WORKING TOGETHER: finding, caring, and supporting bursary pupils

The success of the Marlborough Difference Campaign relies not just on philanthropy, but also on ensuring that we can recruit enough talented and motivated young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and that, once they are here, they are supported by our excellent pastoral care system. Taken together, this holistic strategy of funding, finding, and caring for our full bursary pupils will ensure that we are well-placed to reach our campaign goal of 100 pupils and that these pupils have the best possible support on their journey to Marlborough, at the College, and beyond.

Pastoral Care

Marlborough already has an exceptional system of pastoral care and there has been recent investment to develop this further, including new ‘Head of Boarding’ and ‘Director of Safeguarding’ roles. However, we know that pupils on full bursaries often require additional help and support. As a result, we are planning to introduce a new ‘Head of Bursary Welfare’, to oversee the pastoral care of all our full bursary pupils and to liaise with the families both before and during their time at the College.

Edward Nightingale, Deputy Head (Pastoral), said “Our aim is to create a ‘best in class’ pastoral system to ensure Marlborough is known to be an outstanding school when it comes to supporting its bursary pupils.” We are also pairing new bursary pupils with existing pupils who can provide advice.

Partnerships

We are committed to ensuring that motivated young people with potential can attend Marlborough, regardless of their financial means. However, for many of these young people, a Marlborough education is unlikely to be on their radar. To attract young people who will thrive here, James Lyon Taylor, Director of Admissions, is working to “build a network of partner schools and organisations around the country in order to reach our goal”.

One of our most important partners in this campaign is the Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation (RNCSF), the UK’s largest bursary charity. RNCSF have established partnerships with charities and Local Authorities in deprived areas across the UK to ensure that schools can target their transformational bursary schemes for young people who most need access to the opportunities these provide.

Locally we offer bursaries every year to a number of pupils from Swindon Academy, with whom we have had a long and successful partnership, and we work closely with a number of other primary and secondary schools through our flourishing outreach programme.

Ali Henderson, RNCSF’s Chief Executive, said “We are proud to partner with Marlborough College, who in recent years has been at the forefront of the independent school sector’s approach to widening access and playing a part in the social mobility landscape. Through our partnership to date, young people have been able to benefit from the transformational opportunities of fully funded bursary place at Marlborough College. I hope that, through this campaign, we will be able to work together to help shift the life chances of many more young people in the years ahead”.

Find out more about the RNCSF at www. royalspringboard.org.uk

Bursary Futures Volunteers

The Marlburian community has a strong history of supporting each other and the Marlburian Club has received many offers from Old Marlburians, as has the Guidance department from parents. Pupils benefit from OMs and parents coming back to College to give careers talks which can help to inspire them and could guide them to take a path previously unthought of.

Bursary pupils may require a little bit more support. Many won’t be used to having a network such as the one the Marlburian Club offers, and their needs will be different. We are therefore asking the Marlburian community to become a Bursary Futures Volunteer and help bursary recipients during their time at the College and as Old Marlburians.

Bursary Futures Volunteers can give their time in a number of different ways: www.marlboroughdifference.org

• Help bursary recipients understand their career choices and provide practical experience.

• Provide information on what it is like to study at your university or work at your organisation.

• Provide internships or work experience for current or former bursary recipients.

• Become a mentor to them at different stages of their life.

We know Old Marlburians are very keen to get involved and we are grateful to those who have already offered their time. We also offer this level of support to non-bursary recipients, too, and we keep details of all offers received for when the right pupil requires help.

Please be aware that working with current pupils is complex and we take the safety of our pupils seriously. As such, the College follows national safeguarding guidelines which requires all volunteering contact between pupils and volunteers to be monitored and/or for volunteers to have undergone DBS checks.

Become a volunteer who can help a bursary pupil adapt to life at Marlborough, or help ensure the brightest possible futures for our bursary pupils by offering career advice, work placements, or internships.

A loving home, but no funds for lessons. A scholarship earned. Teachers and classmates who inspire. The chance to grow, to excel. National awards. A talent that couldn’t be lost. A passion that won’t be stopped. This is the difference Marlborough makes.

By supporting The Marlborough Difference campaign for life-changing bursaries, you enable motivated and talented young people like Poppy to achieve their full potential and enrich the education of every pupil at the College.