Esme's Story
Esme was supported by the John Badley Foundation.
Roly's story
Roly was supported by the Bedales Grants Trust Fund.
Albie's story
Albie was supported by the John Badley Foundation.
Marcus' story
"My mother was the one who first introduced me to Bedales. I didn't know about it then, reluctant as I was, I pushed it to the side as a pipedream. I visited for my first open day in 2015, taken around by two 6.2s who welcomed me and told me the ins and outs of the school. I liked it a lot. It gave me the same feeling which I feel now, and I felt this profound feeling in moments during my five years there; hard to explain, harder to pin down. Awe, wonder, hope - even? But at 12, my low confidence didn't allow me to think I could get in with a John Badley Foundation bursary, with tight finances came a very pessimistic outlook. I’d like to thank both my family and Janie Jarman for changing that. The phone call came, I got the place, I thanked whatever supernatural beings I could think of for giving me this chance to change the direction I was heading, to change it all around.
"My five years at Bedales have been some of the greatest I’ve had, and it has changed me completely. I’ve matured and grown more confident and I’ve seen others develop into fuller people alongside me. Through my dorm bosses, I saw what I could be and went for it. I’ve grown close links with teachers who treat me as a friend worth investing in, rather than as a statistic on a graph of academic performance. I’ve never felt discriminated against because of my bursary, and the support it provides is an example to others in a world where scholarships and bursaries are subject to an endless amount of academic conditions and personal prerequisites. I’ve led a cookery activity, been the general editor of the B-daily, performed in plays; dances; rock shows and helped people with learning disabilities. I’ve been to multiple countries with the school, and much more. I cannot stress enough that the opportunities at Bedales are vast and if they do not exist, they are only a conversation away from being created.
My five years at Bedales have been some of the greatest I’ve had, and it has changed me completely
"Leaving school is difficult, both in terms of deciding what to do next and the actual act of leaving. Bedales provides a lot of support for this and the guidance I received informed my decisions and made me think about my future more objectively, without undervaluing myself whilst also being assertive with what I wanted. I pushed myself and got my place to study French and Beginner’s Russian at St. Edmund Hall (University of Oxford) which I’ll be taking up this year. Bedales and the JBF fund have changed my situation around, I could not have imagined being where I am today without them. Sure, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing, but that’s where growth happens. I’ll always look back on my time at Bedales with happiness, and without regret. I’ll always support the John Badley Foundation so that it can reach out to more people who like me couldn’t have come to this school. I can say with full confidence as a Bedalian that the precious past five years of my youth have been time I wouldn’t have wanted to spend in any other way."
Marcus was supported by the John Badley Foundation.