Bursary Stories

I’ve fond memories of the Dragon: I remember it as a place of fun, energy, and good humour, where it always seemed easier to be too busy than not busy enough. It was an environment in which I felt encouraged, by staff and pupils alike, to try my hand at new things – sports, theatre, debating – and which gave me the freedom and confidence to be intellectually inquisitive. I still try today to embrace the legacy of these, and many more, aspects of my experience at Dragon, one which would have been impossible had I not benefited from a bursary scheme.

With each day of school came new opportunities: music, drama, new sports, and new subjects. I was pushed and encouraged by teachers to question and ponder the work put before me. I discovered that I had a real appetite for learning. And this was only furthered by the environment I was in: different skills and different successes were all celebrated, and the talents of each and every pupil were cherished and nurtured.

After Dragon, I went on to Eton College, again as a bursary student, and then to Oxford University, where I studied English Literature. I graduated last year and have just returned to the UK after six months working in Paris. Come September, I will be starting an MA in Political Theory at the London School of Economics.

None of this would have been available to me without the bursary programme.

And this is the real worth of the bursary programme. It gives kids the best possible start in life, kids who previously have not necessarily been stretched and challenged by school. It says to them, there’s no reason why you can’t strive to achieve whatever you want.

The beneficiaries extend further than those on bursaries. A more diverse school is a stronger school, and students can only benefit from coming into contact with those not necessarily from a similar background. I definitely felt very welcome, and part of the school.

When I think back on all my happy memories at The Dragon- summer evenings on the fields, sunny (for the most part) sports’ days – I feel above all thankful. Thankful to whomever it was that made it possible for me.

Ultimately, by donating towards a bursary, you are investing in the life of a child. And what better cause is there than that?

The Dragon encouraged a culture of learning that I have not experienced anywhere else; I had some excellent teachers that were passionate about their subject and inspired interest in all of us. I definitely would never have had the opportunity to learn Latin without the Dragon, which was by far my favourite subject in senior school and I ended up taking it for A-Level. I also don’t think I would have been as passionate about music as I am now, as having music lessons and participating in choirs at the Dragon really inspired me to pursue music at my senior school as well. I had singing and piano lessons during my time at the Dragon and I also sang in the Chamber and Idris choirs.

I have so many fond memories, going down to the river in the summer was always lovely. My friends and I got into the habit of playing cards during lunch which sometimes got very competitive! A friend and I had a Dragon Sale stall every year, and planning and executing it was always fun, especially during the years it was snowing! As a bursary pupil, I was advised to try to take all the opportunities I was offered at the Dragon, which I would say is very good advice.

If I hadn’t received a bursary from the Dragon, I don’t think I would have ever come to enjoy learning as I do now, my life would definitely have turned out very differently. I think it’s a huge part of the Dragon culture to offer those opportunities to people. I also think that in some cases, the quality of education and the experiences offered by the Dragon are less likely to be taken for granted by bursary students, as we are well aware of how privileged we are to be afforded those opportunities.

I went on to Tudor Hall school which I left in 2020. I am going to uni in September to study Japanese which is exciting!

My years at the Dragon were some of the best years of my life. Saying the teachers were helpful in supporting me and my interests would be an understatement. I can trace my love of music back to E block where we sang group songs with the head of music. I sang a lot before class began and instead of telling me to keep quiet, my form tutor took me aside and discussed my newfound love of singing. She arranged for me to join the school choir. Soon the choir mistress had me in chamber choir and started the blue dragon singers, which I thoroughly enjoyed. By A block I was lucky enough to be in three choirs, starting the clarinet and in the school musical of Pirates of Penzance! Needless to say, my love of music only grew from there culminating in a first in music at Southampton University.

This is only one of many aspects of who I am today that I can trace back to the exceptional care and opportunities at the Dragon.

I am so grateful to have had this opportunity, at this age, to go to the Dragon on a full bursary and I think it’s been life changing. The benefits a Dragon education has on a child are manifold and exceptional. I gained self-confidence; borne out of the ability to communicate with other pupils and staff on my own in an entirely new setting. From this, I also grew more independent, a skill that has been invaluable since. The triumph of the Dragon approach is its treatment of each pupil as a distinct individual with unique skills, abilities and aspirations. The all-encompassing Dragon education yields success both in and out of the classroom. I also gained a fantastic set of friends, some of whom I am still in touch with today, and a wonderful array of memories. The financial and educational support that I received at the Dragon was instrumental in allowing me to make a successful application for an Eton bursary and then I was extraordinarily lucky to return to Oxford for university too. So, I owe so much to the Dragon bursary programme for that.

A bursary at the Dragon is going to transform a child’s life and so I think if you have the opportunity to help support the bursary programme you should absolutely go and do it, it’s such a valuable cause and it’s going to make such a difference.

The Dragon community means everything to me. It’s something that I still cherish to this day. The school gives much more than a first-class education, the skills and integrity children acquire throughout their time here allows them to go on and develop further. The Dragon hands you, as a pupil, a key which gives you the opportunity to open the door to success. Through the Dragon bursary fund more children are being given the chance to receive that key.

The Dragon taught me how to be resilient and to connect with people as I go about from different walks of life, and that’s something that I took with me into my senior school, to university and into the professional life. But what the Dragon really allowed me to do was tap into the areas of my skill set which I didn’t really know existed at the time, such as drama which is still a huge part of my life. A Dragon education gives so much more than just academia, it allows you to grow as well-rounded individuals and really thrive at the things that you are passionate about.

I was one of the first two bursary holders to board at the Dragon and I would like to say that as an eight-year-old I was rather aware of my surroundings and understood that for me, this wasn’t the norm … and even though I’m from a completely different background to all of those boys in that boarding house, I went in and was treated exactly the same, and that’s one thing which I think is fantastic about the Dragon bursaries, It doesn’t matter where you come from or your background, once you attend the Dragon you are all equally a Dragon for life.

After a much cherished 5 years spent boarding at the Dragon and after studying Drama, English Literature and Philosophy and Ethics in Sixth Form, I went on to study Drama and Theatre at The University of Lincoln. Specialising in ‘Creative Industries,’ ‘Theatre and Education,’ ‘Scenography and Design,’ and ‘Performance Writing,’ I have learnt the necessary dramaturgical processes required within the arts industry.

My passion for studying the arts was ignited at the Dragon, where I remember drama lessons with Mr Murchie as well as singing in Chamber Choir and Blue Dragons, not to forget Big and Brass band with Mr Smith (I can still hold a tune on my trombone). As many of those at the Dragon may know I have always been one to get involved. I am pleased to say, therefore, I also represent the third-year students at university as their course representative, liaising with staff and support my peers to make our course the best it can possibly be.

I would like to give continuous thanks to all those at the Dragon, Old and New, who have helped me get to where I am today. As they say… ‘Once a Dragon, always a Dragon.’