Bursaries - Transforming Lives

Transforming lives is the underlying theme of our new Whitgift For All bursary programme. We rely on our boys – and the world relies on the alumni they become to be leaders in the community and to be a force for social good. John Whitgift founded the School for the ‘poorer sorte’ in the community, and through the significant work of our former pupils, staff and friends contributing to this legacy, we will work to ensure that Whitgift from becomes a school for all.

While the bursaries financed by the John Whitgift Foundation are a formidable contribution, providing bursarial support for around one in ten of our 1,500 students, we can do more for our community. We need additional funding to reinforce this support, particularly given the economic uncertainty we are now facing. We are determined to continue to offer open access to deserving boys from all social and financial backgrounds.

With your support, we are aiming initially to raise £5 million for the School’s bursary scheme, which should be enough to provide 110% bursaries for about seven talented boys in perpetuity. These bursaries benefit our whole School community by enhancing academic and wider curricular standards and continuing to make us a more socially cohesive community. Bursaries also reinforce the aspirational and inclusive nature of our School. Boys can see success as a product of their own ability and hard work, rather than where they come from.

Why Whitgift for All?

Improving social mobility is a key aim of Whitgift For All. Our location in South Croydon puts us alongside one of the poorest performing areas of London in educational terms. This gives us the opportunity to make a real and significant impact on the local community.

According to the 2021 UTLA Report produced by Croydon Observatory, 16% of all children in Croydon live in poverty, and 29% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, 24% higher than the national average.

By contrast, Whitgift is consistently one of the top schools in the country for GCSE, A Level, and IB results. While this is excellent news for the School, when we look at our local community, only 1 in 14 students in Croydon achieves AAB at A Level. Across London, 1 in 7 will achieve this result, and it rises to 1 in 6 when looking at results across the whole of England.