THE WYKEHAM JOURNAL 2021
BURSAR ’ S REPORT
PARESH THAKRAR
Life at Winchester over the last 12 months has certainly been colourful , amidst the ‘ will they / won ’ t they ’ of lockdowns , exams and red lists . Yet , for every moment of uncertainty , there have been moments of great clarity around what Winchester is for , what it does best and how it does it . For me personally those moments included hearing from mountaineer Stephen Venables ; budding entrepreneurs pitching Dragonsden style with Makyth Ventures ; aspiring Spielbergs in the JP sixty-second film competition ; a pupil-led 24-hour music festival ; and the inspirational General Sir Nick Carter ( H , 1972-76 ) captivating a packed Chamber Court for Ad Portas .
Clarity also came in the form of the school ’ s new Vision , announced in February . Promoting greater access to the College is a critical element of this , with the Bursary Programme an important component . In 2020 / 21 the Programme supported 121 students with a total fee remission of £ 3.11m or 11 % of gross fee income . The slight reduction versus last year was driven by fee rebates due to COVID . The College continues to strike the balance between transformational bursaries (> 80 %) and smaller awards , where only limited support is required to enable candidates to join the school . Almost half of those in receipt of a bursary needed significant support , without which they would not have been able to attend Winchester . The quality of recipients continues to be outstanding and , once here , they pursue their interests relentlessly , making the most of every opportunity .
To develop our ambitions further , this year also saw the launch of The Wykeham Award , offered specifically for highachieving state-school pupils wishing to join Sixth Book as either boarders or day pupils . We look forward to celebrating the recipients of the Award in the years to come . The Partnerships programme also continued apace . New and exciting exchanges with UTC Portsmouth , Park Community School and The Bridge Education Centre bring benefits to all parties . Collaboration with Hampshire County Cricket Club blossoms , with a regular stream of highquality cricketers of all ages across our grounds , opportunities for our own talent , and improvements in facilities , ground and wickets the notable benefits . The Friends , too , continue to be supported by increasing numbers , offering an eclectic menu of events , from encounters with Cold War spies to a discussion of the College ’ s copy of Shakespeare ’ s First Folio .
Frequent visitors to the school site will also have seen major changes to the skyline as the Kingsgate Park project emerges from the ground . Progress has been more rapid with the lifting of restrictions , although the grand opening , with a date of early 2023 , will understandably be later than anticipated . The core of the school
13