AKS Foundation Brochure

Create a legacy

T

Sarah

to change their world

A MESSAGE from the Headmaster and Chairman of the AKS Lytham Foundation

A community is the sum of the stories it tells. And, what is important, is that the stories continue to be written, that the chapters unfurl but that there is always more to come.

Through a combined three centuries at our heritage schools, we have had more stories than most, and these are increasingly set in the context of an ever more challenging world. Across the Fylde coast, throughout Lancashire and beyond, individuals and families are facing the realities of a difficult economic situation, exacerbated by the lingering effects of COVID and spiralling household costs.

The strapline of our school is ‘Change your world’: our hope is that our students will leave us with the ability and inclination to change their worlds for themselves and others. Our heritage schools shared a fundamental moral purpose of providing educational opportunities for children in the area, combining academic rigour and character education with a spirit of service within their communities and beyond, a core thread that runs through the school as it is now.

With our Bursary Appeal, we wish to focus support on those individuals across our community, continuing the mission of the heritage schools in making a real, sustained and tangible difference for young people. There are many individuals who would benefit from the exciting, globally-minded education we seek to offer, whose presence would enormously enrich the school community. It is a full circle back to the core purpose of our schools, and of education itself.

We are thrilled to invite you to join us in penning this exciting, latest chapter and, through supporting our Foundation, to help set the scene for the stories ahead.

David Harrow, Headmaster

Chris Dickson, Chairman of the AKS Lytham Foundation

Our Vision...

to create a legacy enabling young people to change their world through AKS Lytham

OUR HERITAGE

The history of AKS Lytham spans around 300 years across the three heritage schools: Arnold School, King Edward VII School and Queen Mary School. Over the period 1999 to 2004, King Edward and Queen Mary schools merged to form KEQMS. AKS was then formed in 2012 from a merger of KEQMS and Arnold School in Blackpool.

Our heritage schools shared a fundamental moral purpose of providing educational opportunities for children in the area and many benefited from the Direct Grant Scheme and Assisted Places Scheme with a free place at our fee-paying schools.

The reason behind establishing the Foundation has been through the long-held belief that in an ideal world, the opportunities that an AKS Lytham education offers would be available to any bright young person, regardless of their family’s circumstances.

Unlike many schools that benefit from an endowment to start a Foundation, we are building an entirely new fund to achieve this vision and so in setting out our vision we are inviting friends, parents, grandparents and alumni to join together to ensure that AKS Lytham fulfils its higher moral purpose to society and to those who will follow.

OUR MISSION

AKS Lytham has always worked hard to help those without the financial means to access an education at the school and we currently provide some bursarial support to a number of pupils. However, we know that the greatest impact would be to move the financial barriers entirely for those local families who have talented children but do not have the financial means.

Our mission is to provide an exceptional and rounded education to those who might benefit from it, regardless of their financial means.

We are particularly keen to seek out talented children where accessing an education at AKS could not be imagined but the opportunity to do so would be life changing.

OUR PATRONS

“We have a long-held connection to the heritage schools at AKS and we recognise the opportunities that an education at AKS Lytham offers to its students today. We are delighted to act as Patrons and look forward to working with the Foundation to raise awareness and funds for this charity to provide life changing opportunities for young people across Lancashire”

Sir Bill and Lady Beaumont

Sir Bill Beaumont Rugby Legend

Former Governor of Arnold School

Lady Hilary Beaumont QMS Alumna

Bill Gillen Headmaster of Arnold School 1993 – 2003

John (pictured) and Duncan Armfield

Arnold Alumni and sons of the late Jimmy Armfield CBE

Jason Langley Actor KES Alumnus

Richard Frediani TV Journalist and Leader KES Alumnus

Tom Pemberton

“Having spent the whole of my working life teaching in schools, including almost twenty years as an HMC Headmaster, I feel honoured and privileged to be a Patron of the AKS Lytham Foundation and recommend the unique education it offers”

Bill Gillen

Sara Hanks

Corporate and Securities

Attorney & Business Founder

QMS Alumna

“The Armfield family has enjoyed a long, happy and fruitful relationship with the school. Three generations of the family have been educated at the school. We wholeheartedly support the way it moulds students through academic, cultural and sporting endeavours, preparing them fully for life in the 21st century. We feel honoured to be asked to be Patrons of this charity which will work to maximise the opportunities through an AKS education for families from all social and economic backgrounds”

John and Duncan Armfield

sharing our vision

Farmer, Author and Social Media Influencer KEQMS Alumnus

Professor Cherry Wainwright Research Professor QMS Alumna

Stephanie Burras CBE Business Leader QMS Alumna

THE DIFFERENCE

a bursary can make

Zakiah Kulkhan Albaythani, Arnold School (2010-2012), AKS

(2012-2019)

“I was given the maximum bursary during my time at AKS Sixth Form. My father worked on a contractual basis and could no longer pay for my time at AKS, previously it had been a struggle but it became unachievable towards the end of my GCSEs. Even with the maximum bursary the cap was 85% and so my parents loaned the remainder from a family friend. I am a second-generation Iraqi immigrant; education was incredibly vital in my household: my parents often said they prioritised my education because “education is the way out”.

During my time at AKS, I lived in Blackpool and commuted an hour in on a Blackpool transport bus (until gratefully, a friend of mine passed her driving test and so I could carpool into Sixth Form). AKS really enabled me to achieve my ambitions. It was Mr Maund who suggested a law course to me, Mr Sobey who got me a legal placement from the parent of an Old Arnoldian, at Cobain’s Solicitors and Mr Lucking, an alumna and parent of an alumna, who got me my Napthen’s legal placement.

When I had dropped a grade during A levels due to personal issues, it was Mr Bridges’ support that allowed me to achieve 100% on one of my A level English Literature papers. This went on to allow me access onto an alternative course. From there I made it to a Russell Group University reading Politics and Philosophy, achieved a 2:1 average and successfully transferred onto a law course.

I am in my final semester of my final year, with a first average on my chosen Law with Criminology Degree. It has been a hard path, but I could not have achieved this without the support of my bursary, my teachers or the alumni network. If I hadn’t gone down this chosen path, I doubt I would have got a law degree, moved to Manchester or developed the skillset I now have.”

“I cannot find the words to express the amazing generosity for the way you have funded my grandchild’s education by enabling them to attend such an outstanding school. I remember the day we received the bursary which was life-changing for not only my grandchild but for the whole family. The teachers not only give my grandchild the tools to learn how to learn but also how to deal with events and daily life and for life after school. My grandchild adores AKS, their confidence is growing and they have a lovely circle of friends. They are beginning to believe they will achieve their ambitions. I do sincerely believe you are helping to better my grandchild’s life and ultimately become a productive and conscientious member of society.”

Grandparent of a current Senior School student receiving bursary support

Ciaran Nelson, Director of Brand and Communications, Anglian Water Group

“There’s little doubt much of what I’ve accomplished over the last three decades can be traced back to the head start I got joining King Edward VII in 1989 at 12 years of age. Those formative years did so much to shape my understanding of my place in the world, and to give me confidence to take on any challenge, no matter how alien it felt.

And it’s inescapably true I wouldn’t have benefitted from those years without the financial support of a bursary. I never realised how beneficial it was at the time, but my gratitude looking back is enormous.

A bursary isn’t a substitute for hard work and determination but it’s a helping hand you can’t put a value on until later in life. Now it’s my turn to pay back some of that opportunity, in the hope it inspires others to nurture talent wherever it can be found.”

changing lives

YOUR OPPORTUNITY

to transform a young person’s life

Our ambition is to be able to offer fully-funded inclusive bursaries so that we can remove the financial barriers entirely for those local families who have talented children but do not have the financial means. Therefore, unlike existing bursarial support at the school, these new bursaries cover tuition and associated costs, e.g. uniform, curriculum trips and lunches. Importantly, all bursaries will be means-tested to ensure they reach those who need them most.

A fully-funded student on an AKS Lytham Foundation Bursary would cost c.£115,500* from Senior School to Sixth Form.

A fully-funded Sixth Form student on an AKS Lytham Foundation Bursary would cost c.£33,000*

*The quoted price above has been calculated on the 2023-24 fee structure and could be subject to future change in accordance with inflation and other mitigating factors.

Change their world

with a single gift, regular giving

55 donors giving £20 a month, with Gift Aid, for 7 years will transform the prospects of 1 new bursary student*.

100 donors giving £110 a month, with Gift Aid, for 7 years will transform the prospects of 10 new bursary students*.

4 donors giving £275 a month, with Gift Aid, for 7 years will cover all costs for 1 new bursary student*.

or a legacy gift

Leaving a legacy gift to the AKS Lytham Foundation in your Will is one of the most powerful and lasting gifts that can be made.

Please talk to our Director of Development for more information.

*For illustrative purposes only, all donations are welcome and will make a difference

RECOGNITION

Donor Recognition Wall

Donors of £50,000 or more may, if they wish, have their name inscribed on a recognition wall in the entrance to the Senior School*.

Benefactors' Book

All donors of £2,000 or more will be entered into our Benefactors' Book* displayed in our school foyer.

Our Founding Donors

Our first 50 founding donors who donate £2,000 or more will receive a limited edition pin badge.

All donors

Unless anonymity is requested, all donors will be published in the Foundation’s annual impact report.

*Values can be created on a cumulative basis

OUR LONG-TERM AMBITIONS

Our first ambition is to support students directly through the Bursary Appeal. However, we understand that some donors may wish to invest in the future of the AKS site. We have exciting plans which include:

Collaboration zone and classroom fit-out

A hi-tech collaboration space will support students to work together, not only within the school, but also across the globe in our international collaborations and virtual seminars with subject matter experts.

AKS Theatre

A 500-seat theatre could be located between the Performing Arts Department and the Pavilion, on a site which previously housed a MUGA. The theatre would seat a greater number than the OAKS Hall (300) and enable more high-calibre productions and performances to take place on-site as well as large gatherings such as speech day.

COLLABORATION ZONE

AKS THEATRE

MUGA

A second MUGA, located next to the Astro pitches on the current site of the long jump pits would provide a high-quality, flexible space for netball, football and tennis.

Prep School extension

Additional space will be created for our specialist teachers by adding a two-storey learning pod to our Prep School classrooms.

building for the future

PREP SCHOOL EXTENSION

MUGA

TAX EFFICIENT GIVING

The AKS Lytham Foundation is a registered charity (number 1191646) and benefits from Gift Aid on donations made by UK taxpayers. Gift Aid enables charities to receive additional funds on your donation, directly from HMRC.

For example, on a donation of £2,000, we claim £500 in Gift Aid, making the value of your total gift £2,500 to the school.

If you pay tax at a higher rate, you can claim back the difference between higher rates of tax (40% or 45%) and the basic rate (20%) on the total value of your donation.

For example, if you pay 40%, a donation of £2,000 allows you to claim £500 back, so the donation costs you only £1,500 net, but the School will receive £2,500.

Donors can get tax relief on gifts to charity of certain listed shares, securities and other investments. You can get income tax relief, in addition to capital gains tax relief on gifts of assets to charity. The tax relief applies if you give, or sell at less than market value, any qualifying investments to a UK charity.

An unlimited amount can be given to charity via payroll giving. It costs you less to give because your donation is given to charity from your gross salary before any tax is taken off – so you don’t pay tax on it.

American taxpayers can donate and options are available along with our other international supporters too.