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 ,
29