Rugby School has launched a new bursary campaign with the aim of raising £50m by 2030 to increase the number of bursary places it offers.
The Fast Forward 50 campaign celebrates the 18th birthday of the Arnold Foundation, which works with organisations and schools to identify children who would benefit from a boarding place at Rugby School.
There are currently 27 Foundation students at Rugby; Fast Forward 50 aims to increase that number to 40.
The Foundation is the first of its kind to offer fully funded boarding places at an independent school and has provided a Rugby education for 145 people. The model has been adopted by the Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation.
“Rugby is an independent school but it is not a school of entitlement. It is a privilege to come here, and we want many more clever, talented children to do so,” said Peter Green, executive head master of Rugby School Group.
Rugby is an independent school but it is not a school of entitlement – Peter Green, Rugby School Group
“Children with determination and potential, from circumstances that would normally prohibit entry to an independent school. To give them the chance, and the support, to enjoy working hard, to try all the activities a boarding school offers, to extend their horizons and discover the direction they want to take in their lives.
“The Arnold Foundation is generously funded by donors across the world who support the programme’s philosophy that ‘where you come from is not the point; where you are going is’.
“I am grateful to those donors, and also to Patrick Derham, my predecessor, for establishing the programme. It was a revolutionary step to take and is now an integral part of the ethos of the school.”
Find out more about the Arnold Foundation and the people who have benefitted from it