After leaving MCS Eliza went to Edinburgh University to read Linguistics and English Language.

‘At MCS it doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from or what your family does. At the end of the day, you come to school, you do your lessons, you see your friends, you come home – to me, it certainly doesn’t matter!

Meeting other like-minded people has been amazing. There are so many people here at MCS who are interesting, and interested, with lots of varying opinions and points of view which is really nice.

A bursary is a massive thing that can set you up for life – even if you don’t go on to do a “mega-job”, you can gain so much from being here. Where else would you get facilities like this? I’m the kind of person who likes the work! If I had stayed at my old school, it wouldn’t have been opening any new doors, just going down the same corridor.

Bursaries are a very direct influence on the wider community too – for people around Oxford, for people who want to have an amazing top-quality education.

For donors, it can be so interesting to see the impact of your gift so directly in your old school, your community, and see the pupils walk around and know that you helped one of them get this education for life.

Ultimately, bursaries have let me come to this school – it’s had a massive impact. This is premium, top quality education and I got to have it because of these donations- that’s amazing!’

“At MCS I have met people from all sorts of backgrounds. The diversity of perspective that everyone brings to lessons, Philosophy and English for example, means that you get a sort of synthesis of ideas and we can also grow together, which is really nice. In class discussions, people put so much behind their arguments – MCS’s diversity enables these really interesting and conflicting viewpoints, and we have a platform and a community in which we can really explore them.

I spent my Tuesday afternoons in Lower Sixth tutoring GCSE resitters at a local college. This was one of the biggest challenges that I have had academically because it’s quite hard to reverse some of the misconceptions that some people have around mathematics and school in general. CSO has been one of the most important experiences of my school career. It’s really opened up an interest in tutoring and explaining things one-on-one with people, and I realise that MCS really opened up an opportunity to speak to people I never would normally have got the opportunity to speak to, especially in the context of Maths!

The impact that bursaries and donations have is manifold. It’s not only the financial relief (without the bursary I wouldn’t be able to study here in the sixth form) but it’s also a deep emotional relief – where you don’t have to worry about whether you’re going to be here next year or not, and you can just relax and focus on the things that matter. I think that bursaries are of the utmost importance, especially for a school with so much to offer like MCS.

There’s a sense of gratitude- I’ve always been very lucky with the support that I’ve received. I never want to be shy about expressing my gratitude for it.”

Nick is currently studying Computing and Philosophy at Hertford College, Oxford.

“When I first started here I was a bit scared – it’s an entirely new place with entirely new people. I wasn’t the most confident, and I didn’t feel that I would fit in, but now, looking back, I realise that I have made a good impact on my friends, like they have to me.

I feel like the mix of people here brings out a lot of variety. Everyone has a lot of experiences, and it’s really interesting to see things from other people’s perspectives, especially if you care about them, and then you can begin to understand more about them. It slowly brings everyone together, I feel, even if everyone comes from different backgrounds and cultures. It’s quite nice!

I’m hoping to study medicine. It wasn’t really a decision – it just came naturally. After GCSEs I was shadowing a Paediatric ward and found it really interesting. I’ve always had an interest in anatomy and how things work.

I’m on a bursary, and without it I wouldn’t have been able to stay at MCS so long, and I would have missed out on lots of amazing experiences. I’m grateful for that.”

Ibrahim is at Keele University studying Pharmacy.

After leaving MCS Ahren went on to study Engineering at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.

‘The bursary has been the key to unlocking the path I have been on since starting at MCS. Without the bursary, I would not have been able to attend MCS and likely would not have had the opportunities afforded to me by MCS which eventually led to me studying engineering at Cambridge.

MCS offers an immensely rich environment for students to be given opportunities in every facet of their lives, but most importantly it does so while allowing everyone to work together. Whether it be during the 2011 performance of “Oliver”, having my year group sing in the Sheldonian in 2013 or competing at the highest levels of tennis in 2018, everyone will treasure these shared memories for years to come.

If fewer bursaries were offered I believe the school would be negatively impacted. If there are prospective pupils out there who are capable, and have the potential to go far, but their only barrier to the high quality growth and development that MCS offers is finances (and so they cannot attend), then the school will be weaker without them. I think as bursary pupils grow older and they realise what a bursary actually is, they start to recognise the meaning of the bursary and how it shouldn’t be taken for granted.

The MCS network is very supportive. The biggest contributor from that community to my life came in November 2019 when I had a mock interview with Professor Ian Sobey (an actual Oxford University Engineering Professor) ahead of my interviews at Cambridge for engineering. This mock interview was only possible through the MCS network and definitely contributed to my real interviews going as well as they did.

MCS is a special school because of the people who go there. Not just the staff, but the pupils too. The admissions process is challenging but it admits people of the best qualities and who are at that point in their lives where they have the biggest potential. Having exceptionally talented  teaching staff is what makes this possible, and with their help every pupil can become a well rounded and enthusiastic individual.

While I always knew about the bursary (since I was 9), and that there were other pupils who had one, we never discussed it as honestly it never seemed important. In hindsight however, I can see that without it my entire life would be very different. So, if I had the chance to meet the donor who started the bursary programme, I would say thank you. Thank you for giving me the chance to fulfil my potential in life, a chance that few ever receive. I hope that the wider MCS community (parents, pupils, OWs and particularly anyone who donates to programmes like the bursary award) recognise that their donations to the school have provided those who are unlucky or have few opportunities with, not just a world class education, but also a fulfilling and happy life.’

Kentaro Machida left MCS in 2018 and read Music at Merton College, Oxford, as their Senior Organ Scholar. He returned to MCS as the Waynflete Academic in Music in 2022-23. From September 2023, Kentaro will be on a highly competitive Masters course in orchestral conducting at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

‘This sounds like a cliché, but it really is the people that make MCS special. All the staff members, who I’ve had the pleasure of working with this year, from teachers, maintenance staff, catering staff, support staff – everyone goes beyond the call of duty to allow this school to thrive. This is, in turn, reciprocated by the pupils here who appreciate this greatly and put in all that they have to offer into the school community, making it an optimal place for learning.

MCS provided such a wonderful community for me to be able to explore lots of different subjects. I simply wouldn’t have been able to attend MCS and experience so many amazing things without a bursary. I am incredibly grateful to all of the donors who make such a difference in lives like mine to create an environment in which all dreams are possible.’

“I started receiving bursary support while studying for my GCSEs, and without that generosity I simply wouldn’t have been able to stay on through Sixth Form. All other things being well, if you’re bright and work hard you can get good grades at almost any school – but to enjoy such a breadth of extra-curricular opportunities and in such a stimulating environment, you have to go somewhere like MCS.

I am increasingly aware that being an OW means a whole lot more than having a certain number of ‘A*’ or the name of a prestigious school on your CV. It’s about having quiet self-confidence, ambition to succeed, curiosity to learn… skills, experience and an attitude which I have found invaluable in every environment from wilderness to Whitehall. In short, attending MCS is a huge head-start in the adult world, whatever path you take. But I am also increasingly aware that it is an exceptional experience available only to a privileged few. Boosting bursaries is one of the most effective ways of ensuring that all able children, from any and every background, can share the same opportunities – whatever their means.”

After Oxford University, Bramwell spent several years travelling and working in education before working for the Prime Minister’s Office and in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

“I left MCS in 2012 to study Government with History at LSE. I can’t imagine that I would have chosen this degree if it hadn’t been for the amazing Politics A Level teaching at MCS- Politics wasn’t a subject on offer at my previous school- and I certainly wouldn’t have had the confidence to apply to LSE without this focused education. In 2017, I started on the TeachFirst scheme, and in 2019 took up a position at Ravenscourt Park Preparatory school, where I’ve since been promoted to Head of History.

I gained so much from my time at MCS. Firstly, my confidence grew so much because of my time at MCS. Through being encouraged to challenge my viewpoints and to think critically, I gained the confidence to apply to LSE.

Secondly, it was the teaching at MCS that inspired me to train as a teacher through TeachFirst. The education I had received at MCS had been life-changing, and I felt that the TeachFirst scheme, which pivots around the belief that education must be open to all, was a way to give back. When I was at MCS I was so inspired by the love and dedication the teachers had for their subjects. This enthusiasm was a source of inspiration and motivation for us students to achieve. As a teacher, I want to inspire children in the way that I was inspired at MCS, and I want to pass on that infectious love of learning to others.

Finally, this confidence, and the drive and determination that I gained at MCS, have meant that I now won’t let social barriers stop me from doing something. This means that I am now more confident when it comes to applying for jobs and promotions.”

An LSE graduate, Becca was a teacher for six years, citing the stellar teaching at MCS as the motivation for her to work in education.  Becca is about to take up a position within the Ministry of Defence as a Senior Policy Advisor. Becca joined MCS in 2010 as part of the first co-educational 6th form cohort.

“I truly feel that attending Magdalen College School for the Sixth Form was the opportunity of a lifetime.

The teachers were so focused on students reaching their potential. I felt personally encouraged and supported by them to achieve. They inspired in me a particular passion for Maths – I was challenged in the classroom and motivated through additional activities such as weekly problems and the UK Maths Challenge. Also, knowing my love of drumming, the school put me in touch with two new drum teachers, one a top UK session drummer and the other the world expert on Moeller technique (used by jazz drummers). I played in the school jazz band and samba band and in school musicals. I loved it – and still do.

I know I wouldn’t have been able to attend MCS without the bursary. I cannot overestimate the difference it has made to my life, my passions and my achievements.”

What Matthew’s parents say:

“We are so grateful for the generosity which opened the door to Magdalen College School through bursaries and then scholarships for both of our boys. MCS is a wonderful school which we will always hold in the highest regard. We have never come across such a place, where young people can excel in an atmosphere that encourages academic pursuit without losing sight of all the other aspects of a young person’s development. As parents we are naturally proud of our children. We see our boys’ growth as young men, not only with a passion for their academic subjects but also for life as a whole, as something very much nurtured by the school’s staff. We cannot thank the school enough for what it has given them.”

After leaving MCS in 2012, Matthew studied Maths at St John’s College, Cambridge, achieved a first in his finals, and went on to win the prestigious Mayhew Prize and graduate top in his department for his Masters’s degree. He went on to work on his PhD at Cambridge University and is now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge

“I was awarded one of the government funded assisted places to attend Magdalen back in the 1990’s. Perhaps that’s why I’m so aware of the difference the school made to my life – it put me on a new path, filled with opportunities. I go back now to the village where I grew up and it’s obvious that my whole outlook on life is broader, and bolder, than that of my old primary school friends. That’s probably the greatest thing that Magdalen College School gave me, a deep belief in myself that I can do anything.

I do wonder about what kinds of amazing things could happen if every child of excellent ability, no matter what their background, was given the chance of a brilliant education. Imagine how much more productive our society would be, how many more things would be invented or invented sooner, if every person could reach their full potential. We should be making our society as productive as possible. Education is probably the most powerful lever to do that.”

Thomas is founder of the Oxford Marketing Agency.

John Emerson left MCS in 1991 and established a successful career in Finance. He has held senior roles in the global financial sector at Standard Chartered Bank, UBS and Barclays. John speaks warmly about his memories of school and how his experience at MCS influenced his life and decision to support bursaries.

‘I think back to my time at the school with a huge amount of fondness. Yes, I was privy to a fantastic academic education. I was fortunate enough to be assisted financially through the school. I think it is a great thing for the school to try and do more of that and I am thrilled to be part of contributing just that little bit towards bursaries.’

“I came to Magdalen College School on a direct grant from the government – that was back in the mid-60s. It moved me to a completely different plane for my academic ambitions and achievements. This whole new world opened up for me, and for the first time I felt that I was being properly stretched.

Coming to MCS was such a revelation for me, and it was the direct grant system that made it possible. The government doesn’t offer school grants anymore. It now falls to us, those who have directly benefited from the MCS education and those who are part of its lifelong community, to ensure that MCS is always able to welcome children because of their ability, not just because of their parents’ ability to pay.

Bursaries are a small step to help redress the balance, to recreate that ladder where natural ability and hard work, not the luck of financial circumstances, can raise you to new heights.”

Neil, a former MCS Governor and major supporter of the school, made a generous gift to enable the construction of the Richard Record Sixth Form Centre, which was named in honour of his brother Richard, also an OW, who tragically died at the age of 16.