FOUNDATION: BURSARY APPEAL

Every year up to 80% of our pupils receive financial support to enable them to attend the school. Through our bursary funding we try to support those wishing to study music and mathematics as specialists, choristers, aspiring athletes and academic all-rounders.

Music – As one of only four specialist music schools in England, we are part of the Government’s Music and Dance Scheme. This means we receive 78 means-tested funded places. This enables us to bring to Wells gifted children from across the country – and increasingly the world – whose family circumstances would put a place at Wells beyond reach. However, competition for these limited places is intense and without additional bursary funding we risk turning away exceptionally talented musicians.

Maths – Our Specialist Mathematicians’ Scheme, is a pioneering programme that provides for the special needs of gifted young mathematicians and is already over-subscribed.

Sports – As part of the school’s curriculum, sport plays an integral role in the students’ lives and many of our pupils compete at county and national levels. It develops key skills in teamwork, negotiation and leadership – values that are central to the school’s ethos and benefit the wider community. We want to continue to offer bursary awards to enable skilled sports students the chance to benefit from our rich sports programme and new leadership courses at the school.

We are fortunate to receive financial donations from a number of key individuals and small trusts who already support our bursary scheme. In Hong Kong, where we have a sister charity, The Wells Music Society of Hong Kong, trustees work tirelessly raising funds for a Hong Kong Scholarship Scheme. This enables children with musical talent to benefit from an education in our music faculty which otherwise their families would never be able to afford.

Music Bursaries – Every year our talented specialist musicians act as ambassadors across the world, showcasing the breadth of musical activity and diversity that the school has to offer. So many of our musicians receive awards to study with us and their own backgrounds and financial circumstances simply do not extend to ‘extras’. The provision of additional funding through our Music Travel Bursaries allows gifted children, as advocates of Wells, to experience a world of difference across the globe.