It takes a village

Since September 2018 the Loughborough Schools Foundation has provided fee assistance to 296 pupils. In 2020/21 alone, 184 pupils benefitted from fee assistance. But how does a bursary come to fruition?

The process from first enquiry to first day at one of our Schools can often be a journey of more than a year. We went behind the scenes to find out what happens – from initial outreach to the lived experience of a bursary pupil - and to meet some of the people that make a Loughborough Schools Foundation bursary a reality.

In most cases, it starts with outreach. Sam Lister, Registrar at Loughborough Grammar School explains. “My role is to develop links with local primary schools and the community at large to raise aspirations, expand engagement and increase awareness in the kinds of opportunities that Loughborough Grammar School can provide.”

Programmes that the Schools run help to create strong relationships between Loughborough Grammar School, Loughborough High School, Loughborough Amherst School, Fairfield Prep School and participating local schools and pupils. These include summer schools and masterclasses that enable local children to discover new subjects, talents and interests through interactive activities and workshops delivered by our teachers and sixth formers.

Sam sees the consequences of these programmes every day. “Once we start to develop relationships and engage through these initiatives, we are able to generate more enquiries for bursaries from the schools we are involved with.” And although it takes a lot of work, she

“For many families we are their first experience of an independent school. I want them to feel welcome.”

Alison Anderson

“Bursaries are lifechanging helping our boys to achieve their ambitions”

Dr Christopher Barnett

says, “It’s all worth it when the boys arrive here in school and discover an extraordinary range of opportunities to develop their passions and skills, so that they get to know themselves and acquire the emotional intelligence needed to thrive.”

At Loughborough High School, Alison Anderson is there as Registrar to take girls through the applicant journey and is one of the first people that a potential bursary candidate will meet. “Warmth is an essential characteristic for the role,” she says. “Some people may have a preconceived idea about the School, and for many families we are their first experience of an independent school; I want them to feel welcome. The School buildings are large and imposing, and you don’t get to see much beyond that in the first instance – so it’s important that we can give people a sense of who we are.”

Once Alison has an application registered, she’ll pass it on for financial assessment, and then steps in again to help organise the assessment process and entrance exam. She’ll hold the candidates’ hands until they are in the school, helping with their uniform, transport issues and anything else that’s needed.

Each school has its own approach to bursaries. Dr Christopher Barnett, Head of Loughborough Grammar School, describes a process which demands very individual attention from the Head to secure the best and most deserving candidates. He estimates that as many as 50% of applications to the school will be for bursaries at some level. After a highly personalised process he will make offers for the seven places that, on average, he has available every year.

“Loughborough Grammar School has a transformative impact on boys’ lives. Everywhere you look, you discover a school bursting with activity, where boys have huge respect for the varied talents of their peers and learn as much outside the classroom as within. Bursaries enable us to provide the highest quality education and a world of opportunities to those whose families wouldn’t otherwise have the means to access it.”

“Tom joined us from a small primary school in Year 7 and grew in confidence and capability, inspired by his teachers and supported by friends. He got involved in all aspects of the School; from playing the trumpet in Big Band to joining the RAF section in the Combined Cadet Force. Here, Tom experienced RAF camps, leadership courses, fundraising, flying planes and shooting. He set himself a goal to become an RAF Officer and I am absolutely delighted to see Tom has realised his ambitions and become a pilot in the RAF.”

Dr Fiona Miles, Head of Loughborough High School, is a Head who likes to be involved from the first open event right through the process. She is passionate about bursaries, but mindful, too, that it’s crucial to make sure the awards go to the right pupils - and she sees her active involvement as vital in this. She is also very clear that a bursary is about more than a girl joining the school; that it’s about the whole family joining the LHS community, and establishing strong, mutually supportive relationships.

“It is important that they really want to come to the School and are as invested emotionally in us as we are in them. One of our sixth formers said to me recently that LHS are creating the young women that the future needs. Looking up, our Year 7 pupils see in the older girls their leaders, their role models and their future selves. They see no limits on female aspiration as they watch our Year 13s go on to become astrophysicists, architects, actors and artists, and they benefit from an inspiring and culturally diverse network of alumni who regularly return to share their wisdom as women in the world of work and entrepreneurship”

Dr Julian Murphy, Head at Loughborough Amherst School (formerly known as Our Lady’s Convent School) describes a caring ethos routed in a core Catholic belief about respect and love for each individual. His school aims to encourage and challenge every pupil to become the very best version of themselves by helping parents nurture confident, compassionate and happy young people.

“Two of our recent bursary recipients went on to the University of Oxford and Imperial College. During their time with us, both students took full advantage of opportunities such as the Extended Project Qualification, Debating Society and one-on-one university admissions coaching, and both in turn contributed much to our diverse community.”

“Looking up, our Year 7 pupils see in the older girls their leaders, their role models and their future selves.”

Dr Fiona Miles

How can you help?

Our bursaries change lives. By donating you will be helping bright pupils achieve their full potential. Every gift makes a difference. To give, call 01509 638922 ext: 5301 or email L.ryves@lsf.org

In 2020/21, Loughborough Schools Foundation distributed £1.3M in bursaries and fee assisted places and, at any time, some 180 pupils are receiving a bursary or financial assistance. More than this, though, the Loughborough Schools Foundation is gearing up for a major fundraising stepchange, with the launch of a new bursary campaign to double the number of places and change even more lives by 2030.

Back on the School Roll LSF Chaplain

Elizabeth York (née Merry) (Class of 1989)

Rev’d Elizabeth York began working as the first Chaplain to the whole Foundation in September 2019, (previously Chaplains were only ever appointed to LGS). Elizabeth is an alum of LHS and is married to Chris (Class of 1988). She has three children – one an LGS alum (Class of 2019) and two who currently attend LAS.

Whether it’s favourite teachers and lessons, trips, sports days, Burton services, the May Ball or LES musicals, I have many memories of LHS/LES.

I joined LHS in the Lower Fift h and I’m grateful that I was able to make friends and feel as though I belonged to the school so quickly - this was especially true in the Music Department. Music was always an important part of my life at LHS, as both an academic subject and as something I enjoyed through extra-curricular ensembles; it has remained important to me beyond the barrier and now one of the great privileges I have as Chaplain is supporting LSF’s young musicians by attending Soundbites, Lunchtime Live and other school concerts.

Having joined LHS so late, I was surprised to be chosen to be Head Girl - a role that oft en took me out of my comfort zone. I can still remember the nerves before I had to speak at Prize Giving! I would never have put myself forward for this role, but I know now that it was a great opportunity to learn about service and gain valuable leadership skills. During the past couple of years as Chaplain, I can see that giving our pupils opportunities to lead continues to be an important part of the off ering made by all our Schools, whether this comes through being a form captain, by running a society or by captaining a sports team.

I left school to study French and German at the University of Birmingham but decided at the end of the first year that it wasn’t for me. It took me a long time to integrate this false start in a positive way: at the time, I remember feeling as though I had fallen short of where I wanted to be. I took a year out and worked in various retail jobs and banking, all of which gave me the chance to learn about myself and the world outside the privileged contexts of home, LHS and University.

At the end of the year, I began another degree studying Music at the University of Nottingham. Aft er a short period exploring orchestral management, I found my way into full-time teaching – firstly as a peripatetic music teacher in inner city Nottingham and then, aft er a PGCE at Nottingham Trent University, as a full-time teacher and Music Coordinator in primary schools.

I added another subject specialism by completing a distance learning diploma in teaching RE and then, years later, when my children were little, my language skills and teaching experience enabled me to begin a new chapter as a teacher of French across the primary school phases. This in turn led to some valuable experience teaching in KS3 and the realisation that the year of study in Birmingham had led to something positive.

By this time, I was aware of being nudged in a diff erent vocational direction, but I continued to teach for a few more years until I found the courage to respond to a sense of calling to full-time ministry. It took me around a decade to let go of teaching, which was a career I loved, and commit to the discernment process that led to me being selected for training for ordination in the Church of England.

This change of direction meant a further two years of full-time, postgraduate study, before I was ordained and served four years of training for ministry in local parishes. During this time I completed courses in Chaplaincy Skills and Counselling before being appointed as LSF Chaplain in 2019.

Looking back to write this account has reminded me how much happened in those early years aft er leaving school and how unexpected much of this was. I had always assumed that learning and life would follow a linear pattern aft er school but, in fact, the journey to now has been a lot richer, more creative, chaotic and challenging than I could ever have planned. This feels like an important, hope-filled story for the Chaplain to tell whenever invited: life can be fuller and more exciting than we might imagine for ourselves!

Whilst at theological college I came across a quote by the Danish philosopher and theologian, Soren Kierkegaard, who said that ‘life can only be understood backwards but must be lived forwards’. I like to think it’s possible to live life forwards with understanding too, with the help of the gift of faith, trusting in God who loves all his creation and desires to give each of us ‘hope and a future’ (Jeremiah 29:11-13).

With a lot of life lived since those first steps beyond the barrier, I know I have re-joined the LSF family with a deeper personal understanding of the ‘blessings’ and ‘unfailing mercies’ we sing of in the school hymn.

As Chaplain, it is a privilege to be able to represent the faith, tradition and hope on which the Schools are founded and help current generations begin and continue to live their own, unique and hope-filled stories.

Since the first lockdown, the Music Department have been sharing many of their musical treats, both weekly occurrences such as Sound Bites and Lunchtime Live as well as concerts for special occasions with us via their YouTube channel. Even though inperson attendance is now possible, they continue to post recordings and these are available to all at https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCb7x4StW96miQ2ScK1Zs5QA