MOMENT OF HISTORY: OLIVER GOODALL
‘ Winchester has made me more considerate of others and more accepting of the differences between people. It’ s also taught me to be more challenging about things, questioning why things are the way that they are. And I’ ve definitely made friends for life.’
For Oliver Goodall, arriving at Winchester College in Sixth Book was quite a shock. Moving from a mixed, state day school to a boys-only boarding school, he was bemused by the linguistic idiosyncrasies(‘ toytime’ for homework,‘ Cloister Time’ for Summer Term), daunted by the scale of the historic buildings, and astonished at the constant access to adult conversation.
Speaking now from his new ivory tower off a stairwell at Lincoln College, Oxford, he explains:‘ I didn’ t even consider looking at schools like Winchester, because I thought I wouldn’ t be able to go there. But the school’ s bursary system made it possible. The system is different from that in most other places, because you get into the school based on your academics, and then work out the bursary. That’ s a very positive thing, because it allows people from loads of different backgrounds to go to the school as long as, academically, they can fit.’
He came to Winchester via a chance conversation between his father, a Building Manager, and the former Warden of Winchester College, Sir David Clementi. His father was working on a house for Sir David. As the two chatted, it became clear that the building manager had a very gifted son. Sir David arranged a visit to the school.
So it was that Oliver found himself looking round and coming to one simple conclusion:‘ I loved it.’ He passed the entrance exams and won a bursary, one of the 118 to receive fee remission out of 695 at the school.‘ I never got the feeling that any of the boys even knew that I had a bursary, let alone treated me differently for it,’ he says.
Oliver’ s story is an inspiration. There are more formal ways to get to Winchester on a bursary. But Oliver came through a chance conversation. His story raises some difficult questions with which the school is currently grappling: just how does it ensure that information about the bursary scheme actually reaches everyone it could benefit?
To Oliver it made all the difference:‘ My background is working class, so this wasn’ t a typical path you’ d expect for someone like me. But it’ s important because of the diversity it brings to the College.’ Oliver was astonished by this diversity, not only of background,
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