Because of you...

 

Prior Park College alumni are currently supporting nine  students with transformational bursaries. This diverse group includes students from the four corners of Europe as well as the UK and three of whom are now reaching the ends of their Prior Park journeys.

The leavers include a young woman who arrived only a little over a year ago and who, in that time, has immersed herself in life at the school whether in the boarding house, in her passion for all things chemistry – which she hopes to read at university – or vastly improving her mastery of the English language. Another bursary student has been enabled to capitalise on his love of sport where, not only does he captain the school U18 Hockey team, but shortly before Christmas he was selected to play for England in test matches in the first half of this year. He was also, after just a year at the school, the unanimous choice of his peers for Head of House. This is quite a feat for a ‘new boy’.

You will remember reading about Luca in the last e-newsletter and the inspiring story of his triumph over an extraordinarily rare medical condition which, despite multiple bouts of major surgery during his short life, has in no way dimmed his enthusiasm for life, learning and, indeed, sport. The school was delighted to be able to offer him a bursary when the weight of medical expenses meant that he may have had to leave.

There is a girl whose eastern European parents could not have dreamed of the opportunities a Prior Park education offers, and whose musicianship is such that she performed for Alumni at last year’s Mansion Lunch and then opened the 2019 Carol Service which was live streamed via Bath Hospital Radio. The last of the leavers is a boy who, alongside his studies, volunteers for vast range of causes and activities, from being behind the scenes in the theatre to front of alter as Chief Server in Mass in Our Lady of the Snows Chapel.

At the junior end of the school we are delighted to say, that for the first time one of our past pupils has taken on the entire financial support of a local Somerset student starting at the very beginning of his secondary education in Lower Three. Arriving highly recommended from a state primary school, the pupil is performing very well in all core subjects and has a special talent in Design and Technology. This was not unexpected. However, what is most pleasing is the exceptional progress made in Latin and Mandarin; subjects not normally offered outside of the independent sector.

Finally, and thanks to the generosity of an alumnus based in America, we have an exceptional young tennis player who came to us from Prior Park Cricklade, a journey to the College that many of you will have shared. With exemplary time management she combines studying hard with intensive tennis training whilst also enjoying the camaraderie of her friends in the House.

We look forward to sharing further details of these students’ journeys in our Summer e-newsletter.

It is only through the generosity of alumni and friends that these talented students can experience the all-round education that Prior Park College delivers and we are grateful to every one of our supporters. It is also worth noting that two of the current bursary students are funded collectively, rather than through individual support. This highlights how every gift, no matter the size and especially if regular, becomes significant in value.

If you would like to find out more about our bursary programme, please contact Declan Rainey, the Director of Development: drainey@priorparkschools.com