The Oakham School Foundation - Donor Report

2022 - 2023

A message from the Headmaster

The Oakham School Foundation has been supporting our school community for over 20 years, continuing the long legacy of philanthropy on which we were founded. The generosity of many Old Oakhamians and former parents and friends of the School has made possible some of our wonderful buildings and provided the opportunity for talented young people to attend Oakham who would not otherwise have been able to do so.

I am delighted to say that we have recently received an incredible pledge of support for our bursary fund. This significant donation will provide a substantive base from which we intend to grow. Now has never been a more important time to offer your support and help build on the momentum of this generous gift.

Any donation, however big or small, will make a world of difference to the lives of current and future Oakhamians. If every family donated £20 a month, for a year, we would raise nearly £200,000, which could fund bursaries for two boarding pupils for two years or three day pupils for two years.

Thank you for taking the time to read about the work of the Foundation and its positive impact on life at Oakham School. I hope that, after reading this report, you will choose to get involved and help us continue to invest in our pupils, our School, and our community.

Contribute today and allow others to experience an Oakham Education.

With best wishes,

Henry Price Headmaster

The Oakham School Foundation

Our mission is to provide as many opportunities as possible for pupils, irrespective of their ability to pay fees.

However, bursaries are not our only mission: we seek to support major Capital Projects to enhance the facilities for teaching and learning at Oakham. The Memorial Chapel, Smallbone Library, Mehra Faculty of Science, Jerwood School of Design, BAF Smith Pavilion, Wilson Pavilion, and the Faculty of Social Sciences were all made possible by generous support from our community and make a difference to all Oakhamians daily.

The Foundation Project Fund enables smaller projects put forward by staff to enrich the experience of pupils inside and outside the classroom. These are facilitated by donations from OOs, former and current parents.

We hope that you will consider joining the tradition of philanthropy to Oakham which has extended for more than 400 years. Every gift of whatever size and in whatever way makes a world of difference, whether your donation is to bursaries or Capital Projects, large or small. Thank you in advance for your generosity and for helping to enhance Oakham’s future.

Pupil Stories

Pupils who came to Oakham on a bursary share their experiences of being at the School.

An Oakhamian

Being at Oakham was a great experience. I started in Form 3 as a boarder, it was obviously very different from being at home, but it pushed me to be more independent and confident.

I have so many great memories from my time at Oakham; the community is incredible. I especially remember the house prefects being amazing when I started.

The opportunity opened so many doors for me. Before I went to Oakham, I really didn’t know what I wanted to do or what my career would be. Art was something I enjoyed from the beginning, and it has just gone up from there with the help of the facilities and the extra support I received.

Donating to the bursary fund is life-changing for children. Going to Oakham was one of the best things I did, and I’m incredibly grateful for my bursary.

One thing I would like to say to anyone who is thinking of donating to bursaries is that it really is a life-changing experience for the pupil who receives it; you will help change their lives.

An Oakhamian

I had many positive experiences at Oakham School. One of these was the sense of community that developed among us. Living together created relationships that will last me a lifetime. Oakham has a very tight-knit feel of community which encouraged me to partake in a massive range of activities. The community also allows a closer connection between the teachers and students in our smaller class sizes, which enabled me and others to excel in our academics of choice. The diversity helped me to learn different traditions and cultures from people around the world.

Oakham offered me a large variety of extracurricular activities, such as sports and Creative arts. Some of my favourites were the piano lessons which I had never dreamt of before I moved to Oakham. Without a bursary, I would have never been able to fully achieve my academic

goals

or find my passion in sports if it wasn’t for the opportunities at Oakham. The house pride is something I had never seen before, such as house competitions, where we all supported each other through the ups and downs and made sure everyone was included.

I think people should support bursaries as they allow people from less privileged backgrounds to receive a high level of education from schools such as Oakham which would let them excel in the future. It has personally helped me by providing me with opportunities and experiences that I could have only dreamed of, as well as exceptional support from teachers, house staff, and pastoral care such as counselling. The vast quantity of extra-curricular activities allowed me to focus on hobbies and interests while still having social time, like going into the town centre for a coffee and time to focus on academics. Also, I believe that the scheduling at Oakham allowed me to build time management skills which I have found helpful since finishing School.

Ken Soon Tan (‘94)

Dr Ken-Soon Tan is Director of Renal Medicine at Logan Hospital in Brisbane, Senior Lecturer in Medicine at the University of Queensland, and a clinician scientist. Ken left Oakham in 1994 to study Medicine at the University of Cambridge. After graduation, he worked briefly in the UK before returning to Australia to complete his training as a kidney specialist and clinical pharmacologist. This included a memorable stint in Central Australia, based at Alice Springs Hospital, where he also assisted with Flying Doctor retrievals.

Ken’s Bursary Story:

It was a lucky coincidence that I ended up at Oakham. Whilst taking the Royal School Music exams in Malaysia, my examiner was kind enough to recommend me to a couple of his former colleagues, one of whom was Graham Smallbone, the Headmaster of Oakham at the time. An impromptu audition for a Music Scholarship was arranged and a recording sent back to the UK. It still seems amazing that on the basis of this, I was awarded a Music Scholarship. Further support followed in the form of a (Jerwood Foundation) bursary and then a Form 6 (Jerwood Foundation) Academic Scholarship, which meant that my final two years at Oakham were free.

The support was incredible when I was at Oakham. People always went out of their way to help and encourage you, and you learnt to take up all of the opportunities offered to you. Oakham gave me this sense that you can just go for things, even if the odds seem against you. That was the sort of can-do attitude that the School cultivated; it’s the sense of grasping an opportunity and just going for it. And I learnt that sometimes the results really will surprise you. Oakham instilled that in me and it’s still with me today.

Supporting Bursaries

I’m very invested in supporting bursaries and scholarships. It’s impressive to see what the Foundation has achieved, especially with its offering of bursaries and it means a lot to me to see this as I know it will offer pupils the same “leg-up” I was privileged to receive. I like to think that people should try and give back where they can. We as a family all do our part and donate to what we believe in; as such, I am committed to supporting the Foundation, and I’m proud to be part of the 1584 Society.

I like to think that people should try and give back where they can.”

Scholarship Spotlight

Jeremy Farmer (‘67) Rugby Scholarship

I was at Oakham in the 1960s, a time of change in the School and indeed in the country. Looking back, I don’t think I have ever laughed as much as I did during those five years. The camaraderie was exceptional and taught me the value of teamwork, perseverance, and respect on and off the playing field. I would single out critical thinking skills and a competitive spirit as two things that I learned and have kept with me throughout my career in Banking and HR Management.

My reason for committing to support rugby scholarships at Oakham is that as I reflect back on my life, rugby has been hugely important both as a player and the social aspects that surround it. All that started on Doncaster Close in Oakham.

I would say to anyone thinking of supporting a scholarship or bursary that it is a wonderful

opportunity to give something back to the school that has given many of us so much. My scholarship goes to a talented rugby player that can help the School retain its excellent rugby reputation but equally important it opens up an Oakham education to a player who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to experience it. My objective is to help to support that individual in the school wherever their rugby career eventually takes them. Of course, I want the very best for them in rugby, but it is equally important that the education along with the people they are exposed to shape their life after Oakham in a very positive way.

Oakham rugby has come a very long way from the time in the 1960s when winning a fixture against Uppingham was a big deal to being National Cup winners and one of the best teams in the country. That has been great to watch. Helping to aid that a little through rugby scholarships is just a small way of giving back to a school and a game that has been such an important part of my life.

Read more about Jeremy and his Scholarship support in our upcoming Old Oakhamian Magazine.

Capital Projects

1993 Smallbone Library

The Smallbone Library occupies a pivotal space in the intellectual and academic life of Oakham School, housing over 30,000 books.

2000

2002

Wilson Astroturf

Lynn Wilson (‘57) was one of the most generous benefactors to the School. His support enabled the School to build its first Astroturf Hockey Pitch, which opened in 1990.

2005

Wilson Pavilion and Pitches

A significant donation from Lynn Wilson (’57) led to a new pavilion on the Springfields site. The Wilson Pavilion and playing fields is now home to cricket, rugby, football, and lacrosse teams.

2008 Jerwood School of Design

This multi-million-pound, purpose-built facility with cutting-edge equipment was made possible by the kindness of the Jerwood Foundation. In addition to inspiring countless pupils, the DT team made thousands of face shields for frontline workers during the pandemic.

2007 Chapel Restoration

The Chapel was built in 1925 as a memorial to the former Oakham School boys who lost their lives in WW1. In 2007 it was renovated and repaired thanks to the generosity of Brian Smith (‘54), a former pupil of the School.

2013 Mehra Faculty of Science

After five years of fundraising and many generous gifts, the Mehra Faculty of Science was officially opened by Sanjeev Mehra (‘78). It provides stimulating teaching spaces to educate and inspire our future scientists. The building also houses the Wilson Auditorium, made possible by a generous donation from the Wilson Foundation.

2014 BAF Smith Pavilion

Thanks to the generosity of Brian Smith (‘54), the BAF Smith Pavilion overlooks Doncaster Close.

2016 Faculty of Social Sciences

This three-storey building, in use since September 2016, offers leading-edge learning facilities for the School’s Business, Economics, Politics, Citizenship and Psychology students.

2022 Floodlights

Thanks to the incredible support of the Wilson Foundation, we now have floodlights on both astro pitches. This fantastic gift has made a meaningful difference for our pupils and members of our local community, who can now play sports and games in the evening.

2010 2020

1584 Society –Regular giving society

Named in acknowledgement of our founding year and our Founder, Robert Johnson’s enduring principles of charitable giving, the 1584 Society is Oakham School Foundation’s regular giving society.

There are many ways to be a part of the society:

• 1584 Society member - A five-year commitment of £1584 a year

In recognition of your generous donations, a Society lunch is held annually, along with invitations to other events, such as the Brandenburg Concert in London.

• 1584 member – A regular donation of £15.84 a month or £158.40 quarterly

What your donations can achieve

*numbers do not include Gift Aid

£500 Every F7 parent donated £500 of their deposit

£10 One person a month for a year

£20 Every family each month for a year

£20 One family each month for a year

£50 One family a month for a year

£75 One family a month for a year

£25 One family a month

A Boarding pupil for two years or a Day pupil for three years

Pays for two CCF weekends / Bronze DofE expedition

Two Boarding pupil for two years or Three Day pupils for two years

DofE Silver expeditions / School trips such as Battlefields

School uniform for a bursary pupil

Music lessons every week for a school year

Pays for one LAMDA Acting lesson per month

For more information about the 1584 Society, bursaries, Capital Projects, and our smaller Foundation Projects scan the QR code.

You can also contact the Foundation via 01572 758817 or via email at Foundation@oakham.rutland.sch.uk