The Cokethorpe Fund

The Cokethorpe Fund

Headmaster’s Welcome

“As a Cokethorpean you are uniquely positioned to understand the opportunities and friendship that Cokethorpe provides. You understand the balance of academic and pastoral care, the emphasis on teamwork and leadership and activities that foster lifelong friendships.

Your time at Cokethorpe has shaped the School and today’s pupils both follow in your footsteps and leave their own identity on your School for future generations.

The Cokethorpe Fund is created by Old Cokethorpeans for the benefit of current and future Cokethorpeans.

Your gifts will ensure your School can offer means-tested bursaries to brilliant pupils as well as developing the School estate and co-curricular programme.

Every gift matters as our power is in our collectiveness. 100 Old Cokethorpeans donating just £10 per month could provide a transformative Cokethorpe Bursary to a gifted pupil from a financially disadvantaged background.

Please join together with your fellow Cokthorpeans to offer many more pupils a truly Cokethorpe Experience. I can assure you that every pound you donate will be invested to move the School from strength-to-strength.”

Damian Ettinger Headmaster

“ The Cokethorpe Fund is created by Old Cokethorpeans for the benefit of current and future Cokethorpeans. ”

Our Priorities

By giving back to Cokethorpe, you can create opportunities for current and future Cokethorpeans to benefit from the experiences you enjoyed.

The Cokethorpe Fund

To ensure talented pupils can join the School and benefit from the same experiences that you had, regardless of financial circumstance. In challenging financial times, it is more important than ever that we have the means of providing more children with the benefits of a Cokethorpe education.

Area of Greatest Need

A flexible gift that the School will use for its current priorities and areas of greatest need. This includes our building and estate fund, and opportunities to further academic enrichment, among others.

Cokethorpe Fund

Creating Transformational Opportunities

A Cokethorpe bursary provides financial assistance to high calibre pupils who would otherwise be unable to join the School. Each family is means-tested to ensure bursaries are awarded to those in genuine financial need.

In 2022-23 our Bursary commitment totalled £1.22m.

• Eighteen percent of pupils received a means-tested Cokethorpe Bursary

• Eight pupils received a full Bursary to cover 100% of fees.

The Impact of Your Gift

By making a gift today, you can support a Cokethorpe Bursary.

Your gift, combined with the gifts of other OCs, creates impact. That is why all gifts, of all sizes, make a difference:

£5 per month from all OCs who joined the School since 2000 could fund 10 Transformational Bursaries

£10 per month from all OCs who joined the School between 1957 and 1999 could fund 15 Transformational Bursaries

“From its very first days Cokethorpe has always been an inclusive School that understands its responsibility to the wider Oxfordshire community and the importance of investing in young people who can shape and influence our society.

£30 per month from 30 Old Cokethorpeans could provide a talented pupil with a Transformational Bursary

Bursaries allow the School to support talented young people from the local area and unlock potential that can also have a positive contribution on other pupils across the School.”

Jonathan Stevens Deputy Headmaster

Area of Greatest Need

Preserving and Developing the Historic Estate

The School’s historic buildings and parkland is a defining characteristic of Cokethorpe’s academic and sporting excellence.

Recent developments include a stunning new timber clad sports Pavilion, offering high quality changing facilities for pupils and visiting teams, and the development of two new classrooms, to offer younger pupils greater indoor and outdoor space.

Your gifts can help preserve the historic estate, maintain the grounds and develop additional new buildings for future Cokethorpeans.

Opened in January 2022, Cokethorpe’s Pavilion has ten large team changing rooms, showers and WCs. Wood panelling blends with the Parkland setting and a green roof enhances biodiversity.

The Impact of Your Gift

£10 per month could support our rewilding programme to increase biodiversity and create ‘living classrooms’ to teach about ecosystems and sustainability

£50 per month will help maintain a sports pitch for the year

£750 one-off gift could help maintain the historic Chapel for one-year

Area of Greatest Need

Strengthen our Co-Curricular Opportunities

The School maintains an unswerving commitment to ensuring each pupil achieves their maximum potential, both in their academic activity and in developing their individual hobbies and interests.

Our extensive co-curricular programme offers pupils a choice of over 160 activities throughout the year, including abseiling, art, basketball, beginners climbing, baking, coding, chamber music, choir, dance, and digital skills. The extensive programme ensures every pupil has the opportunity to shine and demonstrate the school values of integrity, courage, ambition, empathy, judgement, and responsibility.

Throughout the year local state schools join our co-curricular activities to enhance the experience for all pupils, both at Cokethorpe and in the wider community.

The Impact of Your Gift

£20 per month could enable Cokethorpe to host two school visits for neighbouring primary schools to take part in a Theatre Workshop, Science Fair or Sports Festival

£350 one-off-gift could fund new watersports equipment as part of the 160 co-curricular activities we offer pupils

Previously Funded Projects

Thanks to the collective gifts of OCs and parents the School has been able to undertake some special projects, including STEM activities, music workshops, establishment of a kitchen garden, the regeneration of the eco-habitat pond and the installation of all-weather cricket nets.

Gifts to the School funded our all-season cricket nets and the School now offers cricket as a main summer sport for boys and girls, as well as hosting external training events for local and regional clubs.

Supported by gifts of OCs and parents the School has developed its Garden Kitchen which provides a hands-on learning environment for pupils.

Why Give to Cokethorpe

Unlike many independent schools, Cokethorpe does not have an endowment fund or assets that have been accumulated over hundreds of years of history.

Furthermore, Cokethorpe aims to keep fees as low as possible to ensure the School remains accessible for local families; this means we have not built up a large reserve fund.

Therefore, the generosity of Old Cokethorpeans is essential if we are to achieve a step-change in how the School can operate.

The School is a registered charity and gifts may be eligible for Gift Aid and tax-relief (depending on your own circumstances).

A gift to the Area of Greatest Need will provide the School with the flexibility to use your funds to support priority projects.

How to Give

Online

To make a gift quickly and securely online gift please visit: cokethorpe.org/donate

Bank Transfer

Gifts can be made via bank transfer to the following account.

Cokethorpe School

Sort code: 60-24-60

Account number: 4291 8553

Please notify the School of any bank transfers by emailing development@cokethorpe.org

Cheque

Cheques should be made payable to ‘Cokethorpe School’ and posted to Development Office, Cokethorpe School, Witney, Oxon, OX29 7PU.

Please complete the enclosed Gift Form and send it together with your cheque.

Remembering the School in Your Will

To discuss remembering the School in your Will, or making a major gift to the School, please contact the Development Office on 01993 892332 | development@cokethorpe.org

Gift Aid

If you are a UK tax-payer the School can claim Gift Aid, adding 25% to the value of your gift. This means, for every £100 you donate the School will receive £125 at no additional cost to you. Please tick the Gift Aid box when making your donation.

"Over many years I have given money donations to Cokethorpe. Why? As I have seen the School grow, include girls and extend the age group from 4 to 18, it has made me aware that the opportunities to all the students constantly needs expanding, ensuring that they learn the life skills needed in the modern world. It goes without saying that the Queen Anne building, magnificent as it is, needs constant attention, but this building offers tranquillity where all can thrive; the grounds give freedom for sports expression and the curriculum opening up all avenues, which ensures that all students have every opportunity. I benefited by being at Cokethorpe, and I want others to have the same opportunity, and by donating, I believe I am playing my part."

Tony Baker OC Harcourt 1964 & Treasurer, Cokethorpe Society

Contact

To discuss the Cokethorpe Fund, remembering the School in your Will or supporting the School with a major gift, please contact the Development Office: 01993 892322 | development@cokethorpe.org

The Development & Alumni Office and Cokethorpe Society run social events for Old Cokethorpeans throughout the year. You can view the calendar and make bookings here

You can also connect to other OCs on Social Media: cokethorpesociety ckp_society cokethorpe-school