New Maynard awards celebrate talent

Under the new headship of Sarah Dunn, The Maynard School in Exeter has launched a brand new award scheme that will significantly cut the costs of tuition fees and open up opportunities for families who may not otherwise be able to afford the excellence of a private education.

“We may well be in a relatively prosperous area, but there is no question that we have a moral obligation to open the school gates a little wider,” said Miss Dunn. “This is a very exciting time for The Maynard; schools should be accessible by nature and I’m hoping that these awards will reflect this ethos by celebrating talent across a broad spectrum of society.”

The Maynard Awards will offer the opportunity for 19 successful applicants to join the School (in all years from 11+ upwards) in September 2017 at a potentially huge discounted rate, depending on two separate assessment elements:

The first is a means tested bursary, based on family income and calculated by the Finance Office. This element can account for anything up to 45% reduction in fees although a family with a combined income of over £50,000 is unlikely to be considered.

The second half comprises a scholarship which will be awarded at the discretion of the Headmistress, primarily for academic ability but enhanced due to sporting, musical or creative talent. This, too, can offer additional significant reductions and will be awarded on individual merit.

“Making a great education affordable is a cause close to my heart and I don’t want the Maynard to be perceived as a place open only to those with a bigger cheque book. I want us to be inclusive and to create an environment where talent and ability – be it music, drama, art, sport or academia - are nurtured for girls from all sectors of the community,” Miss Dunn added.

“I hope that the Maynard Awards will open up many doors and provide opportunity to those who, until now, thought they had been priced out of the market. The combined element of bursary and scholarship really will make a huge difference and I would ask that people look at the vast financial benefits of these Awards. As the saying goes: “You’ve got to be in it to win it” and there certainly is nothing to lose by filling in the Registration Form.”

The Maynard Awards will run in conjunction with the other 26 scholarships already on offer for entry at 11+, 13+ and the Sixth Form. Interested applicants should, in the first instance, contact the Admissions Office (admissions@maynard.co.uk) for further information on how to apply.

“I have been bowled over by what I have witnessed so far at The Maynard!” said Miss Dunn. “Many people ask me what the benefits of a single-sex education are and the obvious answer is the long standing and proven statistics of girls obtaining higher grades away from the distraction of boys. But there really is far more to it than just academic achievements. The girls here all possess a ‘can do’ attitude and show remarkable confidence to embrace every new challenge we throw at them. In a recent Religious Studies lesson I sat in on, I was deeply impressed by the moral depth of their conversation surrounding very complex issues. The maturity and openness of the discussion I witnessed is unlikely to have happened so easily in a co-ed school.

“I think the differentiating factor that separates us from other schools is that our students feel free from any stereotyping and can happily allow their intellectual and social confidence to flourish. I read a great comment recently, “When girls go to single-sex schools, they stop being the audience and become the players" – a sentiment with which I totally agree!

“As I settle into my Headship at The Maynard, the more reasons I find to categorically state that a single-sex education has so many enrichment benefits for young women about to face the challenges of the 21st Century. I just hope that with the new Maynard Awards we can cast our net further and open up this opportunity for those that, until now, had assumed such an education was out of their reach.”