Portsmouth Grammar School raises £250,000 to support the education of less well off pupils in city

As part of the school’s Giving Day, pupils took part in a range of fundraising activities to help raise the staggering total of £246,454 - helped by £100,000 donation from an anonymous benefactor.

The money will provide bursaries to enable children whose families would not ordinarily be able to afford the fees – £5,641 per term in the senior school and up to £4,015 in the junior school – to attend the high-achieving school .

Children across the age ranges took part in sponsored activities including litter picks, skipping challenges, pancake making, poetry writing and marathon dance routines.

Events at the Senior School were co-ordinated by Georgia Radford who said: ‘It was an absolute privilege to be involved in the organisation of pupil activities for the first ever PGS Giving Day.

‘As a new member of staff I have been astounded by the very real sense of community that resonates through every layer of the school.

‘Despite the ever-changing circumstances of this past year, planning for all eventualities remained focused on heightening our pupils’ awareness of the ability they each have to create positive change within their communities, and I do believe we achieved that.’

Staff also joined in the fundraising with Jason Ashcroft, deputy head of the Junior School, hosting a marathon 36-hour-through-the-night broadcast on the school’s radio station. There was also a sponsored gunging of head of the Junior School, Amy Wilson-Smith.

Parents also donated money including the cost of tickets for the school’s cancelled prom.

Junior School event co-ordinator Ruth Evans said: ‘Giving Day gave the staff and pupils a real opportunity to reconnect after many weeks of remote learning.’

SEE ALSO: Priory School staff in Southsea look to go the extra mile for Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust

To help the cause there was a staggering donation of £100,000 from a successful former pupil who wished to remain anonymous.

It’s hoped the money will widen the spectrum of pupils from different socio-economic backgrounds able to attend the school.

Headteacher Dr Anne Cotton said: ‘Currently within the senior school one in seven pupils receive some level of fee assistance. In the long-term ambition our aim is to increase this to one in four.

‘Thanks to the generosity of the PGS community, we took a big step forward with this aim.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

You can subscribe here for unlimited access to our online coverage, including Pompey, with 70 per cent fewer adverts for less than 20p a day.