W I D E N I N G A C C E S S AT W H I T G I F T S C H O O L
Foreword Those of us who have benefitted from an
poorest areas of London represents a genuine
education at Whitgift have relied for far
opportunity to make a significant impact.
too long on the philanthropic initiative of one man. It is now 425 years since John
Finally, it will work with the School to change
Whitgift founded the school to provide
culture when it encourages boys to take part
for the ‘poorer sorte’ in the area. In
in the outreach programme. The message
those four centuries, there has been no
to boys will be that a Whitgift education
diminution in the importance of education
imposes a lasting social obligation.
for the individual and society. So, it is high time that the alumni of Whitgift School
Initially we are looking to raise £5m for
step in to reinforce the charitable efforts
Whitgift For All. Longer term, I am confident
of our founder.
that the wider Whitgift community will build a fund big enough to ensure that Whitgift
Working closely with the School and the
School makes a major social impact over its
John Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift For All
next four centuries.
has developed a three-fold strategy. Lord Freud (OW 1961–68) Firstly, it plans to build a financial war chest to fund bursaries at Whitgift for bright children whose parents lack the means to pay the fees. This fund will be designed to provide such bursaries in perpetuity – alongside those of the Foundation. Secondly, it will support the School’s new outreach programme, which aims to raise the general educational standards of the area, at both primary and secondary level. Whitgift School’s location alongside some of the
Chair of Whitgift For All
About Transforming lives is the underlying
With your support, we are aiming initially
theme of our new Whitgift For All bursary
to raise £5 million for the School’s bursary
programme. We rely on our boys – and the
scheme, which should be enough to provide
world relies on the alumni they become
110% bursaries for about seven talented
to be leaders in the community and to
boys in perpetuity. These bursaries benefit
be a force for social good. John Whitgift
our whole School community by enhancing
founded the School for the ‘poorer
academic and wider curricular standards
sorte’ in the community, and through the
and continuing to make us a more socially
significant work of our former pupils, staff
cohesive community. Bursaries also
and friends contributing to this legacy, we
reinforce the aspirational and inclusive
will work to ensure that Whitgift becomes
nature of our School. Boys can see success
a school for all.
as a product of their own ability and hard work, rather than where they come from.
Whitgift currently supports more than 170 boys through a means-tested bursary.
Every OW has benefitted from the
While these bursaries financed by the
generosity of John Whitgift and his foresight
John Whitgift Foundation are a formidable
over 400 years ago, but we now need to
contribution, we can do more for our local
build on this legacy to benefit not only
community. We need additional funding to
the School, but also the wider Croydon
reinforce this support, particularly given the
community.
economic uncertainty we are now facing. We are determined to continue to offer open access to deserving boys from all social and financial backgrounds.
www.whitgift.co.uk/support-us
“
Whitgift is a generous and inclusive environment. I was the first child in my family to go to a private school. I was also the first to go to university and as a result Whitgift remains a very special place for me to this day. I feel privileged to have been here. I believe that the charitable foundation at Whitgift is at the heart of the values of the School. The generous and inclusive environment of the school is shown by the fact Whitgift is dedicated to community schooling and has a true commitment to widening access through the bursary programme. I think this commitment will be critically important in the years to come as it will allow Whitgiftians to develop that generosity of spirit in this ever-changing world. I am very proud to be an Old Whitgiftian. Tim Davie (OW 1980–85) BBC Director General
Why Whitgift for All? Improving social mobility is a key aim of
By contrast, Whitgift is consistently one of
Whitgift For All. Our location in South
the top schools in the country for GCSE,
Croydon puts us alongside one of the
A Level, IB and BTEC results. While this is
poorest performing areas of London
excellent news for the School, when we look
in educational terms. This gives us the
at our local community, only 1 in 14 students
opportunity to make a real and significant
in Croydon achieves AAB at A Level. Across
impact on the local community.
London, 1 in 7 will achieve this result, and it rises to 1 in 6 when looking at results across
According to the 2021 UTLA Report
the whole of England.
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.
www.whitgift.co.uk/support-us
Statistics: Croydon Observatory, 2021. UTLA Report – Children & Young People. [online] Available at: https:// www.croydonobservatory.org/children-and-youngpeople/.
“
Receiving a bursary to attend Whitgift enriched my life in every way. It enabled me to pursue avenues and opportunities previously unknown to me. I am forever grateful for my experience and the confidence it has given me to embrace my future. Myles Xavier (OW 2016–20)
Community Impact Bursaries are only one of the ways
Community Summer School
Whitgift can support the community.
Whitgift’s response to the Covid pandemic
Whitgift For All also aims to help the
was to found the Community Summer
school boost educational attainment
School in 2020. Initially this was targeted
within Croydon and beyond. At the same
at local Year 5 pupils, selected by their
time, we aspire to create a culture in which
primary schools as being most affected
Whitgift boys are an integral part of the
academically by the lockdown. Under this
School’s outreach programme and take an
initiative, 200 children attended one of two
active role in it.
week-long Summer Schools in which they received academic lessons in the morning
Supporting Primary Schools
and engaged in co-curricular activities each
For the last 20 years Whitgift has welcomed
afternoon, enabling the students both to
local primary school children to spend
catch-up academically and also to improve
a week at the school, where they are
their confidence in the classroom.
immersed in a transformational suite of lessons. Whitgift Sixth Form pupils act
Whitgift plans to expand the Summer School
as assistants in the classroom to support
initiative dramatically in the years to come,
the youngsters in their learning. Already
to offer support for secondary as well as
this Primary School Project has grown to
more primary pupils. It will work with the
encompass more than 1,000 pupils from
local schools to make sure that support is
35 partner schools. Our ambition is to drive
targeted to have the greatest impact.
the numbers still higher and to deepen our involvement in the development of these young minds.
www.whitgift.co.uk/support-us
Whitgift Saturday Masterclasses The Saturday Masterclass programme was launched in the Michaelmas Term 2021. More than 40 local primary school pupils attended the morning masterclasses in English, Maths and Science. Pupils were selected by their headteachers as those with academic potential who didn’t have access to additional support and were often from disadvantaged backgrounds. Whitgift teachers have been delivering highquality lessons across 6 weeks designed to challenge pupils and develop their problemsolving skills. Whitgift Sixth Form pupils have also been supporting and teaching some of the lessons. Whitgift plans to maintain and develop the Masterclass initiative, increasing the number of primary school pupils and opening the opportunity to secondary pupils at critical
Student Volunteering
points in their education.
Whitgift Sixth Form students have recently begun to visit local primary schools to support pupils in their own classrooms, which has been of great twoway benefit. Initial numbers were small, but the curriculum is now being adjusted to allow time for our students to engage meaningfully with the community beyond the Whitgift gates. The School’s intention is to increase the number of pupil participants substantially as the programme gains momentum.
Recognising Your Support Whitgift Bursary campaign development – stage 2.1
Legacy Giving
Whitgift Bursary campaign development – stage 2.1
Whitgift For All is looking for a
Founder’s Circle
step-change in its financial relationship
The foresight shown by legacy donors
with its alumni. Like many independent
has been transformative for Whitgift and
schools and university colleges we are
without a legacy, the School could not have
Legacy Giving
looking for substantial sums to make the
come into being in the first place. Today we
difference that we aspire to.
remember and celebrate
Information
benefactors of the past, John Whitgift Benefactors
but we are also focused on
Named after the School’s
Whitgift’s future. If you do
founder, this is a society to
include the School in your
recognise donors who make a Information
Will, please let us know.
significant donation of £15,960.
Any information you give us will be treated
Our John Whitgift Benefactors
in strict confidence and does not involve
will be listed on our Benefactors Board
you in any binding commitment.
in School and will be invited to attend an annual lunch with the Headmaster, as well
We will recognise your generosity by
as our annual donors’ garden party.
inviting you to membership of the Founder’s Circle. The Circle is exclusively for legacy
1596 Society
donors, who receive an annual invitation
Named for the year of the founding of the
from the Headmaster to attend a special
School, this is a way to recognise donors
lunch. Members are also listed in the
who make a donation of £1,596 or more
Annual List of Donors unless they prefer
in a one-year period. Donors in the 1596
to remain anonymous.
Society will be invited to a special donors’ event in School each year to hear about the impact their generosity has had upon our students, as well as being recognised in a special section of the Annual List of Donors.
www.whitgift.co.uk/support-us
To speak further about donating or leaving a gift to the School, please contact alumni@whitgift.co.uk
Whitgift School Haling Park South Croydon London CR2 6YT United Kingdom www.whitgift.co.uk/support-us
Registered Charity Number: 312612-1