FE Cleary Schools Fund Update

On 30 June, the Trustees of the FE Cleary Schools Fund, a charity administered by the Brewers’ Company, met to agree distributions for the coming academic year.

The Fund, established by Mr Frederick Ernest Cleary in 1965, uses its annual income to support the furtherance of education, in particular by supporting Dame Alice Owen’s School. Each year, grants are awarded for educational, sporting and musical and other extra-curricular projects for which state funding is not available. 

In the last academic year, FE Cleary funding supported the following programmes at Dame Alice Owen’s School:

Sport

Funding was provided towards the cost of a PE Technician, maintaining the playing fields, additional sports coaching, transport for fixtures, and referee and competition fees.

FE Cleary support ensured that the School did not have to turn down the offer of a competition due to financial constraint. It enabled DAOS students to train on fabulous outdoor pitches and attend matches and competitions far and wide. As a result of this grant, the School has been able to share a wide, and largely uninterrupted, offer and has known a great deal of sporting success.

Music

The grant included contributions towards the cost of a music administrator and the cost of visiting music teachers for ensembles.

The Music Department continued to produce exceptional music and a wide range of performances with over 30 concerts and performances across a range of genres and styles. The management of the instrumental lesson programme, support for the broader music department and the vast number of concerts and productions, would not be feasible without organisational assistance of the Music Administrator.

Financial Support

This vital funding allows for students to take part in visits and to support them in any other way which facilitates their inclusion, engagement and attendance at school where this may otherwise have been compromised due to financial difficulty in the home.

Field Studies Visits

More than 75 trips and visits for students were offered by the School, ranging from smaller excursions to a local primary school, the nearby golf course, and lecture trips to London, to larger international experiences in France and Spain (exchanges), Germany (Music, History), and Iceland (Geography), as well as trips to CERN, Jordan, Florida, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The School’s long-standing and impactful visit to Ypres and the Somme also continued.

Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme

Students continued to throw themselves into this award, challenging themselves physically as well as expanding their character through volunteering and charitable endeavours. This award has so much value for the School’s young people. It helps them to think outside of themselves, to better themselves through developing new skills and friendships and then pushes them to their limits with the expeditions which always seem to fall on the coldest or rainiest days and nights!

Drama Production

Performing on stage brings the School’s young people a greater sense of confidence and determination as well as a feeling of being part of a team that accomplishes something enormous though working together and supporting each other. These are exceptional life skills.

Diversity Education

The School has worked hard to improve the education and conversations around diversity and culture and has made excellent progress in this area. Students have relished celebrating Culture and Identity Day where they run stalls celebrating and educating about their culture and identity. Collectively, the School has further celebrated Diwali, Chanukah, Christmas and Black History Month. Students were offered the opportunity to go to see ‘Black Ballet’ perform, as well as to hear from Tuup, an inspirational storyteller who embodies the African oral tradition of the grio.

These, and other, initiatives and opportunities to speak to people who think deeply about diversity and inclusion provoke invaluable conversations about a range of topics and help students to understand the world from perspectives which are different to their own.

The Trustees of the FE Cleary Schools Fund were pleased to be able to agree a further grant to Dame Alice Owen’s School for the academic year 2025-26 to continue to support educational initiatives such as these.