The Leavers’ Gift is a departing gift from the families of Upper Sixth Leavers to the Bursary and Hardship fund. The gift is a collective effort to give the gift of education to a future Persean, enabling them to benefit from the same education and opportunities that the Class of 2021 have experienced.

The Leavers’ Gift is now in its fourth year, and in this time over £250,000 has been raised in support of bursaries at The Perse, which could support 14 pupils on a 100% hardship bursary for a full year. We are grateful to everybody whose generosity made this possible!

So far this year we have raised over £4,500 (including Gift Aid) – thank you so much for your support.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Leavers' Gift?

The Leavers’ Gift was launched in 2018 by parents who wanted to give something back to the School as their children left. The campaign aims to raise money for the Bursary and Hardship Fund at The Perse, so that future children can benefit from a Perse education.

Who will benefit from my gift?

Each year a number pupils at The Perse are in receipt of means-tested financial assistance. The exact number of pupils supported varies each year, but in recent years has been between 90 – 110 pupils per year.

Support might be in the form of an entrance bursary, which ensures that a Perse education can be accessible, regardless of financial background, or a hardship bursary.

Hardship bursaries are awarded by The Perse on an ad hoc basis, as the need arises. They are given to help families who have suffered a change in financial circumstances, perhaps due to redundancy, sickness, or bereavement, to ensure that the child can continue to have the stability and support of The Perse as they go through difficult times.

Financial support ranges from 5% to 100% of fees, awarded annually on a means-tested basis. In the 2020-21 academic year 85% of bursary awards are 50%+ of school fees, with 1 in 4 pupils receiving a bursary at 100% of school fees.

You can hear from those who have benefited from bursary support here.

How are bursaries awarded?

Applicants requesting an entrance bursary are subject to the standard assessment criteria that forms part of the admissions process. Once an offer of a place is made, the School considers applications for bursary support from offer holders.

The School has appointed an independent company, Bursary Administration Limited, to undertake bursary assessments on its behalf. All applications for bursary places are means-tested and include a visit to the family home of successful candidates to help gain an understanding of the family situation and calculate the financial need of the family on an individual basis, taking into account both capital and current income. All bursary awards made are subject to annual means-testing thereafter, and the value of the awards may change accordingly.

Hardship bursaries are awarded by The Perse on an ad hoc basis, as the need arises. They are given to help families who have suffered a change in financial circumstances, perhaps due to redundancy, sickness, or bereavement, to ensure that the child can continue to have the stability and support of The Perse as they go through difficult times.

How can my gift help?

Each and every gift is hugely valued by The Perse. The collective nature of the Leavers’ Gift means that the impact it can have is even greater:

If everybody leaving Upper Sixth gave £100 it would fund one years’ full bursary place.

A gift of £225 plus gift aid would pay for lunch for a term.

Five people giving £1,000 plus gift aid would pay for one terms’ full fees.

A gift of £5,000 plus gift aid would provide a terms’ stability to a pupil following the death of a parent.

A gift of £15,000 plus gift aid would fund one years’ full bursary place.

How do I give?

You can give a single gift or a regular gift to the campaign online. All gifts made in this way will be attributed to the Leavers’ Gift Campaign.

You can also make a gift by cheque (payable to ‘The Perse School’) or by filling out this Gift Form and returning it to Erin Charles in the Alumni and Development Office.

The most cost-effective way of making a one-off donation is by bank transfer. Please contact us to obtain our bank details.

If you would prefer to have an in-person discussion about your gift, please contact Erin Charles at echarles@perse.co.uk or by telephone at 01223 403838.

Can I claim tax relief on my donation?

Donating through Gift Aid means that The Perse can claim an extra 25p for every £1 you give. It will not cost you any extra.

In order for your donation to be eligible for Gift Aid, you must be a UK taxpayer and have paid sufficient income or capital gains tax in the tax year. Please submit a Gift Aid declaration so that we can claim Gift Aid on your donation.

If you pay tax above the basic rate, you can claim the difference between the rate you pay and basic rate on your donation. For more information on how to claim back this tax, please visit the HMRC website.

For example, if you donate £1,000 to The Perse, we can claim Gift Aid to make your donation £1,250. If you pay 40% tax, you can personally claim back £250 (£1,250 x 20%).

Can I get involved?

We would love for parents to spread the word amongst their peers about the Leavers’ Gift and the impact it can have.

If you would like to find out more about getting involved, please contact Liz Norrish (Susie’s mum) or Erin Charles in the Development Office.