St David's College on scholarship goals

Andrew Russell, Headmaster of St David’s College in North Wales, on the true value and purpose of a scholarship programme

What is the purpose of a scholarship? Many may question the motivation behind scholarships offered by private education providers and universities, with cynics concluding that they do little more than provide a mechanism for a deal-closing discount. It’s true that scholarship schemes may indeed positively tip the balance of affordability for some families, but there is more value to a scholarship than can be recorded on an accountant’s spreadsheet.

These days, scholarships do not need to be aimed solely at the academically elite. They can be a reward for more holistic efforts and achievements by individuals. At St David’s College in Llandudno, we have just launched our 60^th Anniversary Excellence Scholarships, which will provide 60 scholarship opportunities over a five-year period. Yes, they include academic accomplishment, but additionally are in recognition of sporting achievement, leadership in outdoor education and overcoming barriers to learning, among other categories.

Scholarships are meant to celebrate and reward the extraordinary, and it’s imperative to recognise that excellence takes many forms. It is seen in the pupil who works hard to achieve academically when faced with the challenge of dyslexia. Excellence is also seen in the pupil who is the first to volunteer for extracurricular activities and, as a result, galvanises the pupil community. We also see it in the footballing sensation who puts in so many hours of dedicated practice to hone their fitness and skills and compete at the highest level.

“Scholarships are meant to celebrate and reward the extraordinary, and it’s imperative to recognise that excellence takes many forms”

St David’s College has long recognised these extraordinary traits in our pupils, which is why we have remained a non-selective school that offers mainstream education alongside an exceptional range of activities essential to the pursuit of a whole-person education – award-winning outdoor activities, sport, performing arts, music, design & technology among them. The school embraces pupils with barriers to learning such as dyslexia and dyscalculia, and we provide expert support to ensure young people are taught in a way that best suits their style of learning.

At the heart of this ethos lies outdoor education and sport. Whether it’s heading off into the mountains for orienteering, battling the high seas in a kayak or braving the elements to do battle on the rugby pitch, pupils return from these activities buoyed with the confidence and joie de vivre which few other pursuits could instil in them. They have often achieved something that they feared they could not – standing up on a paddleboard, steering a powerboat safely onto its mooring, facing an opposing team on the sports pitch – and then emerged stronger on the other side, discovering along the way the natural euphoria that physical activity engenders.

These are achievements that both support and transcend the academic. When schools can use scholarships to both reward individuals for their own achievements and strengthen and invigorate a school community that values these traits, then – to return to the original question – the purpose of a scholarship does not lie in the measurable, but in the immeasurable.

St David’s College stdavidscollege.co.uk

Further reading: Wellington College on ensuring students are ready to thrive