Bursaries
Here at Downside, we are proud of our tradition of offering means-tested bursaries to children who we know will thrive in our environment.
In 2008, the Father Laurence Bursary Fund was launched to ensure talented pupils can receive a Downside education irrespective of their financial circumstances. Each year, around one-third of our pupils receive financial assistance through means-tested Bursary places ranging from 10% through to fully funded transformational places, requiring around £2 million a year.
The diversity of our pupils brought together from across the globe brings vast experiences and the merging of cultures. The sense of community and support is tangible amongst pupils, and this can only be achieved by the distinct mix of families, which benefits the whole community. However, not everyone has the financial means to access a Downside education and we can only provide the gift of education with your help.
Ways to Make a Donation
We are immensely grateful to our alumni, parents and friends, who have supported this Fund over the years, whether through a single or regular donation or provisions within your will to leave a legacy. Our aim is to build on the historical generosity of our community, where every donation, no matter its size, makes an enormous difference to our pupils and their future.
funding a bursary
We hope you enjoyed and benefited from your time at Downside, either as a pupil or parent and should you wish to give back and support an ambitious young person with the gift of education, please click here to donate or contact Jess Newman, Director of Development.
Endowment
Downside School has no significant endowment or any association with a livery company. Neither are we funded by the Catholic Church. To secure the future of bursaries at our School, we need to build an endowment fund. Every £1 million invested generates enough capital for one pupil to access a Downside education from age 11 to 16, with a 50% bursary place.
Regular Donations
Making a regular monthly donation is an easy and affordable way to support a pupil’s education. From as little as the cost of a coffee and sandwich, your monthly TV subscription, together, we can make an enormous impact.
Sponsoring A Place
Do you have a specific area of interest that you would like to support, such as sports, performing arts, Polish Scholars or our Sill Organ Scholars? By sponsoring a pupil through their education, you will have a direct impact on their future.
Legacy
For some, the capacity to contribute to an endowment or offer regular donations is beyond reach during their lifetime, however, a legacy can offer a means to make an enormous difference to the life of a child in perpetuity.
GIVE THE GIFT OF EDUCATION TODAY
You can impact the lives of so many aspiring Downside pupils from as little at £18.14 per month. A Downside education provides a truly distinctive experience to all those who come through our doors. We hope that you can help us be a bright light and give the gift of education, today.
Make A Donation
The Impact of Your Generosity
Ethan Morgan (B20)
Looking back on my time at Downside, I can really understand why I am the person and player I am today. Prior to Downside, I struggled with confidence but through the support and encouragement of staff and my friends, my confidence levels increased, allowing me to progress and develop on and off the pitch. Without their help I would not have secured opportunities to play rugby for Bath U18s and Wales U18s. I loved every moment and cannot thank Downside enough for what they have done for me.
Georgia Bolton (C20)
At Downside you are supported to be the best version of yourself – whatever your interests and talents. It is a school that attracts people from all across the world, who are so different, yet come together as one community. I am extremely grateful for the support I have received enabling me to study at Downside. I wouldn’t have been as ambitious as I now am, had it not been for the encouragement I have received from staff and fellow pupils.
Current Parent
Our son is gifted and talented and the chances of us giving him the opportunities befitting his talent were just not on the horizon in any shape or form. We started the application process which included an audition for a scholarship. Our son wanted to achieve this so much, telling me with tears in his eyes that he had never wanted anything more in his life. He worked and practised with such determination, and we were elated when he was offered a scholarship. We also applied for a bursary... and hearing that our application was successful was one of the greatest highlights of my life.