o-educational independent boarding school located in Buckinghamshire has announced it’s creating a new £100 million bursary fund for an initial 100 poor but talented pupils to be given an entirely free education.

Poor but talented pupils

To facilitate this, however, they require a steady in-flow of suitable prospective pupils, which is where football scouts might be able to assist.

Stowe’s headmaster Dr Anthony Wallersteiner has said he wants the school to do its utmost to identify children who have ability but have been denied the opportunity to shine academically, and has therefore linked-up with Liverpool football club’s talent scouts to help school find talented children.

It’s hoped that the network of talent scouts Liverpool football club have will mean they’re best placed to identify propspective applicatants for the bursary funds.

Liverpool FC talent scouts

The club are planning to provide Dr Wallersteiner and his staff full access to the scouting team and their skills and knowledge to help the quest for academic stars of the future.

It’s quite possible that some pupils may also show sporting prowess too.

The scouts will show Stowe’s teachers how and where to look for children with promise in some of the country’s most deprived inner-city areas. Those children who are selected for the 100 per cent bursary scheme will be funded until the end of their education at the school.

Those students who are successful in their application stand to receive a £35,000 a year education at Stowe School for free.

The money is being raised through donations from former pupils and friends of the school.

Strong history of bursary support

Stowe already has a wide selection of scholarship and bursaries available to pupils, one of the most well know ones being The Peter Beckwith Scholarship.

Peter Beckwith was a pupil who won a place to Stowe in the 1950’s and went on to make a successful career, so successful that he has provided a bursary to enable two boys to attend Stowe for free each year.

Alternative entrance tests

It’s proposed that pupils from lower-income families will be selected after being interviewed and taking aptitude tests, rather than formal rigorous entrance examinations.

For a child joining the school in his or her first year aged 13 and staying for five years until the end of the sixth form, the total cost at current fees would be £175,000.

The school was founded in 1923 and is housed in an imposing Grade I-listed building that was once the country seat of the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos.

Former pupils include David Niven and Richard Branson, composer Howard Goodall and Prince Harry’s former girlfriends Chelsy Davy and Cressida Bonas.

‘For too long people have talked about the segregation between private and state schools and we want to create an integrated system of education which fosters, encourages and promotes talent from all sectors of society.

‘We also currently have about ten 100 per cent fee-supported pupils in the school, so we are looking to scale up the accessibility of private education so that we remain relevant in the national education conversation.’

Dr Wallersteiner Headmaster, Stowe School

Stowe is planning recruit a further 400 pupils on a full bursary in the years ahead and is talking to other leading public schools to encourage them to offer similar schemes.

Comment

• Have you, or your children received a bursary?
• If so, how did you (or your child) feel in the school?
• Have you ever applied for a bursary but discovered that the amount offered meant you were not able to take up the place?

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