It is a special prize to mark the special birthdays of two Oxford institutions.
And it is a prize that holds the promise of transforming the life of one young person and his or her family. Like The Oxford Times, St Edward’s School in North Oxford is celebrating its 150th birthday.
And to make the double anniversary one that will forever live in the memory of one Oxfordshire family, we are offering a unique opportunity to win a full bursary worth £150,000 to send a year eight child to the leading independent school.
The Anniversary Bursary competition is believed to be the first of its kind to be run by a UK newspaper.
And it will offer one boy or girl a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a day pupil at St Edward’s — widely known as Teddies — for five years.
The winning pupil will be invited to take up their place at St Edward’s in September 2013. The carefully planned selection process will take six months to complete, with full details about how to enter being published today in the 150th special anniversary edition of The Oxford Times.
Editor of The Oxford Times, Simon O’Neill, said: “This wonderful prize is only available through applications via The Oxford Times. The generous gift will enable the winning candidate to become a day pupil at the school — giving them the best preparation for adult life and academically the chance to achieve the very best of which they are capable.”
Mr O’Neill said: “The Anniversary Bursary is, we believe, a most fitting way for us to mark our 150th birthday with St Edward’s and all our readers.
“It has emerged that the paper has other links with Teddies. As well as sharing a birthday, it seems we both began life in New Inn Hall Street at the same time.”
Stephen Jones, Warden of St Edward’s School, the independent co-educational senior school in Woodstock Road , said: “The Anniversary Bursary is a fantastic opportunity. All independent schools give scholarships and bursary places, but I do not believe anyone has done anything like this.
“We hope that this will attract lots of people, people who want what we as a school have to offer.”
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