Peter Beckwith Scholarships documentary to air on 11 March

In the Autumn term Harrow School participated in a documentary about the Peter Beckwith Scholarships scheme. Our objective was to highlight the existence of our scholarships and bursaries, and to spread the word about the opportunities available to talented children in a more effective way than we can through our limited advertising budget. The programme synopsis and details are as follows:

London's elite Harrow School is one of the world's most famous private schools. Renowned for producing the finest statesmen, including Churchill and Nehru; writers like Richard Curtis and Anthony Trollope; and numerous captains of industry, Harrow is one of the last remaining all-boys boarding schools in Britain and one steeped in history. Each year, two boys from far less wealthy families are offered the chance of the Peter Beckwith Scholarship. The means-tested scholarship can pay up to full fees for a boy's entire career at Harrow, and two years at a prep school before they join Harrow at 13, worth close to £200,000. Last autumn Harrow granted Cutting Edge access to film the annual selection contest which happens on a single day in November. This documentary follows the journey of three of the 11 shortlisted boys as they undergo a relentless day of tests and interviews.

Channel 4: Cutting Edge – Too Poor for Posh School: 9pm, 11 March 2010

Lyon’s House is blessed in a number of ways

Since the building contractors moved onto the Hill in January 2009, the twelfth house project has advanced at an impressive rate, and is on time and on budget.

The new House will be called Lyon’s and the House Master elect is Mr Keith Metcalfe, currently Head of Geography and a Harrow Master since 2000.

Substantial additional donations have been made to the project budget since the Governors gave it the go-ahead before Christmas 2008. The proportion of funds for the project provided by benefactors has increased from 64% to 76% of the total budget of £8.5 million. This has meant that the share of the School’s investment over three years can be reduced, thus releasing funding for other urgent priorities.

A blessing of the Foundation Stone for Lyon’s House took place on Speech Day last year. “In perfect weather, it was an opportunity to praise and, thanks to the inspiration of the Chaplains, say appropriate prayers in honour of the benefactors who have made this significant project come about,” commented Douglas Collins, Director of the Development Trust.

The new House will open for the new academic year in September 2010 and have space for 70 boys. It will reach full capacity in stages between 2010 and 2012. It will have four stories and cover a gross floor area of 2,823m², making it one of the largest of the boarding houses. It will have environmentally-friendly features such as ground-source heat pumps, solar panelling, recycled water and thermal efficiency. For more on Lyon's House, click on Current Projects in the menu above and follow the link.

Peter Beckwith Scholarship scheme provides third Head of School

Two bursary programmes which were established in the 1990s by two Old Harrovian brothers, Peter Beckwith CBE (Elmfield 1958³) and Sir John Beckwith CBE (Druries 1961¹), have created access to Harrow for many pupils who would have had no chance of experiencing a high quality and wide-ranging education if they had not won a Beckwith scholarship.

Every year two bursaries are awarded to very talented and intelligent boys aged between 10 and 13 with the aim that they will come to Harrow when they are 13. The Scholarships can cover up to full fees at Harrow from age 13, and also the fees at a prep school from the age of 11.

A measure of the success of Peter’s scheme is that three Heads of School since 2003 have been Peter Beckwith Scholars.

Pasmore Gallery opens in Art Schools

Phase One of the development of the Art Schools was completed in 2009 with the development of the Leaf Schools into new studios and a gallery. In the second phase of the development, it was decided it would be better for teaching purposes to move the Gallery to the Art Schools themselves. The Leaf Gallery has now become a beautiful painting studio and the first floor of the Art Schools holds the exhibition space. It has been named the Pasmore Gallery after the illustrious Old Harrovian, Victor Pasmore, artist and architect.

It has as much display space as the Leaf Gallery but has the advantage of being in one of the most stunning buildings on the Hill. This has also been entirely refurbished and the ‘grand design’ is a visual treat for all who see it. The third phase, which is to be the building of new sculpture studios beside the Leaf Schools, is eagerly awaited.

For more information about the Art Schools Extension project, click here.

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