Ashleigh Bailey Testimonial

I attended Calne on a bursary for both LVI and UVI and although I only attended the school for 2 years, the friendships I made and the opportunities I was fortunate enough to experience have had a huge impact on my life. When joining Calne I was worried about joining an all-girl environment so late on as I thought everyone would already have their groups that they would be unwilling to change, though I was wrong. I made some amazing memories at Calne with girls I know will be friends for life and I would encourage anyone thinking of applying for a bursary to go for it.

As a young carer, home life can often be difficult. Being at Calne allowed me to step away from my responsibilities at home and focus on myself which I am eternally grateful for. Calne not only gave me a space to be myself but also a space to thrive academically. At Calne, I studied Politics, Psychology and Maths which led me to go on to now study Politics and Sociology at the University of Warwick. Studying politics at Calne led to my interest in the subject growing. I felt like I always had something to do that would drive my interest further whether it was the trip to parliament on budget day, the debate team or being co-head of politics. Calne not only prepared me academically for university but also helped me learn what it would be like to live away from home. It was like a stepping stone to living independently which I believe has led me to adapt to university life better than my peers who didn’t have that experience.

Being at Calne had a hugely positive impact on my life. Both the opportunities and academic support I was lucky enough to have here have certainly helped my journey to university. It’s difficult to imagine what the transition to university would have been like without support from Calne.

Ashleigh Bailey was awarded a named scholarship after initially having been identified by the Royal National Children’s Springboard Foundation and is now in her first year at Warwick reading politics and sociology.