Reaching its first £10 million milestone, the Sevenoaks School Endowment advances a centuries-old vision to expand access through bursaries.
William Sevenoke founded Sevenoaks School in 1432 to provide a free education for local boys. The school has historically supported local students through the Kent Free Places scheme from 1946 to 1978, and through bursaries. True to our founding vision, the Governors and Headmaster articulated a clear and ambitious vision for the school’s 600th anniversary in 2032: to build a permanent endowment to ensure Sevenoaks continues to offer its education to students through bursaries, in perpetuity.
Our vision took a major step forward in December 2024 when the Sevenoaks School Foundation Trustees formally established the Sevenoaks School Endowment, with the eventual aim of raising £100 million for the school’s 600th anniversary. For over 20 years, the Foundation has been key to helping the school build a thriving global community and raise funds to support its ambitions.
We are delighted to have reached our first significant milestone of £10 million; this marks a major turning point where the Sevenoaks School Endowment switches on for the first time and the income can now be used to make a difference. Funds from the endowment will support students from this September and we are delighted to have increased the number of students on bursaries in Year 7 as a result. Reaching the first milestone is a moment to celebrate and as the endowment fund grows it will change the lives of even more students and our wider community.
Headmaster Jesse Elzinga says: ‘This achievement by the Sevenoaks School Foundation represents a collective effort across the school community and is a proud moment for everyone here at Sevenoaks. It reflects a shared commitment to ensuring that a Sevenoaks education remains open to local students, regardless of financial circumstances. The growth of the endowment will enable the school to sustainably increase the number of bursaries available. These opportunities can be truly life-changing, opening doors and enriching individuals and the wider school community.’
