Bond continues partnership with The Bursary Foundation 

Helping to connect children from low-income backgrounds with the best educational opportunities 

The last year has been challenging for all young people – but especially for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Bond are therefore delighted to be continuing our support of The Bursary Foundation by providing free workbooks for tuition and free access to Bond Online for children from families that wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford resources to access high-quality practice materials in English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-verbal Reasoning.

During 2021 and 2022, with our continued support, The Bursary Foundation plans to expand both in terms of the numbers of students it works with and with the number of schools it partners with.

Jenny Hopkinson, Founder, The Bursary Foundation explains: “The 'year of the Great Pandemic' has been a difficult one for us all, but especially so for the children that The Bursary Foundation is aiming to help. In the wake of Covid, we believe that initiatives like ours, that drive social mobility, are vital and we are more determined than ever to make a real and substantive difference to the life chances of disadvantaged pupils through increased provision of transformational bursaries at leading schools. Thank you to Bond and Oxford University Press for helping us to make a difference. 

We could not be more grateful for our partnership with Oxford University Press… it's great to have a partner who backs our mission to drive social mobility by ensuring that children from disadvantaged backgrounds have access to the best education, just like their more affluent counterparts. Bond really is the backbone of our curriculum and without it our tutors would spend many hours searching for resources... I doubt they would come close to Bond when it comes to quality!”

Michelle Williams, Head of Home Learning at Oxford University Press adds, “We've always been incredibly proud of the role Bond has to play in supporting children who are preparing for difficult entrance tests and assessments. This partnership with The Bursary Foundation is really important to us therefore, as it provides a fantastic channel through which to place that same support into the hands of children from more disadvantaged backgrounds, giving them more equal opportunities to realise their ambitions.”

About The Bursary Foundation

Founded in 2018 by former primary school teacher Jenny Hopkinson, The Bursary Foundation works with primary schools across the Greater Manchester area. Its mission: to connect high achieving pupils from low income backgrounds with the best educational opportunities and to close the gap between the state and independent sectors. Through a programme of tutoring and mentoring, supported by Bond 11+ materials that have been donated by Oxford University Press, the Foundation ensures pupils and their families are well prepared and informed before sitting entrance exams for partner schools.

• Since 2018, The Bursary Foundation has delivered over 1,400 hours of tuition to 57 children across Greater Manchester.
• When asked, only 13% of parents had considered applying to independent schools for their children. After joining The Bursary Foundation, 73% of parents made applications.
• For the 2019-20 cohort, almost half of pupils were offered places at state grammar schools or independent schools, including Manchester Grammar School, Manchester High School for Girls, Hulme Oldham Grammar School, Stretford Grammar School and Sale Grammar School.
• For the 2020-21 cohort, 37% of pupils have, to date, been offered places at a state grammar school or independent school, including:

Pupil R (written by her class teacher):

R and her mum live in a small, one-room bedsit and, even though mum has been living in England since before R was born 11 years ago, she has yet to be granted the right to remain. Unable to work due to not having permission, R and her mum survive on funds well below the poverty line in one of the most extreme cases I have seen, relying on charities, food banks and donations from staff in order to get by. R was selected for the programme because, despite all of the adversity her situation creates, she is a shining star. I knew right away that R would be an ideal candidate for grammar school; she is naturally gifted, hardworking, quick thinking and always incredibly respectful. She attended the tuition sessions provided by The Bursary Foundation with excitement and motivation and it has been great to watch her flourish. Working with her tutor really helped to build her confidence and realise her potential.

Pupil A (written by her parents):

A is from a family of four. Her parents were from Nigeria and relocated to the United Kingdom to study, and later got settled in England. In year 6, A was a brilliant student and made the topmost grades in all her subjects. She was the Head Girl of her school. A was so excited that she has been given a bursary to continue her education in a private grammar school, Oldham Hulme Grammar, which is a dream come true. On behalf of A and my family, I want to tender our unflinching gratitude to The Bursary Foundation and Oldham Grammar School for this unique opportunity given to A.

Find out more about The Bursary Foundation at www.thebursaryfoundation.com