An independent school in Kent is offering fully funded bursaries to the children of healthcare workers, in recognition of the service rendered by these frontline staff during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Reigate Grammar School (RGS) will make 10 scholar places available from next year, with 100% of the tuition fees covered from the school’s RGS Foundation bursary funds.
The bursaries will be offered to the children of NHS healthcare workers and care home employees, including nurses, paramedics, porters and cleaners. This scheme is the first of its kind at a fee-paying school in the UK.
Headmaster Shaun Fenton, who is also HMC vice chair, said: “Our school and its global community recognise the outstanding contribution the NHS key workers make to the health and wellbeing of the British people, particularly at this time of national crisis.
“We are in awe of their commitment, passion and bravery as they protect and care for us all from their pivotal position on the front line.”
The school is also launching a new fund to “discover and develop” the NHS medics of the future. The school offers several disadvantaged young people sixth-form bursary places a year, but wants to expand this current offering with a scheme especially for young people with a passion to work for the NHS.
Since it was launched in 2014, the school’s Changing Lives campaign has raised over £6m to fund bursary places for children whose parents may not be able to afford to fee-paying education. To date, the scheme has funded 44 scholars.
Mr Fenton said: “The coronavirus pandemic crisis has reminded us that there are a whole host of professionals who keep hospitals and the wider health community running. These are the parents who we hope will be inspired to apply for a place for their child on our NHS Scholars programme.”
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