The Putney Fund 2023/24

I am delighted to have joined a community which is so clearly collaborative and supportive of all that Putney does. I know that your donations have already had an enormous impact on the school and its students and I look forward to meeting many of you as, with your help, we continue that good work. Thank you for your ongoing support of Putney High School, and for all that you do to enable, equip and inspire this impressive group of young women and all those that follow them.

It gives me great pleasure to share with you our 2023/4 appeal: Outdoor Learning and the Julie Sharp Bursary.

We are committed to providing the unique experiences and facilities that make a Putney education exceptional, and to delivering the best possible education to bright and ambitious girls from any background. The Putney Fund gives every member of the school community the opportunity to support projects that will directly impact our pupils, both now and in the future.

This year your generosity will help us to continue to deliver on our commitment to environmental and ecological learning with gifts to the Putney Fund being directed to supporting Outdoor Learning at the school, as well as to Bursaries and Financial Assistance.

I remain extremely grateful to each of you for your continued support of the school.

Thank you.

Jo Sharrock
Head
Look what your support has already helped us to achieve…

Ecologist in Residence

2021/2022

To further our award-winning biophilic classroom programme, last year’s donations went towards an Ecologist in Residence. Putney High School has a rich tradition of innovative residency programmes in keeping with its commitment to offering outstanding opportunity in the classroom and beyond, and previous residencies have included those of Writer, Poet, Musician and Entrepreneur.

Our Ecologist is looking to inspire our pupils across all year groups from the age of 4-18 years old, and take the biophilic programme to the next level. The initiative falls within Putney High School’s ‘Breathe’ environmental programme, central to the school’s strategic aims. Working across various disciplines – from science lessons to environmental student representative meetings, from organising specialist talks to extra-curricular gardening clubs – our Ecologist aims to motivate our students and expand their minds with their knowledge and expertise of ecology, while also encouraging them to develop their ownership of the programme to ensure its long-term legacy and sustainability.

Athena Centre

2020/2021

In 2020/21 your donations went towards our Athena Centre, a new space for Science, Music, Drama and Debating. The centre is now open and being used by students.

Digital Technologies

2019/2020

With your valued support in 2019/2020, we continued to provide pupils with the toolkit to thrive in a world of emerging technology.

Senior pupils developed and enhanced their coding skills with Crumble Buggies and entered the More Than Robots competition – where technology meets sport, further encouraging students to embrace STEM.

The Junior School is looked at transforming the way pupils learn, create, and invent by combining coding and Science, this included encouraging pupils to explore the environment around them using outdoor robots and data loggers.

Since 2019, things have been full STEAM ahead and students have continued to embrace Coding and Robotics. We have partnered with First Tech UK, and created a bespoke Design Thinking course focusing on robotics and the link between design and programming. The aim of the First Tech collaboration is to give students the opportunity to work with others in the West London area to reduce the gender gap in STEM subject study.

We have also created our new Innovation Centre, a hub for all things Design Thinking and Robotics. The future looks bright for STEM at Putney.

Entrepreneur in Residence

2018/2019

Thanks to donations throughout 2018 and 2019, Putney was able to appoint entrepreneur Julian Hall.

Julian inspired an entrepreneurial spirit amongst our pupils and staff. Through assemblies, involvement in lessons and workshops, he encouraged us to see solutions instead of problems, and to embrace opportunities with creativity and confidence.

This entrepreneurial spirit is still very much present at Putney. Since 2018/2019 students have gone on to design a sustainable clothing brand with Amazon, start and international non-profit tutoring organisation and made and sold their own clothing designs.

Orator in Residence

2017/2018

As a result of the generosity from the Putney community in 2017-18, we welcomed Orator in Residence, Miranda Kiek.

The impact of this residency was widespread. Keen debaters benefited from coaching whilst the weekly Senior School ‘Eloquence’ club provided a space for less seasoned orators to find their voice. Pupils from Reception to Year 13 became well versed in ‘power poses’ and the art of speaking and listening.

Such was the success of our Orator in Residence that Miranda Kiek is now a permanent member of staff, teaching English and continuing to help our students to use their voice through debating.

Debating has remained at the heart of Putney and our new Debating Forum, inside our Athena Centre (funded by the 2020/2021 Putney Fund), is now open.

Bursaries

It is important to use that no one should be excluded from a Putney education.

What is a bursary?

We are academically selective, but 'means blind'.

A bursary is the financial support, awarded by the GDST, to families who are not in a position to cover the full fees of a Putney GDST education. Although we are academically selective, we do everything we can to ensure that a family’s ability to afford fees is never a barrier to education or opportunity.

Putney is part of the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST), in which almost one in five pupils receives a bursary or scholarship to help towards her fees.

What difference does a bursary make?

There is no doubt that the benefits can be life changing. 

Now working as a Senior Legal Counsel at Globeleq, alumna Isoken (Soké) Alli-Usman, reflects on how a bursary at Putney impacted her career;

“All of this was only possible because a bursary allowed me to go to Putney where I was given the belief I could achieve my goals. I was taught to develop resilience and be pro-active. My school gave me the tools to achieve. Putney shaped my life. It has a special place in my heart.”

There are also many advantages seen within the school community as a whole due to its commitment in offering bursaries. Bursaries help to shape the culture of the school, fostering a more diverse and vibrant ethos.

Read more about Soké's story here

I am proud that I had the opportunity to go to Putney - I went on great trips, read some of the best books, learned to row from Year 7, had ridiculously good teaching and became Deputy Head Girl. I want people to know that they too can do some of the things that I have done.

Orla
Class of 2018

Bursary FAQs

How many pupils at Putney receive a bursary?

Currently at Putney High School, over 30 pupils receive a bursary. However, one in five pupils at Putney is supported financially by the school and the GDST.

What other financial support do you offer?

Putney offers a range of scholarships to senior school pupils, based on talent and ability rather than a family’s financial means.

We also offer support through the Financial Assistance Fund, for families who unexpectedly need immediate help to meet the fees. This enables Putney to ensure continuity for a student at a difficult time and particularly for those who are nearing GCSEs or A Levels.

What is the difference between a bursary and a scholarship?

A bursary is means-tested whereas a scholarship is not. A bursary takes into account academic ability but its value is directly related to the income and financial resources of the pupil’s family.

Scholarships are awarded purely on academic (or sporting/musical) merit, as measured in an entrance assessment. They take no account of family income/resources.

What is Putney’s eligibility criteria for a bursary?

In conjunction with the GDST criteria, families in London with an annual income of £42,500 or less and who have no capital assets other than their home, are eligible to apply for full bursary funding.

Parents complete an online application and a robust assessment is undertaken to ensure fairness and consistency. Bursary awards are reviewed annually to check continued financial need.

When are you awarded a bursary?

Bursaries are available to any student aged 11 and over at a GDST fee-paying senior school. Most awards are allocated on entry either to Year 7 or to the Sixth Form and all are awarded based on academic performance and financial need.

How much is a bursary worth?

Bursaries typically range from 30% to 100% of fees. Pupils who get a full bursary will also get help to meet the cost of their uniforms, lunches and travel.

How can I help? We recognise that there are many levels of giving, but every donation really does make a difference. If…
… they would cover a pupil's school fees for a year.

The Nick Maughan Foundation

We would like to thank the Nick Maughan Foundation for providing a number of students with full bursaries, enabling them to experience an education at Putney High School.

We decided to pre-fund full bursaries for girls from low income families to attend Putney High having experienced first hand the immensely positive impact that the school has on girls’ lives. Such a high standard of education and extra curricular activities should not only be available to those able to pass the entrance exams and pay the fees, but also to those with the requisite ability without the financial means. I hope this helps provide a significant, positive long term impact for those families. We are proud to include Putney High in our portfolio of educational grant-giving initiatives and look forward to doing more with the school in future.

Nick Maughan
The Nick Maughan Foundation

Legacies

Leaving a gift to Putney in your will is a wonderful way to show support for your old school, and a significant way to impact girls’ education for generations to come. It’s easy to make a bequest, and whether large or small, your generosity can make a world of difference.

If you intend to make provisions in your will, or have already done so, please get in touch and let us know you are thinking of us. Details shared are entirely at your discretion but we would love the opportunity to thank you, and to update you on all that is happening at school.

Find out more about legacy giving

Volunteering

There are many ways that you can volunteer your time to support the school.

FOPHS

Friends of Putney High School

FOPHS

Friends of Putney High School

FOPHS is a parent led charity with three main objectives: Friendship, Fundraising and Fun. FOPHS raise money for the school and organise events such as the Christmas fair, cake sales and quiz nights. They help to keep the communication links between parents and the school open. 

Click here to find out more about FOPHS.

PHSRSA

Putney's Rowing Supporters' Association

PHSRSA

Putney's Rowing Supporters' Association

The RSA is a parent led charity with an active social calendar. They host a number of events that are not only great opportunities to socialise, but also enable supporters to contribute to Putney’s ever expanding and high achieving boat club.

Click here to find out more about PHSRSA.

Capital Projects

Your donations have helped towards enhancing the infrastructure of the school.

Contact Us

If you would like to know more about Putney's plans for the future or find out how you can support us, please don't hesitate to get in contact with The Development Department

Suzanne Fearon (Director of Admissions, Communications and Development)

Phillipa Straker-Nesbit (Events and Fundraising Officer)

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 0208 788 4886

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