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Make a Gift

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We know that talent is spread evenly throughout society, while opportunity is not. Working with our partner organisation Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation (RNCSF), the Gift of Education programme exists to offer the life-changing opportunities of a fully funded Leysian education to pupils from disadvantaged or vulnerable backgrounds.

During 2021 the School received just over £1.17million for the Gift of Education from three remarkable legacy gifts. When combined with funds already raised, the outstanding generosity of these far-sighted Old Leysians means that from September 2022 we have been able to significantly increase the number of fully funded bursary places available at The Leys.

We have planned a nine year programme to support sixteen pupils in total, some attending for the Sixth Form only, and others from year 7 and year 9 through to the Upper Sixth. Five pupils have been included to date, one of whom has completed their studies at The Leys and has moved on to take up a place to study Geography at university. Four pupils are currently in the School, one in Upper Sixth, one in Lower Sixth and two in Year 9.

However, our ambitions for the Gift of Education extend far beyond this initial period. To ensure the programme can continue into the future, and help still more young people, we must now secure additional funds from other donors. We are seeking to raise an additional £6million in cash and £100k per year in regular giving income. All new single gifts and all regular gifts made to the Gift of Education will contribute to this total, as will legacy gifts received from members of our Leysian Community who choose to remember The Leys in their Will.

You can make a single or regular gift below, or find information on pledging a legacy gift here.

Regular GiftSingle Gift

Make a Gift

We are particularly grateful to donors who choose to make a regular gift. When a child starts their education with us, we commit to supporting them throughout their school years. By making a regular gift, you know you are helping a child as they grow up and fulfil their potential. Please note, to make a regular gift you must have a UK bank account.

Your Questions

Can I make a gift from abroad?

Yes, you can make a single gift by credit or debit card from abroad using the ‘Single Gift’ link. To set up a regular gift, you must have a UK bank account. If you are considering making a larger gift from abroad, please contact our team at [email protected] so we can advise on how to minimise transaction charges.

US residents can make tax-efficient single and regular gifts via the British Schools & Universities Foundation website.

How much will it cost?

Based on 2022/23 fees, the cost of providing fourteen fully funded 110% boarding bursary places is £524k per year.

How will this be paid for?

The School has pledged to providing £105k per year from existing resources. An additional £135k per year comes from an annual gift from members of our Leysian Community and investment income on funds already raised. This leaves a shortfall of £284k which we must fundraise for.

How will the Gift of Education be funded long-term?

We know the impact the COVID crisis has had on pre-existing educational attainment gaps, and the need for action is acute. Taking the bold step to spend rather than endow our recent legacy income, means we can welcome more disadvantaged young people to The Leys more quickly than originally anticipated.

By meeting our fundraising target it will be possible to secure the Gift of Education programme for the medium to long term. Should we be fortunate enough to receive additional transformational gifts, either from lifetime giving or as a legacy, we believe it will then be possible to endow some bursaries in perpetuity.

What about existing Leys families who experience financial hardship?

The transformative bursaries funded by the Gift of Education are a stand-alone programme, and are not linked to other existing bursary support. The Leys offers a variety of means-tested financial support to assist pupils to attend the school and to help families who unexpectedly find themselves in financial difficulty. In response to the first national lockdown in March 2020, the school created the Covid-19 Hardship Bursary Fund to which members of our Leysian Community generously donated. During 2021-22, £501k was provided in means-tested hardship bursaries.

How does the partnership with Royal National Children's SpringBoard Foundation work?

Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation work with schools, community groups and Local Authorities to identify pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds who would thrive in a boarding environment. The School meets the small administrative charge for this from our own resources; no donations to the Gift of Education campaign will go to RNCSF.

How does the matching arrangement with RNCSF work?

The process starts when RNCSF give a school their accreditation, certifying the school meets their high standards of pastoral care, financial stability, and so on.

RNCSF work with community partners (schools, youth clubs and charities, Local Authorities) to identify children with potential living in circumstances which don’t allow them to achieve as they could. They interview the children and then look at their network of accredited schools to see which would be a good match, based on the strengths and priorities of the child. Royal SpringBoard then tell the chosen school they have a possible pupil match, the young person visits, and if they like the school and meet the academic requirements, they join as a pupil.

So, at The Leys we partner with Royal SpringBoard to ensure the children who join us are ready for the big change of moving away from family and friends, and will be able to make the most of their time boarding. It means that there is the best chance of the placement succeeding as they have lots of experience in the process.

I have a question about giving to the Gift of Education. Whom should I ask?

If you have any questions about the Gift of Education, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Development Office at [email protected] or telephone 01223 508927.

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Events

Throughout the year, we aim to deliver an exciting programme of networking, educational and social events for members of the Leys Community.

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Our Gift of Education ambassadors are a team of loyal friends of The Leys – OLs, parents, staff, Governors, and members of our Leys Community.

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