Earlier this year we introduced a new initiative at The Oratory: the ‘Leavers’ 2019 Gift’. The idea behind this initiative is that the Upper Sixth formers are given the opportunity to support a project that commemorates their year group and their achievements at school.

Parents were invited to support this initiative by donating the deposit, or part of the deposit, they paid when their son joined the school. Almost £15,000 was raised in total.
 
The Upper Sixth formers decided to support four projects. Bursary support was the most popular choice and we are very pleased that the funds allocated to bursaries equate to a 25% bursary for a pupil in St Philip House for one year. A branded electronic scoreboard for the rugby pitch was the second most popular choice and will replace the old wooden board, resulting in a more professional way of keeping score during matches. The Morey Building ground floor lobby has been refurbished with freshly painted walls, new lighting and a seating area for the pupils to use in between lessons; and the drama department has purchased raised staging for performances.
 
We are very grateful to the parents who supported this inaugural initiative. Their generosity has allowed us to enhance the school and these improvements are even more special due to the boys themselves having chosen the four projects.
 
Olly Martin, Deputy Captain of the School said at the Leavers’ Dinner in June:
 
“A legacy is ‘something left or handed down by a predecessor’. The Oratory School Leavers’ 2019 gift is our chance as leaders of the boys and the school, to leave behind our mark. It is a collaborative legacy that we are creating to reflect and honour the years of passionate teaching, encouragement, support, kindness, caring, and recognizing every boy as both an individual and also as part of the Oratory community.
I would like to thank all my peers who have supported this new initiative, lobbied their families to make generous donations and have played a vital role in selecting four projects we will now be able to drive forward.
Thanks to the generosity of parents we are able to encourage and inspire the pupils that follow us. So - In the words of the singer, songwriter - Dolly Parton. “If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, then you are an excellent leader. As the leaders of this new initiative, we now hand over our legacy to the boys and girls and our future Oratorians.”