Bursary Mentoring

Each year, we invite current bursary award holders to meet up with some of our alumnae who have also benefitted from financial support.

Our Bursary Mentors provide wonderful role models for our current pupils and are brilliant examples of the impact a South Hampstead education can have. This year, pupils met a trio of former bursary award holders: Datshiane, who is now a BBC journalist; Nadia, the founder of The Storygraph; and Lola, a university lecturer and writer.

In an informal discussion, pupils – past and present – were able to share their own experiences of life at South Hampstead and discuss some of the challenges of joining the School from different backgrounds and cultures. Our mentors remarked on how important it is to hold informal events such as these, where pupils feel empowered to speak their mind, and are supported by their peers.

These sessions form part of our overall Bursary Mentoring Scheme, which aims to create a supportive pastoral environment for award holders throughout their time at South Hampstead and beyond. Before our Year 7 pupils join us each year, we visit each of them at their primary school to learn more about how best to help them settle in. We continue to support all our award holders throughout their educational experience; when they leave us after the Sixth Form, many become Bursary Ambassadors themselves, assisting the next generation of trailblazing young women to make the most of the opportunities on offer.

Since 2018, we have more than doubled the number of bursary awards that we are able to offer each year, but we rely on our community to continue to support these pupils. You can find out more about the transformative impact of bursaries and how to contribute to the scheme here.