Ensuring that talented and academically gifted girls from all backgrounds have access to education at Notting Hill & Ealing High School is integral to the school’s vision and ethos. Our students, staff, current and former parents and alumnae represent all backgrounds and reflect the culture and community of our school. We know bursaries change lives and benefit the whole school community. At NHEHS, we have a long history of providing bursary awards and our bursary pupils have contributed hugely to the diversity and endeavour of the school.

However, each year we turn away many talented applicants, currently we have around 6% of our students on bursary awards but our ambition is to do much more.

In 2023/4 we will be celebrating our 150th anniversary, such an important milestone feels like the right time to extend our bursary programme to anyone with the ability and potential, regardless of background of wealth.

Over the summer we will be sharing some stories from our alumnae and their families showing what a difference a bursary can make. Read below about the life-changing impact a bursary had for Alison and her family:

‘My reason for leaving a legacy to my old school is that getting a place at NHEHS was probably my luckiest break in life and if in some small way I can help someone else to get that opportunity it would be great.

I came from a family with very little money and where there was considerable domestic upheaval. I got a full scholarship from the old London County Council, just before it stopped awarding them. I received a good education and perhaps even more importantly for me, I gained the awareness that I could achieve something in my life that was beyond the confines of my family experience and background without losing the knowledge and understanding of that section of society I had come from.

Because of my family circumstances I didn’t go to university but I had another lucky break (the sort that sadly is no longer available), and was able to do an external degree equivalent qualification whil working for the Civil Service and training to be a surveyor.

After having children I came to the realisation that what I really wanted to do was teach and after a couple of false starts I found that I wanted to be in an adult education setting which at least in part catered for the less advantaged members of society. I taught English as a second language to a wide variety of students including refugees and asylum seekers and then secured a role managing and expanding the provision of such language classes within a local authority.

Leaving a legacy is my small way of helping to return to the principle of helping to level up education and opportunities in life, which I feel passionate about, as well as thanking NHEHS for such an inspiring education.’

 Alison Bond, Class of 1971

If you would like to learn more about our Bursaries & Assistance Fund, read more on the GDST website. If you wish to donate, please click here. Thank you.