Bungay Grammar School Foundation
If you look around the school today, you might not realise just how many facilities, repairs and improvements, as well as specialist equipment, have been paid for by the Bungay Grammar School Foundation (BGSF).
When the Old Bungay Grammar School building and some adjacent land were sold for re-development into houses and flats, Suffolk County Council gave some of the proceeds to the replacement schools in the form of an Endowment for a charitable trust. The original Endowment was divided between Bungay Middle School, representing years 1 and 2 of the old Grammar School system and Bungay High School, representing years 3 - 6th form of that system. The Endowment could not be spent, but the interest raised, after expenses and a retained amount to cover inflation, could. Until the Middle School closed, 2/7 of the money went to the Middle School and 5/7 to the High School. Now it is all available to the High School to spend on the enhancement of the education of the pupils attending the school.
In June 2006 a further plot of land was sold and the BGSF received 20% of the sale proceeds, meaning another £14,149 and £5659.64 towards the Endowments for the two schools. Until it was built on, the BGSF also had a 20% interest in the former school playing fields.
The Scheme for the charity was registered on 21st July 1998 and the original Trustees included Governors of the two schools and two of the local County Councillors. For some years the Chair was the Revd John Simpson, a loyal supporter of the school in many roles. After he moved from the area, Mr Rod Blackbourne took over. I have been a Trustee since November 2002, when I left teaching, and Chair since Mr Blackbourne had to step down due to health reasons in early 2021. He had been a Trustee since the Foundation’s inception and the healthy state of the funds owes much to his careful management and nurturing over many years.
A short list of some of the items purchased/supported over the past 24 years:-
- The refurbishment of the sports hall floor, 2017
- Mini-bus funding, 2018
- Ceilings in the area that was the upstairs technology suite, 2018
- Music equipment for ‘A’ level music in 2005
- Music room re-fit, 2020
- Block 1 windows
- Visualisers
- Tutor group reading books
- Vinyl cutter
- Science probes
- Table tennis tables
- Sports kit
- Library refurbishment
The total endowment is now £295,646 and we have donated a total of £260,998 since 1999 to enhance the education of Bungay pupils. With a dedicated group of Trustees, we aim to continue our support of the school for many years to come.
Charity Overview - Bungay Grammar School Foundation
Awards - Bungay Grammar School Foundation
Clare Seppings (Miss Pemberton), Chair BGSF, January 2025