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1590 Bursary Fund
QEH - A school built on philanthropy
When QEH opened its doors in 1590, there were twelve pupils, funded by the estate of our founding benefactor John Carr. His vision for the school was to educate the poor orphaned children of the City of Bristol.
The vision of our founder remains as relevant today as it did back then and our ambition is to ensure that QEH is accessible to all, regardless of background or financial means.
"We are acutely aware of the significant financial barrier the majority of families face when considering a QEH education. Through our bursary programme we aim to support families to overcome this barrier and for pupils from all backgrounds and communities to have access to a QEH education"
In 2023 the school took the decision to decouple financial assistance from its scholars' programme, ensuring that all financial assistance is means-tested and awarded through our bursary programme. This ensures that the limited funds available are allocated to those who would otherwise not be able to access a QEH education.
Currently 10% of our pupils are supported through our bursary programme. Our immediate aim is to reach 15% of pupils by 2026, with our long term goal to support 25%.
The school has a rich history of benefaction which has underpinned the school’s progress over the last 434 years.
So that we are able to ensure that more pupils can benefit from a QEH education, we ask you to consider joining us in providing life changing opportunities through our 1590 Bursary Fund either with an annual or monthly gift.
Some suggested levels of giving are below but do reach out to us to discuss other options.
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94 donors supporting with a gift of £15.90 per month (for 12 months) will support a pupil each year
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11 annual gifts of £1,590 will support a pupil each year
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3 annual gifts of £5,900 will support a pupil each year
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Other Gifts
For transformational gifts, please get in touch with Michelle Hazell to discuss your gift
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If you pay tax in the UK, your gift qualifies for tax relief through the Gift Aid scheme. This enables the school to reclaim tax at the basic rate from the Inland Revenue, increasing the value of your gift to the school by 25% (every £1 donated becomes £1.25). All you need to do is complete a simple declaration form.
Another way to support the school is through a bequest in your will to support our bursary program.
Planned giving ensures that your commitment to educational equality lives on and continues to transform lives for generations.
To find out more, contact Michelle Hazell.
"All donations, small or large, have a significant impact on our current pupils.
QEH was founded on philanthropy and this tradition continues to provide life changing opportunities long after us.
Whilst we have time, let us do good."
At QEH, we are committed to making our school accessible to bright and talented pupils, regardless of their financial circumstances. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the number of students on transformational bursaries continues to grow. However, access to education is only part of the journey—true inclusion means ensuring these pupils can take full advantage of everything school life has to offer.
The 1590 Opportunity Fund has been established to provide essential financial support beyond tuition fees. This fund will help students on bursaries with the additional costs of school life, ensuring they can participate fully and thrive. Contributions will be allocated at the Headmaster’s discretion to cover:
We are inviting our most committed supporters to consider an additional gift of £500–£1,000 per year for a minimum of three years to help build this vital fund. Donors will receive an annual impact report, highlighting how their generosity is making a difference to our bursary students.
As the number of bursary recipients at QEH increases, so does the need to support them beyond the classroom. By contributing to the 1590 Opportunity Fund, you are directly helping to level the playing field and ensuring that every student, regardless of background, can experience the full richness of a QEH education.
Thank you for making a difference.
"As an ex-parent, I’m fully engaged with the concept of the 1590 Opportunity Fund as a means of providing Rupert with the ability to financially support pupils when needed, thus ensuring that they can embrace even more of what school life can offer. If some of our other kind supporters can add additional gifts, it will mean this fund can grow and be used to make a discreet difference to our bursary pupils. I feel this underpins the school motto and will certainly ‘do good’ for those who might otherwise miss out on the many experiences school offers or simply just need a little bit more support from time to time."
"I charge you never to forget the great benefits that you have received in this place, and in time to come according to your means, to do all that you can to enable others to enjoy the same advantage”. They still seem like pretty fine words to me. It’s a privilege to help bright Bristolian children to “enjoy the same advantage” as we did and I’m proud and pleased to support the next generation in this way.
~ Ashley Pharoah 1978
Having myself benefited from an Assisted Place, and understanding the important role that QEH played in my life on so many fronts, I feel very strongly that I should try to give others the same opportunity.
~Nick Bonomini 1994
I am grateful for the education which I received at QEH and want to ensure (so far as possible) that similar opportunities are available to any student who would benefit from them.
~ Michael Collett KC 1989
Alongside QEH’s impressive evolution to meet the needs of modern times, the philanthropic vision of John Carr remains central to the school’s identity. I am glad to support the Bursary Fund which, continuing the spirit of the Founders, aims to open up a QEH education to pupils best suited to it, regardless of parental means.
~ Rex Godby 1977
As a pupil I was able to benefit from the ‘free places’ that were available in this era which gave me opportunities that I would not have had access to. I hope that my annual donation allows a pupil to have access to opportunities that they might not have otherwise.
~ Chris Bater 1980
I believe that the opportunities that I was given through my education at QEH have benefited me greatly - not just in terms of dry economic utility, but in enriching my life and those around me - and I would like as many as possible to have access to that sort of opportunity, regardless of their means. That is why I now support the school as much as I can.
~ David Brackin 1992
Coming from a single parent family I never thought studying at a independent school such as QEH would be a possibility for me. Being a recipient of a bursary has changed my life. It has opened up a world of opportunities for me and my mum and we are enormously grateful. I really hope that one day I will be able to do the same for someone in a similar situation to me.
~ Anonymous current pupil
"I charge you never to forget the great benefits that you have received in this place, and in time to come according to your means, to do all that you can to enable others to enjoy the same advantage”. They still seem like pretty fine words to me. It’s a privilege to help bright Bristolian children to “enjoy the same advantage” as we did and I’m proud and pleased to support the next generation in this way.
~ Ashley Pharoah 1978
Having myself benefited from an Assisted Place, and understanding the important role that QEH played in my life on so many fronts, I feel very strongly that I should try to give others the same opportunity.
~Nick Bonomini 1994
I am grateful for the education which I received at QEH and want to ensure (so far as possible) that similar opportunities are available to any student who would benefit from them.
~ Michael Collett KC 1989
Alongside QEH’s impressive evolution to meet the needs of modern times, the philanthropic vision of John Carr remains central to the school’s identity. I am glad to support the Bursary Fund which, continuing the spirit of the Founders, aims to open up a QEH education to pupils best suited to it, regardless of parental means.
~ Rex Godby 1977
As a pupil I was able to benefit from the ‘free places’ that were available in this era which gave me opportunities that I would not have had access to. I hope that my annual donation allows a pupil to have access to opportunities that they might not have otherwise.
~ Chris Bater 1980
I believe that the opportunities that I was given through my education at QEH have benefited me greatly - not just in terms of dry economic utility, but in enriching my life and those around me - and I would like as many as possible to have access to that sort of opportunity, regardless of their means. That is why I now support the school as much as I can.
~ David Brackin 1992
Coming from a single parent family I never thought studying at a independent school such as QEH would be a possibility for me. Being a recipient of a bursary has changed my life. It has opened up a world of opportunities for me and my mum and we are enormously grateful. I really hope that one day I will be able to do the same for someone in a similar situation to me.
~ Anonymous current pupil
My plan going through primary was to move on to the local comprehensive along with everyone else in my year. Just by chance I went along to a QEH open day to see what other schools were out there. Listening to Stephen Holiday give a talk about the school I just felt as though QEH was the place for me, it just clicked with me. So I decided to take the entrance exams and I was lucky enough to have received a scholarship and bursary to attend the school. Without this support I would not have been able to go to QEH and I am hugely grateful for the opportunities it has provided. Since leaving QEH I have gained a First Class Honours MEng in Electronics and Computer Engineering from the University of Sheffield and I am now completing a PGCE in Secondary Physics.
~Alfie Poynter
I was part of the first cohort to go from Year 3 through to 13 and I was very fortunate to be the first pupil from the Junior School to receive a Scholarship into the Senior School (I'm still very proud to see my name at the top of the Scholarship's board opposite the Headmasters' office in the Junior School!)
Having come from a single parent family where we had to receive support from other family members for me to attend the Junior School, we had conversations with the Senior School about Bursaries, who were very supportive in this. However, over the Christmas of 2010 I put a lot (for an 11 year old at Christmas!) of work into revising for the entrance exam in the January of 2011 and ultimately that work paid off. I was, and still am, proud to be the first Junior School Pupil to receive a Scholarship and this helped greatly to relieve the financial strain from my mum, to which we were hugely grateful to the school.
~ Matthew Caple
Family life was challenging as my Dad had MS and my Mum was his full-time carer. Mum appealed to the school to take me (despite my grades not being the best!), and we were offered the last assisted boarding place. Despite living in Bristol, it was felt I would get a better education at the school as a boarder without the worries of home life. I am grateful the school took me in, and I was provided with an outstanding education. I will always remember my time at the school fondly.
~ Scott Fulton
Reflecting on my time at QEH, I feel incredibly privileged to be able to say that I truly enjoyed by time at school. My QEH education taught me so many invaluable skills that equipped me for life at university and beyond. In my opinion, one of the standout aspects of the school is the rapport between teachers and pupils. Through this, I was able to grow into a confident and conscientious individual, allowing me to effectively communicate and work within a team environment, something which regularly occurs in my profession as an engineer in motorsport. Aside from this, I am also extremely grateful for the opportunities that were provided for me throughout my education, all of which have helped me in becoming a much more well-rounded individual. I truly believe that without QEH I would not be in the position, nor become the confident person that I am today.
~ Will Edlin
“My son was granted a 100% bursary and for that I am forever grateful. I cannot thank QEH enough for the opportunities that my son has had. He has become such a mature, polite, and happy boy. Even in the pandemic he didn’t miss out on anything in the curriculum due to the high standard of online learning that other schools did not have. He has had so many opportunities at QEH including extracurricular opportunities that he wouldn’t have ever been able to experience without the support of a bursary. It has been outstanding.”
~ Parent of a bursary recipient
“I was fortunate to benefit from a QEH education. Without the support given to me under the Direct Grant scheme, I would not be in the position I am today. Having recently become a father for the first time, I wanted to make provision in my Will to say thank you in the most meaningful way I can. Providing opportunities for future generations of pupils to benefit in the same way I have costs nothing in my lifetime but I hope the impact will be felt by many in the future.”
~Vishal
Prior to QEH, I grew up in Easton, Bristol. Early childhood was challenging, having grown up in a single parent household, where we generally struggled to make ends meet. Being given the opportunity to attend QEH on an assisted place was a transformative opportunity for me - I had the chance to benefit from hugely motivated teachers and mentors and grow in an environment that was positive and enabling.
Since leaving QEH in 2009, I went on to study languages at UCL and I’m now CEO of a market-leading headhunting firm focused on Private Equity, Hedge Funds, and Venture Capital, based in London.
~Kadeem Houson
He joined the school from Oasis New Oak Academy in September 2022. His mother is a teaching assistant and his father a bus driver. He has settled in really well. He is working hard in lessons and getting involved in lots around school. He initially began playing non-contact rugby but has progressed to playing contact competitively, with his coach saying that he has become a quick-thinking fly-half. He is also a talented footballer and is looking forward to playing at QEH next term. He has enjoyed making new friends and is popular, happy and capable. A superb addition to the school.
~ Anonymous current bursary recipient
My plan going through primary was to move on to the local comprehensive along with everyone else in my year. Just by chance I went along to a QEH open day to see what other schools were out there. Listening to Stephen Holiday give a talk about the school I just felt as though QEH was the place for me, it just clicked with me. So I decided to take the entrance exams and I was lucky enough to have received a scholarship and bursary to attend the school. Without this support I would not have been able to go to QEH and I am hugely grateful for the opportunities it has provided. Since leaving QEH I have gained a First Class Honours MEng in Electronics and Computer Engineering from the University of Sheffield and I am now completing a PGCE in Secondary Physics.
~Alfie Poynter
I was part of the first cohort to go from Year 3 through to 13 and I was very fortunate to be the first pupil from the Junior School to receive a Scholarship into the Senior School (I'm still very proud to see my name at the top of the Scholarship's board opposite the Headmasters' office in the Junior School!)
Having come from a single parent family where we had to receive support from other family members for me to attend the Junior School, we had conversations with the Senior School about Bursaries, who were very supportive in this. However, over the Christmas of 2010 I put a lot (for an 11 year old at Christmas!) of work into revising for the entrance exam in the January of 2011 and ultimately that work paid off. I was, and still am, proud to be the first Junior School Pupil to receive a Scholarship and this helped greatly to relieve the financial strain from my mum, to which we were hugely grateful to the school.
~ Matthew Caple
Family life was challenging as my Dad had MS and my Mum was his full-time carer. Mum appealed to the school to take me (despite my grades not being the best!), and we were offered the last assisted boarding place. Despite living in Bristol, it was felt I would get a better education at the school as a boarder without the worries of home life. I am grateful the school took me in, and I was provided with an outstanding education. I will always remember my time at the school fondly.
~ Scott Fulton
Reflecting on my time at QEH, I feel incredibly privileged to be able to say that I truly enjoyed by time at school. My QEH education taught me so many invaluable skills that equipped me for life at university and beyond. In my opinion, one of the standout aspects of the school is the rapport between teachers and pupils. Through this, I was able to grow into a confident and conscientious individual, allowing me to effectively communicate and work within a team environment, something which regularly occurs in my profession as an engineer in motorsport. Aside from this, I am also extremely grateful for the opportunities that were provided for me throughout my education, all of which have helped me in becoming a much more well-rounded individual. I truly believe that without QEH I would not be in the position, nor become the confident person that I am today.
~ Will Edlin
“My son was granted a 100% bursary and for that I am forever grateful. I cannot thank QEH enough for the opportunities that my son has had. He has become such a mature, polite, and happy boy. Even in the pandemic he didn’t miss out on anything in the curriculum due to the high standard of online learning that other schools did not have. He has had so many opportunities at QEH including extracurricular opportunities that he wouldn’t have ever been able to experience without the support of a bursary. It has been outstanding.”
~ Parent of a bursary recipient
“I was fortunate to benefit from a QEH education. Without the support given to me under the Direct Grant scheme, I would not be in the position I am today. Having recently become a father for the first time, I wanted to make provision in my Will to say thank you in the most meaningful way I can. Providing opportunities for future generations of pupils to benefit in the same way I have costs nothing in my lifetime but I hope the impact will be felt by many in the future.”
~Vishal
Prior to QEH, I grew up in Easton, Bristol. Early childhood was challenging, having grown up in a single parent household, where we generally struggled to make ends meet. Being given the opportunity to attend QEH on an assisted place was a transformative opportunity for me - I had the chance to benefit from hugely motivated teachers and mentors and grow in an environment that was positive and enabling.
Since leaving QEH in 2009, I went on to study languages at UCL and I’m now CEO of a market-leading headhunting firm focused on Private Equity, Hedge Funds, and Venture Capital, based in London.
~Kadeem Houson
He joined the school from Oasis New Oak Academy in September 2022. His mother is a teaching assistant and his father a bus driver. He has settled in really well. He is working hard in lessons and getting involved in lots around school. He initially began playing non-contact rugby but has progressed to playing contact competitively, with his coach saying that he has become a quick-thinking fly-half. He is also a talented footballer and is looking forward to playing at QEH next term. He has enjoyed making new friends and is popular, happy and capable. A superb addition to the school.
~ Anonymous current bursary recipient
