St Mary’s Featured in The Sunday Times Parent Power for Revamped Bursary and Scholarship Programme

St Mary’s School, Gerrards Cross, has been featured in The Sunday Times Parent Power in recognition of its renewed commitment to widening access through an enhanced bursary and scholarship programme.

The nationally respected Parent Power report, which explores how leading independent schools are responding to growing financial pressures on families, highlighted St Mary’s as a school that is extending support at a time when many across the sector are being forced to reduce it. The feature comes amid significant challenges for independent education, including the introduction of VAT on school fees and rising operational costs.

In the article, Head Lars Fox acknowledged that the new financial landscape has had an undeniable impact across the sector, but reaffirmed St Mary’s determination to remain accessible to aspirational families.

“We recognise the challenges many families face and we want to ensure that aspirational local families continue to benefit from an exceptional education,” he said.

A refreshed approach to scholarships and bursaries

The feature reflects St Mary’s recent overhaul of its scholarships and bursary provision, designed to ensure support is targeted, fair and sustainable, while continuing to reward excellence and potential.

Scholarships at St Mary’s are traditionally awarded to girls entering Years 7 and 12 and are based exclusively on exceptional talent in Drama, Music, Art, Dance, Sport, or academic ability. This year, the school has introduced a new and highly prestigious award: the Excellence Award. This is available to Year 11 girls who achieve an average grade 8 across all subjects in their Year 10 and 11 mock examinations, underlining the school’s strong academic ethos and its commitment to recognising outstanding achievement.

Bursaries, by contrast, are means-tested and intended to support families who are experiencing genuine financial difficulty through no fault of their own. They provide fee remission and are awarded for a fixed period, with regular reviews to ensure that the school’s charitable funds are used responsibly and reach those who need them most.

Reflecting on the importance of this support, Mr Fox said:

“Having seen my own daughter go through private education, I understand the immense sacrifice families make. I want to honour that by making bursaries more accessible, while ensuring that our funds are used effectively and for the greatest impact.”

Commitment to access and opportunity

The inclusion of St Mary’s in The Sunday Times Parent Power places the school alongside a small number of independent schools recognised for taking proactive steps to protect access during a period of significant change in the education sector.

As demand for financial support continues to grow nationally, St Mary’s remains committed to balancing excellence with opportunity, ensuring that talented girls, regardless of background, can thrive in an environment that nurtures academic achievement, creativity and confidence.

For more information about scholarships and bursaries at St Mary’s, please visit our Admissions pages or contact the Registrar directly registrar@stmarysgx.co.uk