Worksop College reaches a special milestone with its 125th anniversary

Officially opening on September 13, 1895, the school first unlocked its doors to 28 boys and five teachers and has now grown to sit on two sites with just under 550 pupils.

The school was founded in 1895 by Christian visionary Canon Nathaniel Woodard and boasts some impressive alumni.

Known as ‘Old Worksopians’, former pupils include the current England cricket captain Joe Root, current Great Britain men’s hockey captain Adam Dixon, Helen Dobbs, the UK’s first female fighter jet pilot and Chad Varah, the founder of national charity, the Samaritans.

And charity remains the focus, as the team behind ‘Project 125’ get set to launch their biggest fundraising appeal to date – the 125 Bursary Appeal.

Dr John Price, the school’s 15th head teacher, said: “Bursaries can change lives and provide opportunities for talented, hard-working children to realise their potential, regardless of financial situation.

"Following the impact of Covid-19, the importance of bursaries is arguably even more important now than ever, as schools look to tackle the inequality faced by children in education today.”“Our ambition is to grow the bursary fund into a sustainable source of funding that will support a greater number of deserving, passionate and talented pupils on bursary places for years to come.”As well as the bursary appeal, the team will be looking to further strengthen partnerships with the state-maintained sector, looking to offer facilities and joint-working opportunities across sport, academics and music.A full programme of events will be launched to mark the milestone year, working in accordance with the most up-to-date guidelines from the Government.

Dr Price continued: “Our vision as a school is clear – to support, encourage and challenge, creating exceptional people who leave our community with confidence, resilience and humility.

"I am passionate about bursaries and a firm believer that financial circumstances should not limit access to the wide opportunities that an education at a school such as Worksop can bring.”