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Mount Kelly owes its very existence to benefaction. Since its foundation in 1877, Mount Kelly has provided deserving pupils with bursarial support. It is our mission to continue this tradition of giving.
At Mount Kelly, we have a strong vision of social inclusivity and wide opportunity. Our aim is to enable more pupils with talent and potential to access a Mount Kelly education, who could not otherwise afford to do so. We believe that these pupils will greatly contribute to our ethos and enhance our school community.
Mount Kelly is not a wealthy or well-endowed school. We currently provide bursarial support for approximately 10% of our pupils. Our objective is to seek further support for the Mount Kelly Bursary Fund to enable us to offer a greater number of means-tested bursaries, and give more young people the opportunity to be part of our school.
By supporting the Mount Kelly Bursary Fund, you will make a difference to the lives of the most deserving pupils, offering them the education, confidence and ambition to succeed in life.
Charlie grew up in Bethnal Green, east London and came to Mount Kelly (then Kelly College) in Year 7 as a boarder. Charlie’s swimming career showed great promise from a young age and his parents were keen for him to fulfil his potential as a swimmer and academically. The School offered him a swimming scholarship and bursary, which was match-funded by Tower Hamlets Council. *
Charlie’s mother was as a teaching assistant and former postmistress, while his father worked as a security guard and a taxi driver. “Without the financial backing from Kelly and Tower Hamlets council, I'd never have had the opportunities which were afforded to me, both academically and in terms of my swimming career.”
Coming from a very different background in Bethnal Green, Charlie faced quite a bit of adjustment when moving to boarding school in Tavistock. However, once settled, Charlie embraced life at School, as part of the performance swim squad and as a pupil. “I really enjoyed it and I am so glad I went to Mount Kelly – it’s set me up for life.”
Charlie achieved a good set of GCSE results, which was particularly commendable as this was during a time when he suffered the death of his father. Tower Hamlets Council’s bursary provision did not cover study at Sixth Form, but Charlie was keen to stay on. Recognising the importance of stability and continuity of education for him, the School increased Charlie’s bursary, enabling him to stay on and study English, Business Studies and History at A Level. Charlie went on to study Journalism at Cardiff University and stayed on to do a Master’s.
Since graduating in 2016, Charlie has worked for prestigious media companies including Express Newspapers, the Daily Mail, ITV News and GB News. His career so far has included coverage of recent historical events including the Brexit Referendum, fishing rights under Brexit and the Westminster terror attack. He now works in Public Relations.
“I am the first person in my family to have GCSEs, A Levels and to go to university. Your education and environment in your formative years are crucial to how you develop as a person. The opportunities I got from going to Mount Kelly opened up a lot of doors for me and I often wonder how different my life would be had I not been given this opportunity.”
When Charlie read about Mount Kelly’s transformational bursary programme and particularly the school’s partnership with Cumberland Community School, he immediately identified with the story. “With regards to my own background, I'm from Bethnal Green in east London, so the fact the beneficiaries of the bursaries are from Newham particularly resonated with me. My scholarship and bursary to Mount Kelly have helped set me up in ways my parents could only have dreamed of.”
