Foundation Awards

Foundation Awards

House awards

Widening access - The Foundation Awards Programme

The Foundation Awards programme is designed to help fund a Tonbridge education, on a means-tested basis, giving opportunities to talented boys who would otherwise not have the financial means to come here.

Talented pupils are an inspiration to all. And a greater mix of cultures and backgrounds is healthy preparation for all Tonbridgians for life beyond school.

Tim Haynes, Headmaster

These individuals will win places because the school has spotted their passion and potential. As such, they will bring extra vigour to Tonbridge, inspiring those who teach them and those who learn alongside them.

Few families can afford independent school fees. Yet Tonbridge will be socially narrow if assistance cannot be given to middle and lower income families. A Tonbridge education is partly about the sort of friends you make at school; it will be a richer experience if boys come from a broad spectrum of society.

In the case of Foundation boarding places, our aim is particularly to support boys from socially-disadvantaged backgrounds - boys for whom the secure and stable environment of a boarding house will be especially valuable.

The school is a friendly and welcoming place where boys from different backgrounds can fit in.

Alan Bird, Assistant Registrar

As part of the scheme, some of the Houses are launching their own awards.

Giving to the scheme

We are asking OTs, parents and friends to help us raise the £3m needed for an endowment that will support at least 10 Foundationers by the end of 2009.In the long term our aim is to build an endowment of £30m to enable the school to support about 10% of the pupils.

Collectively, we can make a significant investment for future generations.

Jon Aisbitt, Parent and member of the Tonbridge School Foundation and Chair of the Scholarship Task Force

You can find out how you can donate to the Foundation Awards programme, or you can donate online.

For more information about the Foundation Awards programme you can download the brochure in PDF format (4.73 MB).

You can also download a brochure that describes the process of application for the Foundation Awards Programme (2.66 MB).

What the first Foundationers think

Harry Winstanley

Since leaving Tonbridge last year, I have looked back upon my time there with nothing but happy memories. When asked where I studied I am always proud to say Tonbridge School. The school provided me with a wealth of experience that whet my appetite for University life, and since arriving at Cambridge I have been taking advantage of all that comes my way.

Harry Winstanley (Welldon 04-06)

Harry joined the Lower Sixth from Maidstone Grammar School as the first Foundationer in 2004. While at Tonbridge, Harry was a semi-finalist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year Competition. He is now reading music at Cambridge University