-heeled. Gordonstoun, as with similar schools, offers means-tested bursaries of up to 110 per cent of the school fees to academic, adventurous teenagers, capable of making a difference in the world. Those targeted include youngsters from local fishing families, from disadvantaged areas including Perthshire and mid-Wales, and in keeping with the school’s ethos of service, members of the Grampian Fire and Rescue Service. The benefits are not merely academic. The confidence boost and the chance to move in a far more cosmopolitan setting than most state schools can offer gives bursary recipients extra life chances, social awareness and the assurance that can make all the difference when aiming at a competitive university or career. Gordonstoun is far from alone. Property tycoon, Peter Beckwith has endowed several full-fees scholarships at Harrow School for outstanding boys, many from the local area, who would not otherwise have a chance to go. It is no coincidence that these awards include two years at prep schools to help the scholars – many from deprived backgrounds – find their feet in what can at first seem a daunting environment. Rossall School in Lancashire, close to some of the poorest areas in the UK, spends around £2 million a year on bursary provision and acquires many of its star performers via local awards, among them two members of its current team of school captains, Sam Ayoma and Tineka Jennings. Sam, a brilliant academic and musician, whose father heads the regional Fishermen’s Mission, was awarded a scholarship and a bursary, while Tineka, a bright, confident student and outstanding sportswoman who excels in hockey and football, received an all-rounder scholarship. ‘Sam and Tineka are amazing and thoroughly deserve their awards,’ explains Rossall’s headmaster Jeremy Quartermain. ‘Coming here gave Sam the chance to learn Greek and he hopes to read classics at Cambridge.
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Harrow School
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David Goodhew in the library at Latymer Upper
Teamplayers at Rossall School
Tineka is very strong sports-wise and academically, and she and Sam are both great leaders. One big push for us is girls’ football and our international academy now has several outstanding young football scholars from the local area. These include three girls who have had England Under 16 call-ups and are part of the Manchester City junior squad.’ Quartermain adds: ‘It’s vital we invest in the future and open up the school to the local community. We can’t afford to be an island of privilege in a tough area. ‘I grew up in a single parent family. My father died when I was six and I benefited from an assisted place at an independent school, then read Music and History at Cambridge. That access to an outstanding private education was the making of me.’ David Goodhew, head of Latymer Upper, a diverse and successful day school in West London, likewise enjoyed a stellar academic trajectory. Comprehensive-educated and the first member of his family to go to university, he took a First in classics at Oxford. He is passionate about the transformative effect of bursaries and keen to overturn ‘the perception that independent schools are inaccessible to anyone who isn’t posh or
wealthy’, stressing the need to encourage able children from poor families to apply. About one in five pupils at the school, almost all from the local community, receive substantial means-tested bursaries, and Goodhew is spearheading an initiative to raise the millions needed to increase this to one in four by 2024, Latymer’s 400th anniversary. Over the years, these life-changing opportunities have created hundreds of success stories, for youngsters like Oyin, a brilliant child from a disadvantaged family who cried with excitement when she received a bursary to Latymer Upper in Year 7. After a chemistry teacher told her she was the best chemist she had ever taught, Oyin – who is also a gifted linguist – gained the confidence to apply to a string of top universities. All accepted her, including Cambridge, and she has chosen the renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology, aiming to become a toxicologist in future and run her own company. ‘I think without that moment I wouldn’t be doing what I am now,’ Oyin admits, attributing her success ‘to the best teachers who pushed me to be the best I can be.’ Oyin also loved her community service, she says, teaching Latin at a lunchtime club in a local primary school. ‘It made me realise just how lucky I was to be at Latymer as I wouldn’t have been able to do that at any other school – teaching kids about a subject I find extremely interesting. If this sparks an interest in classics in even one child that I taught there, that will be really amazing.’ In a similar community outreach project by Rugby School pupils at a local primary inspired Skye Slatcher, a bright, intellectual girl to apply for a Foundation Award bursary, aged 11. A group of sixth form students came on Wednesdays to help at her primary school as part of their Community Action Programme and Skye was hooked. ‘Coming from a single-parent household, the idea of attending an independent school seemed like a dream,’ Skye, a would-be lawyer who excels in Italian and Latin, explains. ‘I was astounded to be awarded the Foundation Bursary and have had amazing opportunities, being pushed academically, enjoying fascinating co-curricular experiences, making local and international friends.’ She has
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SCHOLARSHIPS & BURSARIES free, or heavily subsidised, places themselves. Distinguished alumni revelled in her chances, taking part in the Independent Schools Creative Writing competition in Italian, and in Latin-speaking competitions. She from the previous Direct Grant era, including actor Lindsay Duncan, is a CCF member, has written the opening pages of a novel for a Rugby philanthropist Sir Paul Ruddock and former KES Chief Master John School competition and visited Italy. She says: ‘My bursary has been lifeClaughton, made the most of their chances and went on to success changing, giving me a world-class education and confidence in myself made possible by this world-class, all-round education. as a Rugbeian and a citizen of the world.’ I was lucky to enjoy a similar opportunity, developed a love of sport Taking a slightly different approach, Canford School in Dorset and poetry thanks to outstanding teaching and read English at Oxford. has forged a 10-year partnership with the Bourne Academy, a nearby I was the first of my family to go to university then trained at the BBC state school in Kinson, a deprived area of Bournemouth. Each year before a varied career as a writer, broadcaster and sportswoman. At the end of the summer term, a group of sixth-form girls two hard-working Bourne pupils attend Canford sixth form with full financial support, bursaries and boys, some of them that inspire many talented bursary recipients and most Bourne pupils at the Academy bound for top universities, to up their ‘academic game’ contact Old Edwardians and and achieve the high GCSE school supporters during grades that boost their an annual fund-raising telethon. The student chances of securing a place. One Bourne scholar, Sidney, callers share updates from left last year and is now reading the schools to ensure former Philosophy at Kings College, pupils still feel connected London. ‘Coming to Canford and provide information on boosted my confidence in how to support the Assisted Jeremy Quartermain, headmaster of Rossall School myself,’ Sidney says. ‘It taught Places programme. me I must try to push myself as For Oyin from Latymer much as possible and strive for what I really want to achieve.’ At Canford, Upper, bursary programmes confer wider benefits than giving the bursaries benefit everyone, not just the Bourne scholars, as their a leg-up to a few gifted children. ‘There are many other young presence adds to the life experience of the whole school community. people out there who deserve to have the amazing opportunities I have enjoyed at Latymer,’ she insists. ‘I’m so grateful to the donors In the Midlands, the high-flying independents King Edward’s who gave me and so many like me, this wonderful education. Local School and its sister school King Edward VI High School for Girls in bursaries make an impact that stretches far further than the one Birmingham have raised millions in local bursary provision, partly child being sponsored.’ n through the generosity of Old Edwardians, many of whom received
‘I grew up in a single parent family. My father died when I was six and I benefited from an assisted place, then read Music and History at Cambridge. Access to an outstanding private education was the making of me’
In Biology class at King Edward VI High School for Girls, Birmingham
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BACK
TO THE...
Offering bursaries is a proud tradition dating back
Christ’s Hospital School
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SCHOLARSHIPS & BURSARIES
FUTURE – in some schools – for centuries, finds Emma Reed
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Finalist for British International School of the Year The Independent School of the Year Awards
Whole School Open Mornings We would be delighted to meet you at one of our Open Mornings - you’ll have the chance to meet our Headmaster, teachers and students, take a tour and discover more about life at Taunton School. • Saturday 12th February 2022 from 9:30am - 12:30pm • Monday 2nd May 2022 from 9:30am - 12:30pm To find out more call 01823 703703 or visit www.tauntonschool.co.uk Follow us @TauntonSchool
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SCHOLARSHIPS & BURSARIES
ABOVE & LEFT: Walking between classes at Rugby School; Rugby School’s impressive buildings
D
emand for places at independent schools has increased over the past year, with many schools seeing a record number of applicants for senior entry in 2021/22. The pandemic starkly highlighted the disparities in educational provision and many parents fear being caught up in another cycle of uncertainty. According to the Independent Schools Association, demand jumped by as much as 30 per cent in 2020 because parents of state-educated children feared their children had fallen behind during lockdown. While demand is there, for many, the financial means are not. According to the 2021 Independent Schools Council Census and Annual Report, 35 per cent of all pupils currently receive help with fees. The total value of means-tested scholarships and bursaries amounted to £455m, an increase of 3.4 per cent on last year. For an extremely able child, a bursary could prove life-changing and schools with a long history of bursary provision appreciate their increasingly significant role for the future. Indeed, the role of the bursary in education is rooted in the past. Christ’s Hospital (CH), founded in 1552, was one of the five Royal Hospitals of London created as a result of orders by King Edward VI to the Lord Mayor to appoint a committee of leading citizens to consider
relief for the City’s homeless poor. CH took upon the education of destitute children from all backgrounds and ages. Today, it is the UK’s leading charitable school and the largest bursary charity. It provides 18 per cent of all 100+ per cent means-tested bursaries provided by independent schools in the UK. Currently, 11 per cent of pupils receive a fully supported boarding bursary place and 73 per cent receive some level of boarding bursary support. Its links with its historic bursaries are strong. One of these is the Donation Governorship Scheme where individuals or organisations help a child enter the school by making a qualifying donation and presenting a pupil for admission. It relates back to a system of patronage that has been in place over the centuries since the early days of the school. Although the school moved from its original site at the monastery of the Grey Friars in London to Sussex in 1902, traditions that continue today are a reminder of its charitable history such as the retention of the Tudor uniform and its annual parade through the City of London on St. Matthew’s Day and the Lord Mayor’s Show. Its band originated in 1868 when pupils asked for instruments to be bought to liven up their marching drills. Sam Odu, 18, the beneficiary of a bursary who joined the school at 11, recalls the many opportunities he took advantage of, including his first time marching with the band. ‘What strikes me about CH is how true the school has stayed to its original purpose. No matter what race, class or ethnicity we are, we are all equal and given the same life changing opportunities regardless of our family’s household income. CH has opened doors of opportunity to me that beforehand I never knew existed.’ Head Simon Reid is clear on the vital role of bursaries in the future. ‘As social and economic inequality continues to grow in the UK,’ Reid says, ‘it is vital that independent schools continue to engage as contributors to social mobility.’ James Priory, head of Tonbridge School, is conscious of its ‘charitable heart’. Founded by Sir Andrew Judde in 1553, to support about 50 scholars, it was entrusted to the Worshipful Company of Skinners after his death who still form part of its governing body. ‘It’s fair to say that vision is fulfilled today,’ says Priory. ‘Currently we support just under 50 pupils and from next year it will be 56. We have a SCHOOLHOUSEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 47
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Tonbridge School
The Royal Grammar School Guildford (RGS) was founded in 1509 as significant anniversary coming up in 2028 when we will be 475 years a ‘free schole’ for the benefit of bright local boys without means – and old, and we have set ourselves the challenge of doubling the number of Foundation Award recipients by that time. The pandemic has thrown a more than 500 years later, the school remains committed to this founding sharp light on the kind of inequalities within education and opportunity. principle of providing an excellent education to local boys regardless of their background. Currently, 68 boys there receive a bursary. Over three It feels all the more relevant for us, as a school, to be doing that.’ Priory himself was the recipient of an assisted school place. ‘I’m aware quarters of those benefit from 50 per cent to 100 per cent fee support. The that I had an education that I otherwise would not have had,’ he explains, long-term ambition of headmaster, Dr Jon Cox, is for full merit-based open ‘and I feel appreciative of the impact it had on me.’ Going forward, access where every student who earns his place, irrespective of financial circumstances, can become an RGS student. Priory is conscious of the role of the school in offering practical support and advice to families who apply for a bursary. Once at the school, he Foundation Awards at Rugby School, a legacy of an original bequest sees how those pupils relish left by Lawrence Sheriff, have the opportunities available been around since the school which, as they share their was established in 1567. Under aspirations, has a ripple effect the terms of this bequest, in the wider community. Rugby must have a minimum The school still has on site of 43 Foundationers at the something called ‘the common school. Funds enabling box’ dating back several this award come from rents from land in London left in hundred years with vestiges of the crests of the school and the Sheriff’s will, along with other Skinners’ Company still visible. bequests over the years. In This treasured, historic item 2021/22, there will be 342 Sam Odu, bursary recipient at Christ’s Hospital was made to be a collection students who will benefit from box where the scholars were all the school’s various bursary provisions, 40 per cent of the student body. Of those, 136 will have expected to pay a sixpence as a contribution to a common fund. Fines between 50 per cent and 100 per cent of their fees paid. There are for missing a day of school could also be paid into it but, as Priory says, ‘the original principle was about collecting funds to enrich the education currently 45 students who benefit from 100+ per cent bursaries where of everybody.’ Members of the Skinners’ Company still visit the school all extras are paid in addition to fees and Rugby are very keen for families to come forward and apply. in their traditional robes and boys are invited to Skinners’ Hall, so the charitable origins of the school continue to play a key role today. While schools evolve and meet the challenges of the future, the past For the future, Priory is looking at current levels of support in place. reminds them of their raison d’etre. Bursaries change the lives of others It is key, he says, ‘to sustain it in a meaningful and successful way for and enrich the school community itself. The purpose they serve is as the individuals who benefit and for the viability of the programme.’ indelible as the buildings that gave rise to them. n
‘What strikes me about Christ’s Hospital is how true the school has stayed to its original purpose. No matter what race, class or ethnicity, we are all equal. The school has opened new doors of opportunity to me.’
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Can bursaries really change lives? Six eloquent young students tell their stories to Victoria Lambert
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conomist John Maynard Keynes won a scholarship to Eton. Screenwriter and director Richard Curtis was a scholar at Harrow, while footballer Tyrone Mings, (Aston Villa and England) benefited from a bursary to allow him to be educated at Millfield school. Also at Millfield were Jonathan Joseph, England rugby player, and Sarah Winckless MBE, Olympic rower – both on bursaries. And scholarships helped singers FKA Twigs (St Edward’s Cheltenham) and Laura Marling (Leighton Park School) to enjoy their educations en route to stardom. While it’s impossible to say if any would have achieved their fame had their education been different, there’s no doubt that able students given
access to the highest quality education are off to a flying start. Launching Millfield’s Discover Brilliance campaign, which aims to raise a £100m endowment fund by 2035 to fully fund 100 boarders in perpetuity at the Somerset boarding school early this year, Tyrone Mings revealed he truly felt that his schooling had given him a platform to achieve. Mings, who attended Millfield between 2009-2011, said: ‘It’s something that’s close to my heart because I experienced it and I really believe there are a lot of opportunities that Millfield can create for young individuals, and we can all play our part in uncovering the next sporting or academic star.’ With that in mind, meet just some of the leaders and achievers of tomorrow, who have been given bursaries to kick start their futures.
PHOTOS: SINGER SONGWRITER, FKA TWIGS; SHUTTERSTOCK
CLASS Acts
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JAPHETH MONZON, ACS Egham ‘It was my dream school; it didn’t fall short of expectations’
Japeth says: ‘I applied to ACS Egham because of the great reviews I heard from ACS alumni; it was presented as something of a dream school. When I arrived, it did not fall short of my expectations. Studying the International Baccalaureate (IB) has given me more control over what I consider critical thinking skills. I am now able to research and apply evidence to my work, but also criticise my own work and learn from my experiences. It has pushed me out of my boundaries and now I am able to speak my mind and debate with efficiency. I certainly see a difference in myself compared to my non-IB friends. While they specialised in the courses that they were taking, I have received a well-rounded and globally-informed education that has helped me to keep up with current affairs as well as general knowledge on topics such as Philippine history, biology and Spanish. More generally, attending an international school has introduced me to certain perspectives that come from all around the globe. With a rich, wide range of international teachers, I could experience teaching styles preparing me for any university lecturer in the future. ACS Egham (and its teachers) has encouraged me to get into a career based on law. It has inspired me to reach for places I would have never thought of if I had not joined.’
DECLAN BRANSBY, Lancing College ‘In a blink of an eye, I was at the heart of the community’
PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK
Declan says: ‘I grew up locally and never realised that the huge chapel which I drove past was actually part of a school. I became more familiar with Lancing after my previous school told me about the Foundationers programme. Before I knew it, I was on my way to see the school for the first time. Initially I found the transition difficult. Not only was I new to the school, but it was a different style of learning, living and socialising. So much so that if it wasn’t for the support I got from the school and my family, I might have concluded Lancing wasn’t for me. But I found my feet, made more friends, became a House Captain, a Prefect and Head of School. In a blink of an eye, I was at the heart of the Lancing community. This highlights that being a Foundationer would never limit your experience at the College, which shows the success of the programme. I always felt supported at Lancing. Through regular catch ups we got to know the other Foundationers in the school, share our experiences and build a closer relationship with the staff. Lancing’s bursary programme carved a path for my future which wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. I always wanted to go to university, but never imagined I would get into Imperial College. Lancing excelled when it came to university applications helping me achieve my offers.’ SCHOOLHOUSEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 51
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MICHAEL AKINDE, Farleigh School ‘People are really friendly and made me feel at home’
Michael says: ‘I come from Peckham, the best place because everybody knows everybody. My family is really loud but there is always something going on. Farleigh is a good match for me because my Catholic life is important. I feel relieved to know I have hope and trust in something bigger than myself. I love history because it takes me into the past to learn about what has happened before. I hope my senior school – Prior Park College in Bath – is alive with the opportunities it can offer me. A place of colour to inspire me and an environment to carry on teaching me to be independent and proud of what I can do and be. Farleigh has made me more sociable and I settled in quickly. After I leave school, I hope for a career in engineering.’
CHARLIE FRANKS, Taunton School ‘It was my dream school; it didn’t fall short of expectations’
Charlie says: ‘I joined Taunton School in 2019 from a local school; when I visited with my mother we were met with complete warmth. We left feeling part of something special and my family and I were set on finding a way for me to attend this school. Despite the academic accolades the school has, for me the pastoral care is not just spoken about but acted upon every day. I’m glad the school has supported me throughout my time here. However, it is not just about my experience, my friends also agree that TS’ student-staff relationships are very strong and we all feel safe enough to share our experiences and opinions. Life at TS is very much individualistic for everyone; however, the opportunities the school offers are varied and can fit everyone. For me, I like the debating society, drama clubs and the music department. It isn’t just clubs though, you can stretch yourself beyond that. For example, I also get involved in speech writing in my spare time. One of the things I am most proud of so far about my time at TS is a recent opportunity to speak publicly about homophobia, a topic that is important to me. I never would have had the opportunity to do this at my previous school. I worked alongside my English teacher and other staff to compose a speech and speak on the English Speaking Union Platform. I am proud of the final result. It pushed me past my comfort zone, which follows the school’s key principles: Challenge, Nurture Inspire. I can say for certain that the support I have received is unrivalled. I am completely indebted to Taunton School.’ 52 | SCHOOLHOUSEMAGAZINE.CO.UK
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SONJA SANDER, Stowe ‘The school has allowed me to write my own story’
Sonja says: ‘My mum always stood by the phrase ‘Elimu haina mwisho’ or ‘education never ends’. She loved taking the small things in life and giving them meaning and was an inspiration for our family, bringing my sister and me up with a love for learning. Moving from Kenya was unsettling, but Stowe grabbed me by the hand and pulled me along its special journey. I took all the opportunities that came my way: I played basketball and lacrosse and started to experience happiness in things that I found I loved. Stowe strengthened and challenged me, which kept me learning and working hard. Acting and singing were my passions and I was never short of opportunities to explore these crafts. My singing teacher supported me to Grade 8 Distinction and my drama teachers helped me find my voice as Juliet. I threw myself into many aspects of Stowe life and became Head Girl. This would have been impossible without the support I got from a Stowe bursary and my lovely Grandma. The support from Stowe has been heartwarming for my family and me, especially in the lower sixth when my Grandma was diagnosed with cancer. My time at Stowe has been shaped by my friends, teachers and community who fuelled, and continue to fuel, my aspirations. Stowe allowed me to write my own story and find out who I want to be.’
DAEVASYAA MURRALETHARAN, University College School, Hampstead ‘The school arranged multiple social events and taster days’
Daevasyaa says: ‘I was initially worried about moving to UCS for sixth form because I didn’t know anyone there. However, the school arranged multiple social events and taster days which meant it was easy to make new friends, find out about new subjects, and get a feel for the school. I was given great advice regarding what to study, which universities to apply for, and careers. The process was very smooth, pressurefree, I was accepted on to all the courses I applied for and I am now at my first choice university studying philosophy. I very much appreciated how much time my Form Tutor and Deme Warden (Head of House) devoted time to discussing school life and allowing us all to reflect and assess our own performance. I strongly believe this time led to real self-improvement on an academic and personal level and I am so happy I chose to go to UCS.’ n SCHOOLHOUSEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 53
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LONDON SCHOOLS
King’s College School, Wimbledon
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SCHOLARSHIPS A level and GCSE Preparation for Russell Group universities Personal tutors 60% A*/A grades
Alleyn’s School
Bursaries are available to pupils joining the School, assisting parents of academically bright children who would otherwise not consider private education. Please visit our website for more information.
cityoflondonschool.org.uk
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Located in the heart of the city, we offer boys an outward-looking, forward-thinking education that prepares them for life.
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Co-educational excellence in a caring community. Help with school fees is available. We offer a range of scholarship awards and means-tested bursaries at 11+ and 16+, including the W.J. Smith Award for exceptional musical promise. Around 10% of Alleyn’s Senior School pupils receive means-tested financial assistance. Much of that help sees families pay no fees at all. Applications for September 2022 entry close at midday on 29 October for 11+ and midday on 15 October for 16+. Visit our website for details.
www.alleyns.org.uk | 020 8557 1500 Townley Road, Dulwich SE22 8SU
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SCHOLARSHIPS & BURSARIES 2021/22 | LONDON
Introducing our 7+ bursary programme We are offering a means-tested bursary place at each of our schools across both our Belgravia and Clapham sites. Eaton House Belgravia 3-5 Eaton Gate, London, SW1W 9DA Eaton House The Manor Boys’ School Eaton House The Manor Girls’ School 58 Clapham Common North Side, London , SW4 9RU For an application pack please email ehfoundation@eatonhouseschools.com
Apply by 30 November 2021 Join Year 3 in September 2022
Entry will be into Year 3 in September 2022 Applications welcome from families with children currently in Year 2, attending a state primary school
Celebrating 125 years of excellence
Foundation Advert 22.09.21 V4.indd 1
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Devonshire House Pre-Prep & Prep School & The Oak Tree Nursery for Children from 2½
Devonshire House offers academic scholarships to children entering Year 3 (7+) and Year 4 (8+) who demonstrate exceptional ability through their performance in the Scholarship Examination.
To register your interest please contact Admissions Tel: 020 7435 1916 Email: enquiries@dhprep.co.uk Website: www.devonshirehouseschool.co.uk
Follow us @DHSPrep
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Help with School Fees Bursaries and Scholarships
www.dulwich.org.uk
Over 35% of boys are supported with financial awards at Dulwich College
We would warmly welcome applications from academically minded boys. Please contact the Registrar on 020 8299 9263
Kensington Scholars A Sixth Form Scholarship programme designed to inspire a future generation of innovators, inventors, leaders and thinkers.
Excite, Challenge, Inspire Apply by Monday 15th November 2021 www.kps.co.uk | admissions@kps.co.uk | 0207 616 4402
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LIFE’S A JOURNEY. MAKE THE PERFECT START. Call +44 (0)20 8940 2039 or email registrar@kewcollege.com T: +44 (0)20 8940 2039 www.kewcollege.com 24 - 26 Cumberland Road, Kew, Surrey, TW9 3HQ
You want the very best for your child: you’ll find it at Kew College –an independent, non-denominational preparatory school for girls and boys aged three to eleven years.We offer a broad, inspiring curriculum that encourages teamwork and creativity, helping children to become happy, confident, caring and independent ready for the challenges of secondary school and life beyond.To find out more about us, or to arrange a visit, please contact us. Bursaries are available for entry in Years 3 and 4.
Prepared for everything.
Prepared. For adventure. Prince’s Gardens, an independent preparatory school based in the heart of Kensington for children aged 3 - 11 years, features high tech science labs and a makerspace, as well as offering an exceptional learning environment for your child to grow in the arts, music, sport and drama. It is also the only central London preparatory school offering two acres of private gardens.
Register for our next Open Morning Visit princesgardensprep.co.uk call our admissions team on 020 7591 4620 or email admissions@princesgardensprep.co.uk
Prince’s Gardens Preparatory School is part of the Cognita Schools Group
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LATYMER UPPER & PREP SCHOOL
Bursaries at 7+ and 11+ Up to 100% fee reduction
Book an Open Day appointment
7+ Entry Prep School Open Day Saturday 18 September
latymerprep.org/admissions/open-day-7-
11+ Upper School Open Day Saturday 11 September Saturday 2 October
latymer-upper.org/admissions/open-days
Latymer Upper Hammersmith 0208 148 4515
@LatymerPrep @LatymerPrep
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Latymer Prep Hammersmith
0208 148 4519 @LatymerUpper @LatymerUpperSchool
24/09/2021 12:40
SCHOLARSHIPS & BURSARIES 2021/22 | LONDON
A full-boarding school for boys aged 13 to 18, founded in 1572 under a Royal Charter granted by Elizabeth I.
Nearly 250 of our pupils benefit from school fee assistance every year. www.harrowschool.org.uk
Admissions Office Harrow School, 5 High Street, Harrow on the Hill, Middlesex HA1 3HP Tel: 020 8872 8007 Email: admissions@harrowschool.org.uk
#whywelovehornsby
#Sparking Imaginations
To visit our school, call 020 8673 7573 or visit www.hornsbyhouse.org.uk Hearnville Road, SW12 8RS Telephone 020 8673 7573 school@hornsbyhouse.org.uk
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MH Sc
Our schooldays are written in moments. Moments of discovery and creativity. Moments of achievement and self-belief, whether that’s solving a complex equation, celebrating a momentous victory on the sports field, or performing on stage with friends. At Mill Hill, we believe school is a time to celebrate being young, and we inspire pupils to create these special moments every day, supported and encouraged by our school family and our unique spirit of togetherness.
Mill Hill Schools | Grimsdell | Belmont | Mill Hill School | Mill Hill International
And they thrive by engaging freely in the vast range of opportunities presented to them each day. Our role is to prepare children for their future; our reward is to create the moments they will cherish forever. Moments we all want for our children. Set across 150 acres of school grounds in North West London, we cater for boys and girls from 3 to 18, with full and weekly boarding available from 13+.
millhill.org uk/moments #MillHillMoments
Follow us @MillHillPrePrep @MillHillBelmont @MillHillSenior @MillHillIntl
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Scholarships
Northwood Schools is a family of independent pre-prep, prep and senior schools in South West London offering an academically ambitious but pastorally kind education for girls and boys aged 4-16. We offer the following scholarships:
(for Northcote Lodge & Broomwood Hall Upper School)
At 7+ (Entry into Year 3)
Academic and Music Scholarships worth up to 20% of fees to cover one year at Broomwood Hall Lower School before moving on to Northcote Lodge (boys aged 8-13) or Broomwood Hall Upper School (girls aged 8-13)
At 11+ (Entry into Year 7)
At 13+ (Entry into Year 9)
All-Rounder Scholarships worth up to 20% off school fees
All details at www.northwoodschools.com Admissions@northwoodschools.com / NWSSenior@northwoodschools.com Tel: 020 6862 8830 / 020 8161 0301
PREPARING FOR TOMORROW’S WORLD STARTS HERE .
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CHOOSE
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www.newtonprepschool.co.uk
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@NewtonPrepSch
# WhyWeGoToNP
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LONDON | SCHOLARSHIPS & BURSARIES 2021/22
Scholarships and Bursaries available at 11+, 13+ and 16+ To find out more, please visit www.stdunstans.org.uk or email admissions@stdunstans.org.uk 020 8516 7200 Stanstead Road, London SE6 4TY
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COUNTRY SCHOOLS
Heathfield School
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ALL HALLOWS Set in a stunning location, mid-way between Bath, Frome and Bruton. All Hallows is a day and boarding prep school for children aged 3 to 13. A creative and dynamic curriculum, with our pupils’ happiness and well-being at the core of all decision-making, is producing outstanding results. Children are moving on to their senior schools, confident in who they are and ready to make the most of the opportunities that await. Entry Awards and Scholarships availailable for children entering Years 4 to 7. Bursaries up to 50% subject to means testing. Discover why we are different Contact Jackie Truelove to arrange a visit on 01749 881609.
w w w. allhallowsschool. co. uk
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BURSARIES AVAILABLE
EXPLORE CHEAM
OPEN MORNING
Friday 5 November | 10.00am to 12.30pm CHEAM
Cheam is a leading independent, day and boarding prep school, nestled in 100 acres of Berkshire countryside, for pupils aged 3 to 13 years. A regular local and a weekly London bus service are available. To learn more about life at Cheam or to attend our forthcoming Open Morning on Friday 5 November 2021, please contact the Registrar or visit our website.
Cheam School, Headley, Newbury, Berkshire, RG19 8LD registrar@cheamschool.co.uk +44 (0)1635 268242
@cheamschool
www.cheamschool.com
SUPPORTING TALENT AND TRANSFORMING YOUNG LIVES WEEKLY BOARDING WITH EXCELLENT ACADEMICS SUPPORTED BY A FULL PROGRAMME OF MUSIC, SPORT, ART, DESIGN AND DRAMA. ADMISSIONS@CRANLEIGH.ORG OR
WWW.CRANLEIGH.ORG | 01438 276377
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Bursary support available
New Scho
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ening 202
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Modern Boarding for girls aged 11-18 in the heart of the Kent countryside
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WA N T TO E X P R E S S YO U R S E L F ?
YOU HAVE THE STAGE TO PERFORM
BURSARIES & 11+/13+/16+ SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE
We give you the strength to be an individual
‘THE FRIENDLY AND OPEN CULTURE COMBINED WITH A GENUINE RESPECT FOR KNOWLEDGE CREATES A SOLID GROUND ENABLING CHILDREN TO THRIVE ACADEMICALLY, SOCIALLY AND SPIRITUALLY.’ CURRENT PARENT
OPEN MORNINGS: SAT 2ND OCT (6TH FORM) & SAT 9TH OCT (ALL AGES) WWW.DOWNSIDE.CO.UK
Take your academic achievement to the next level SCHOLARSHIPS AND B U R S A R I E S AVA I L A B L E Various scholarships available for students aged 11+, 13+ and 16+, including Academic, Art, Drama, Music and Sport. Awards typically carry up to 25% fee remission. We also offer a limited range of bursaries. For more information please contact our Admissions Team at registrar@doverbroecks.com
doverbroecks.com
PS ARSHI L O H C S SARIES R U B AND BLE AVAILA Visit
om esbath.c www.k r details fo
START YOUR ADVENTURE HERE...
For Ages 3-18. www.kesbath.com. Admissions: 01225 820 399
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COUNTRY | SCHOLARSHIPS & BURSARIES 2021/22
“Your answers are heard and you know you will succeed.” Ours is a community that will lift up your heart. Established in 1862, Haileybury is a top co-educational boarding and day school for 11–18 year olds on a historic 500 acre campus in Hertfordshire, just 20 miles north of London. 2021 Open Events: Saturday 2 October Open Morning (in-person), Tuesday 12 October 16+ Open Evening (in-person), Thursday 4 November 11+ & 13+ Open Morning (in-person), Friday 19 November Virtual Open Day. UK enquiries: uk.admissions@haileybury.com International enquiries: int.admissions@haileybury.com 01992 706 353 Haileybury.com
Scan to see the film
HaileyburyUK
Lifting Hearts
Space to bond. Set in 200 acres of beautiful countryside and just four miles from the breathtaking North Norfolk coast, a Gresham’s education gives your child all the time and space they need to develop into a confident, well-rounded individual.
greshams.com | Holt, Norfolk An independent boarding and day school for children aged 2-18
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Where potential meets opportunity An exceptional coeducational, full boarding education for 13-18 year olds
For details of admissions, scholarships and bursaries:
+44 (0)1672 892300 email: admissions@marlboroughcollege.org or visit: www.marlboroughcollege.org 5092 Country and Town House 129.5x195_[1].indd 1
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Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate
An Excellent rated (ISI) school welcoming children aged 3 months to 19 years. Find out how we can help support your child to achieve their aspirations in our unique prep, middle and senior four-school model. Call to arrange a private tour or join us at our next open day on 27 November 2021.
Shortlisted for Independent School of the Year for Performing Arts and Independent Pre School of the Year.
admissions@qe.org 01423 333330 York YO26 9SS www.qe.org
Visit us on stand at the ISS London Show 13-14 November
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Mayfield A N I N D E P E NDE NT B OAR DI NG AND DAY S CH O O L FO R G I R L S AG E D 11 TO 18
OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC RESULTS ACADEMIC, CREATIVE ARTS, PERFORMING ARTS AND SPORTS SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE EXTENSIVE CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAMME EXEMPLARY PASTORAL CARE & NURTURING ENVIRONMENT STATE OF THE ART EQUESTRIAN CENTRE SET IN THE BEAUTIFUL SUSSEX COUNTRYSIDE FLEXI, WEEKLY AND FULL BOARDING OPTIONS 50 MINUTES FROM CENTRAL LONDON BY TRAIN
Open Mornings TUESDAY 9 TH NOVEMBER (ON-SITE) SATURDAY 27 th NOVEMBER (VIRTUAL)
WWW.MAYFIELDGIRLS.ORG
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13+ B O A R D I N G OPEN MORNINGS 2 0 21 13 November and 27 November 2022 15 January, 5 February and 19 March
w w w.r ugbyscho ol.co.uk
RUGBY SCHOOL
Stowe is educating a generation of Change Makers ready to transform the world. Yes, we teach pupils how to excel in exams, but we also teach them how to collaborate, how to solve problems and how to think critically. We equip them with the skills, resilience and ideas they need to adapt and thrive in a world that’s changing faster than ever before.
Scholarships and Bursaries are available.
We are Change Makers stowe.co.uk
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Made in
Cambridge Cambridge’s leading boarding and day school for girls and boys aged 11 - 18
SCHOL ARSHIPS Academic Sport STEM Drama Music Choral Art
To attend an open morning or arrange a visit contact T I 01223 508904 E I admissions@theleys.net W I www.theleys.net
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Shrewsbury School
Visit Shrewsbury The Independent School of the Year
Boarding and Day School for Girls and Boys aged 13-18
admissions@shrewsbury.org.uk 01743 280 552 | shrewsbury.org.uk
Start your journey now at:
shrewsbury.org.uk/open-days SHORTLISTED Boarding School of the Year
WINNER Independent School of the Year WINNER Community Outreach Award
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FROM IDEA
TO REALITY For example, in our state-of-the-art Barton Science Centre pupils worked with astronauts to devise an experiment that could be carried into space. 18 months later, with the help of the Chief Scientist at the International Space School Educational Trust, up went the rocket. The question: is yeast able to undergo reproduction in the microgravity of the International Space Station? We await the answer…
Arrange a visit: admissions@tonbridge-school.org tonbridge-school.co.uk
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Scholarships & Bursaries available for 11+, 13+, & Sixth Form
Please contact Admissions: admissions@stmaryscalne.org
ST MARY’S CALNE A Leading Independent Boarding & Day School For Girls Aged 11-18
Contact
admissions@stmaryscalne.org
01249 857200
stmaryscalne.org
Talbot Heath School has been named as one of the most innovative and influential independent schools in the country. (i25 Excellence in Education Awards 2019)
Individual attention,
academic achievement.
THINK BIG
Ground breaking curriculum for the future Consistently high academic results Leading Tennis and Swimming Academies
The results speak for themselves: outstanding public examination results (90% A*- A at A Level and 60% grades 9-7 at GCSE) place us well above the national average and prove the effectiveness of our small class sizes and individual attention. Apply now for our next intake. Limited places available. Find out more: StokeCollege.co.uk
SCHOLARSHIPS Academic, All-Rounder, Art, Drama, Music, Sport, Swimming and Tennis
Talbot Heath
Independent School for Girls aged 3-18
BURSARIES, CLERGY & MILITARY DISCOUNTS. Call Kerry Wills, talk about a free taster night for your daughter, a warm welcome awaits.
Bournemouth | Dorset | Tel: 01202 761881 | talbotheath.org Connect with us @TalbotHeathSch | Day and boarding | Private Mini Buses to London
Independent Co-Ed Day and Boarding for 11-18 year olds
01787 278141
admissions@stokecollege.co.uk
stokecollege.co.uk
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NORMAL BOYS EXTRAORDINARY POTENTIAL We know that every boy is an individual. We want each of our boys to find his own voice, to follow his own path. Our boys have the potential to surprise us and to surprise themselves.
For information about support with fees Find out more at
rgsg.co.uk An exceptional independent education for boys aged 3 to 18
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DIRECTORY
Out on the water at Aldro School
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LONDON | SCHOLARSHIPS & BURSARIES 2021/22
London 14
ACS International Schools Heywood House Portsmouth Road Surrey KT11 1BL T: 01932 867251 acs-schools.com
55 Alleyn’s School Townley Road, London SE22 8SU T: 020 8557 1500 alleyns.org.uk 55 Ashbourne College 17 Old Ct Pl London W8 4PL T: 020 7937 3858 ashbournecollege.co.uk
56 Eaton House Belgravia Nursery 3-5 Eaton Gate, London SW1W 9BA T: 020 3917 5050 eatonhouseschools.com 56 Eaton House Belgravia Prep & Pre-Prep 3–5 Eaton Gate, London SW1W 9BA T: 020 3917 5050 eatonhouseschools.com 56 Eaton House The Manor Girls’ School 58 Clapham Common Northside, Losndon SW4 9RU T: 020 3917 5050
eatonhouseschools.com 62 Broomwood Hall Lower School 192 Ramsden Road, London SW12 T: 020 8682 8820 northwoodschools.com
56 Eaton House The Manor Nursery 58 Clapham Common Northside, London SW4 9RU T: 020 3917 5050
eatonhouseschools.com 62 Broomwood Hall Upper School 68–74 Nightingale Lane, London SW12 8NR T: 020 8682 8810 northwoodschools.com
56 Eaton House The Manor Prep & Pre-Prep School 58 Clapham Common Northside, London
60 Harrow School 5 High St, Harrow HA1 3HP T: 020 8872 8000 harrowschool.org.uk
IBC MPW London 90–92 Queen’s Gate, London SW7 5AB T: 020 7835 1355 mpw.ac.uk
60 Hornsby House Hearnville Road, Balham, London SW12 8RS T: 020 8673 7573 hornsbyhouse.org.uk
62 Newton Prep 149 Battersea Park Rd, Nine Elms, London SW8 4BX T: 020 7720 4091 newtonprepschool.co.uk
57 Kensington Park 59 Queen’s Gate, London SW7 5JP; 40-44 Bark Place, London W2 4AT T: 020 7225 0577 kps.co.uk
62 Northwood Senior School 3 Garrad’s Road, London SW16 1JZ T: 020 8161 0301 northwoodschools.com 58 Prince’s Gardens Preparatory School 10-13 Prince’s Gardens, London SW7 1ND T: 020 7591 4620 princesgardensprep.co.uk
58 Kew College 24–26 Cumberland Road, Kew, Surrey TW9 3HQ T: 020 8940 2039 kewcollege.com 37 Knightsbridge School 67 Pont Street, London SW1X 0BD T: 020 7590 9000 knightsbridgeschool.com
SW4 9RU T: 020 3917 5050
55 City of London School Queen Victoria Street, London EC4V 3AL T: 020 3680 6300 cityoflondonschool.org.uk 56 Devonshire House Prep 2 Arkwright Road, London, NW3 6AE T: 020 7435 1916 devonshirehouseschool.co.uk 57 Dulwich College Dulwich Common, London SE21 7LD T: 020 8299 8432 dulwich.org.uk
eatonhouseschools.com 20 Eaton Square Prep School 55-57 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1PH T: 020 7225 3131 eatonsquareschools.com 20 Eaton Square Senior School 106 Piccadilly, London W1J 7NL T: 020 7491 7393 eatonsquareschools.com 5
Godolphin & Latymer School Iffley Rd, London
59 Latymer Upper School King St, London W6 9LR T: 020 8807 4037 latymer-upper.org 59 Latymer Prep School 36 Upper Mall, London W6 9TA T: 020 7993 0061 latymerprep.org 6
Merchant Taylors’ School Sandy Lodge, Northwood HA6 2HT T: 01923 820644 mtsn.org.uk
61
Mill Hill School The Ridgeway Mill Hill Village London NW7 1QS T: 020 8959 1176 millhill.org.uk
W6 0PG T: 020 8741 1936
godolphinand latymer.com
Due to the Covid pandemic we unfortunately cannot publish the schools’ open days in this issue. Please go to the individual schools’ websites or contact the schools directly for further information.
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63 St Dunstan’s College Stanstead Road, London SE6 4TY T: 020 8516 7200 stdunstans.org.uk 4
St Philip’s School 6 Wetherby Place, South Kensington, London SW7 4NE T: 020 7373 3944 stphilipsschool.co.uk
63 University College School Hampstead Frognal, Hampstead London NW3 6XH T: 020 7435 2215 ucs.org.uk IFC Whitgift School Haling Park Road, South Croydon CR2 6YT T: 020 8688 9222 whitgift.co.uk 1
Old Palace of John Whitgift School Old Palace Rd, Croydon CR0 1AX T: 020 8688 2027 oldpalace.croydon.sch.uk
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Country Mayfield School The Old Palace, Mayfield, East Sussex TN20 6PH T: 01435 874600 mayfieldgirls.org
65 All Hallows School Cranmore Hall, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 4SF T: 01749 881600 allhallowsschool.co.uk
68 Downside School Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Radstock, Somerset BA3 4RJ T: 01761 235103 downside.co.uk
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65 Badminton School Westbury Rd, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol BS9 3BA T: 0117 905 5271 badmintonschool.co.uk
69 Gresham’s Cromer Rd, Holt, Norfolk NR25 6EA T: 01263 714500 greshams.com
70 Queen Ethelburga’s Thorpe Underwood Estate, York YO26 9SS T: 01423 333300 qe.org
67 Benenden School Benenden, Cranbrook TN17 4AA T: 01580 240592 benenden.school
Haberdashers’ Boys’ School Butterfly Lane, Elstree WD6 3AF T: 020 8266 1700 habsboys.org.uk
77 RGS Guildford High St, Guildford Surrey GU1 3BB T: 01483 880600 rgsg.co.uk 31
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Charterhouse Godalming, Surrey GU7 2DX T: 01483 291500 charterhouse.org.uk
69 Haileybury Haileybury, Hertford SG13 7NU T: 01992 706200 haileybury.com BC Hurtwood House Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NU T: 01483 279000 hurtwoodhouse.com
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Christ’s Hospital Horsham, West Sussex RH13 0LJ T: 01403 211293 christs-hospital.org.uk
66 Cranleigh School Horseshoe Lane, Cranleigh, Surrey GU6 8QQ T: 01483 273666 cranleigh.org 68 d’Overbroeck’s 333 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7PL T: 01865 688600 doverbroecks.com
68 King Edward’s School, Bath North Rd, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 6HU T: 01225 464313 kesbath.com 22 Lancing College Lancing, West Sussex BN15 0RW T: 01273 452213 lancingcollege.co.uk 73 The Leys School Cambridge CB2 7AD T: 01223 508900 theleys.net 70 Marlborough College Bath Rd, Marlborough Wiltshire SN8 1PA T: 01672 892388 marlboroughcollege.org
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Rossall School Fleetwood, Lancashire, FY7 8JW T: 01253 774201 rossall.org.uk
72 Rugby School Lawrence Sheriff St, Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 5EH T: 01788 556216 rugbyschool.co.uk 74
66 Cheam School Headley, Newbury, Berkshire RG19 8LD T: 01635 267822 cheamschool.com
72 Stowe School Stowe, Buckingham MK18 5EH T: 01280 818000 stowe.co.uk 74
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65 Bromsgrove School Worcester Rd, Bromsgrove B61 7DU T: 01527 579679 bromsgroveschool.co.uk
49 Stonyhurst College Stonyhurst, Clitheroe Lancashire BB7 9PZ T: 01254 827073 stonyhurst.ac.uk
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Shrewsbury School The Schools, Shrewsbury Shropshire SY3 7BA T: 01743 280500 shrewsbury.org.uk St Edward’s Oxford Woodstock Rd, Oxford, OX2 7NN T: 01865 319200 stedwardsoxford.org
St Peter’s School, York Clifton, York, YO30 6AB T: 01904 527300 stpetersyork.org.uk
76 Talbot Heath Rothesay Rd, Bournemouth BH4 9NJ T: 01202 761881 talbotheath.org 46 Taunton School Taunton School, Staplegrove Road, Somerset TA2 6AD T: 01823 703703 tauntonschool.co.uk 75 Tonbridge School High St, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1JP T: 01732 304297 tonbridge-school.co.uk 33 Wells Cathedral School 15 The Liberty, Wells, Somerset BA5 2ST T: 01749 834200 wells.cathedral.school
76 St Mary’s Calne Calne, Wiltshire SN11 0DF T: 01249 857206
stmaryscalne.org 76 Stoke College Ashen Lane, Stoke by Clare, Sudbury Suffolk CO10 8JE, T: 01787 278141 stokecollege.co.uk
Due to the Covid pandemic we unfortunately cannot publish the schools’ open days in this issue. Please go to the individual schools’ websites or contact the schools directly for further information.
24/09/2021 15:31
TAILORED NOT UNIFORM When it comes to a good education, one size does not necessarily fit all. At MPW, one of the UK’s best known names in fifth and sixth-form education, we offer a distinctive alternative to traditional schools. A levels and GCSEs in over 45 subjects Retakes, Easter Revision courses and Year 12 transfers Personal tutors providing individual academic and pastoral support Oxbridge-style tutorial groups with nine students or fewer Excellent results and progression to top tier universities Best in class inspection reports from the ISI and Ofsted
MPW allows you to excel both academically and personally. Pastoral support coupled with personalised lessons and the continuous assistance from all members of staff have made my experience extraordinary and have shaped my future in the best way possible! Polina (MPW London) achieved A*A*A*A* at A level. Now reading Accounting and Finance at King’s College.
Discover MPW for yourself – visit www.mpw.ac.uk or call us to book your visit. London 020 7835 1355
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Birmingham 0121 454 9637
Cambridge 01223 350 158
13/09/2021 16:44
YES, IT’S A CRYING SHAME…
…that she left it too late to apply for Hurtwood House, because it’s simply the best for acting, dancing, singing, film-making – “A utopia for creative minds” – as the Good Schools Guide says. And crucially, this exciting school is equally successful academically. In fact, it’s statistically one of the top co-ed boarding schools in the UK. So, if you’re looking for a really exciting and rewarding change of school at 16 – don’t leave it too late. Contact Cosmo Jackson or visit our website for more information.
T: 01483 279000
E: info@hurtwood.net
hurtwoodhouse.com
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02/08/2021 10:08