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 both boarding and independent day schools. The charity has a long history of supporting schools and local authorities to facilitate boarding-only places for looked after children and those on the edge of care, so this development was welcomed as an opportunity to give greater numbers of young people facing disadvantage access to transformative educational experiences. This expansion to RNCSF’ s remit also included the launch of SpringForward – a programme to support independent schools to better target their outreach activities – across academic and extracurricular activities, for the benefit of careexperienced and vulnerable children for whom a bursary place might not be available. “For a lot of people in my neighbourhood, the opportunities I have received at Christ’s Hospital (CH) would be simply unattainable in ordinary circumstances. Growing up in London, I am well aware of the lack of opportunity for a lot of children just like myself, through no fault of their own. Had it not been for CH, I would never have had the chance to discover my passion for rugby or my deep interest in politics, as the resources needed to cultivate these interests are unfortunately unavailable to a large number of children. CH has opened doors of opportunity to me that beforehand I did not even know existed.

Sam Odu, a second-year student at Cambridge University who joined Christ’s Hospital when he was 11.

Schools Together showcases more than 5,800 cross-sector partnerships.

Tens of thousands of pupils benefit from partnerships between independent schools and state schools every year.

Partnerships include careers advice and higher education support, reading with younger pupils, subject specialist teaching, sharing facilities and seconding teaching staff.

Through partnerships, schools work together to unlock new educational experiences for pupils and teachers.

www.schoolstogether.org

Celebrating and encouraging partnership projects Schools have been engaged in partnerships for many years. The main motivation is a desire to collaborate with other schools in the local community for mutual benefit. The Schools Together website demonstrates the excellent work that is already going on and helps and inspires more schools to get involved.

Constituent Associations Girls ’ Schools Association, Headmasters ’ and Headmistresses ’ Conference Independent Association of Prep Schools, Independent Schools Association The Society of Heads, Association of Governing Bodies of Independent Schools The Independent Schools ’ Bursars Association

Affiliated Associations Boarding Schools ’ Association, Council of British International Schools Scottish Council of Independent Schools, Welsh Independent Schools Council

Independent Schools Council First Floor, 27 Queen Anne’s Gate, London SW1H 9BU 020 7766 7070 www.isc.co.uk

www.schoolstogether.org

Celebrating and encouraging partnership projects Schools have been engaged in partnerships for many years. The main motivation is a desire to collaborate with other schools in the local community for mutual benefit. The Schools Together website demonstrates the excellent work that is already going on and helps and inspires more schools to get involved. team@schoolstogether.org