Each year, Sixth Form pupils from across the GDST family of schools are awarded a variety of prizes and scholarships to provide financial support for university, to fund a volunteering trip abroad, or for all-round achievement.

Congratulations to Upper Sixth pupils at Bromley High, Toyin and Cerys, who have been awarded the Johnston Memorial Scholarship and  GDST Travel  Scholarship (respectively) and Tolu, who has been shortlisted for the esteemed GDST Minerva Prize for all-round achievement.

GDST Minerva Prize

The highest accolade in terms of prestige, the GDST Minerva Prize is awarded to an Upper Sixth pupil for outstanding all-round excellence; who embodies the GDST spirit and ethos, demonstrating qualities such as creativity, innovation, perseverance, resilience, kindness and empathy.

Each school nominates only one student and the Minerva Prize Committee, comprising three GDST Trustees, review all the candidates in considerable detail.  This year the standard was exceptionally high, meaning the committee faced an incredibly difficult task in deciding the shortlist.  Congratulations to Tolu for this great achievement.

For the next stage in the selection process, all shortlisted students will submit a two-minute video clip in lieu of an in person interview. We look forward to announcing the winner.

GDST Johnston Memorial Scholarship

The GDST Johnston Memorial Scholarship is for pupils applying to study Law at degree level and was established as a tribute to Lady Johnston, a distinguished lawyer and one of the first women to achieve first class honours in jurisprudence at Oxford University and later Parliamentary Counsel.

Candidates from across all GDST schools were interviewed by a GDST panel, who were incredibly impressed by Toyin’s determination, resilience and her many achievements and ambitions. As a winner of this prize, Toyin will receive a financial award for three years to support her studies at York University and a week’s work experience with the GDST Legal team.

“Studying Law has always been my passion and being rewarded with this scholarship is a massive honour that I’m so grateful to receive.”Toyin Ariyo, Year 13

GDST Travel Scholarship

The GDST offer approximately ten to twelve travel scholarships per year, to contribute towards an enterprising personal travel programme for Sixth Form students.

This year the Travel Scholarships Committee reviewed 23 applications from 13 GDST schools. After careful deliberation, the Committee awarded twelve Travel Scholarships in total.  Cerys Seal was awarded a £400 scholarship to contribute to her gap year in Southeast Asia where she will volunteer at the National Children’s Hospital in Hanoi, take part in turtle conservation work in Borneo and attend language and culture classes in Japan.

When Cerys returns to the UK, she plans to study medicine at Cardiff University.

Main picture from left to right – Toyin, Cerys, Tolu