“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.

“Coming from state school, I thought it was going to be really posh, so I came here expecting something really different, but everyone here is really down to earth and  friendly, so that was a complete surprise to be honest. It’s also quite laid-back – I thought it was going to be really strict, but it’s a lot more chill than I expected! It’s really great at A Level because you get to be more open with your teachers because you’re both really interested in the subjects.

At first I was worried that I was going to come here and that I wouldn’t fit in, but I managed to find people that I had common interests with pretty quickly, and I fit in really well actually. You can just be yourself at MCS and there are loads of people who will accept you for that and take you in as friends, which is really nice, because everyone here is just really friendly.

With my experiences I feel like I can share them with others who may not have had those experiences, and it also gives them another perspective into where I’m coming from, so it helps to broaden your mind to understand other people better, because they may not have had the same upbringing as you. There are also so many different cultures here which is good.

After my gap year I’m going to study mechanical engineering, and I either want to own my own company or work in research and development. For my Waynflete Project I looked at making superhero suits which I really enjoyed, so doing something along those lines would be really cool! MCS has been so supportive of my interest in engineering. In U4 we were asked to find work experience, and I was struggling to find something so school put me in touch with a parent and so I ended up doing a week at Delta motorsport, and I loved that so much that I realised I wanted to do engineering. When I came back to school I got involved with Engineering Club, which helped me to see the whole world of engineering.

Looking back at my time at MCS I’ll see what a better person I’ve become. My confidence is much better now. I’ll look back and think what a great time I had and what amazing memories I made! I’m two weeks away from leaving and I’m already beginning to miss the place!”

Zain is currently reading Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College, London.

“It was my father who really encouraged me to apply to MCS. I worried about not getting in, and even more about not being able to take up a place due to funding. But I wanted to take five A-levels and I couldn’t do that at my current school – so that was strong motivation to at least to try.

Somewhat to my surprise, I got in. And I got offered a bursary and a grant from a local trust which covered all the school fees. So I came to MCS for sixth form, and absolutely loved it.

Maybe the best thing about MCS was that the teachers were so passionate about the subjects they taught, and that really inspired you. I don’t think I would have got into Cambridge if I hadn’t gone to MCS. When I went for interview, I could talk about my subject with passion and knowledge. I wouldn’t have been able to do that without things like the academic societies and the Waynflete Studies project at MCS.

I know it’s the bursary support that made all this possible for me.  I hope such a spirit of generosity will always be part of the school’s ethos.”

Ronak began undertaking research projects at A level, achieved a prize-winning First in Economics at Cambridge and was ranked first in the first year of her MPhil at Oxford. Alongside her degrees, she has continued to gain experience in development research projects and went on to become a Kennedy Scholar at Harvard where she is currently a PhD Candidate in Economics.

“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.

“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.