Independent Schools Council, Celebrating Partnerships 2021

Widening access through life-transforming bursaries The independent sector is committed to providing valuable educational opportunities to greater numbers of children and young people. Despite the disruption caused by the pandemic, many schools have extended their bursary provision. Last year alone, independent schools provided £455 million of meanstested fee assistance – an increase of £15 million from the previous year.

Christ’s Hospital provides free or substantially reduced cost places to more than 630 of its 900 pupils, amounting to over £18 million each year. The school’s commitment to its core goal of social responsibility enhances pupils’ understanding of and appreciation for diversity, enabling the school to make a difference in the local community as well as further afield.

Earlier this year, the Government announced that Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation (RNCSF) – the UK’s largest bursary charity – would provide a national brokerage service to secure fully-funded bursary places for vulnerable young people at “For a lot of people in my neighbourhood, both boarding and independent day schools. the opportunities I have received at Christ’s The charity has a long history of supporting Hospital (CH) would be simply unattainable in ordinary schools and local authorities to facilitate circumstances. Growing up in London, I am well aware of boarding-only places for looked after the lack of opportunity for a lot of children just like myself, children and those on the edge of care, through no fault of their own. Had it not been for CH, so this development was welcomed as I would never have had the chance to discover my passion an opportunity to give greater numbers for rugby or my deep interest in politics, as the resources of young people facing disadvantage needed to cultivate these interests are unfortunately access to transformative educational unavailable to a large number of children. CH has experiences. This expansion to RNCSF’s opened doors of opportunity to me that beforehand remit also included the launch of I did not even know existed.”

SpringForward – a programme to support Sam Odu, a second-year student at Cambridge independent schools to better target their University who joined Christ’s Hospital outreach activities – across academic and when he was 11. extracurricular activities, for the benefit of careexperienced and vulnerable children for whom a bursary place might not be available.

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