Fully funded bursary placements for children from disadvantaged circumstances

Mill Hill provides fully funded bursary places in boarding for children from disadvantaged circumstances. The School is has received accreditation through the Royal Children's SpringBoard Foundation, a kite mark standard for excellence in pastoral care, working with the organisation, and grass roots partners to place pupils in the School who would benefit from the boarding and educational experience at Mill Hill. Mill Hill welcomed its first two SpringBoard bursary award holders into the Lower Sixth in September 2016 and will welcome its third award holder in September 2019.

Aims

Schools led initiative to bring together state and independent boarding communities; offer life changing opportunities to genuinely deserving pupils who are drawn from the most disadvantaged groups; offer pastoral care of the highest calibre to SpringBoard pupils (in term time and through the holidays).

Background

The SpringBoard Bursary Foundation set up the initiative in 2013, with 25 pupils starting at 10 schools. By 2015, 123 pupils had been placed by SpringBoard with a further 38 schools engaged, including Mill Hill. The first Mill Hill pupils, both from Tottenham, joined the School in September 2016. In 2018, the SpringBoard Bursary Foundation merged with the Royal National Children's Foundation to form the Royal National Children's SpringBoard Foundation. The new partnership further broadens the opportunities for  disadvantaged children, offering genuinely transformational experiences. 

Resources

Full boarding bursary plus additional expenses covered to support SpringBoard pupils e.g. essential curricular trips, uniform and other resources. 

Impact

Both girls finished their Sixth Form studies, one of them going onto a Gap year and the other onto the University of East Anglia to study Pharmacology. One of the pupils was made the head of their House, a senior position of leadership, whilst the other took on a leadership role in House. Both girls took part in a life changing trip to India to teach English to pupils in a partner school out there. Such opportunities were priceless and gave the girls the opportunity to give back to others. The depth of their understanding for the situation of others was evident throughout the planning phase, and on the trip, and benefitted their fellow pupils, whose range of experience was more limited.   

Pupil Involvement

Two Sixth Form girls have benefitted from a SpringBoard bursary award. One Sixth Form girl will join the School in September 2019.

Frequency

Biannual, as a minimum.