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Steps are important at The Cathedral School. Whether it be our three-year old’s first steps into The Lodge as they begin Nursery, the steps taken by our young people each week to and from Llandaff Cathedral, or the steps we equip our pupils with for life after The Cathedral School, we support each child’s unique journey through the School.
The Cathedral School is a special place, built on the Christian values of compassion and inclusivity, with no child left behind. As a leading school in Wales, we have helped generations of young girls and boys from all backgrounds realise their talents and inspired them to achieve success in a wide variety of different fields, irrespective of their financial means.
At The Cathedral School, we believe that a child’s success in life should not be limited by their background but should be determined by hard work and ability.
With the ever-increasing cost of living, we know that for many families, a Cathedral School education is out of reach. This is not how education should be. An outstanding education has the power to transform lives. When you support The Next Steps Giving Programme, you are making a personal commitment to enable The Cathedral School’s vision of achievement, care, opportunity, ambition and leadership to be continuously embodied in the education of each one of our pupils.
Unlike many schools, The Cathedral School does not have an endowment fund to draw on to invest in our Bursary Fund, our estate or other resources. We need to rely on the generosity and support of those who share our commitment to widening access to academic excellence, breadth of education and learning, and those who wish to see the School flourish.
Fees paid by parents are carefully considered to ensure value for money and support the ongoing day-to-day costs of running a busy and vibrant independent school, where the quality of education and care is of absolute importance and continually improved. However, fees alone cannot cover all we seek to achieve as a School nor can fee increases protect the School in the future against external financial factors.
Collective giving is a powerful tool to further strengthen the ties that bind us, and The Next Steps Giving Programme is request for support from the whole Cathedral School community - parents, guardians, extended family, Old Llandavians, staff and friends of the School.
The Bursary Fund will enable us to widen access and provide additional transformational places – a vital step towards our ultimate goal of being able to be a school that any gifted and aspiring child can attend, regardless of their financial circumstance.
The Bursary Fund will focus on supporting three new pupils each year for the next five years who stand out as being able to gain most from and contribute most to a Cathedral School education.
Each young person will receive a 100% bursary designed to make a transformational impact, allowing them to fulfil their potential and pursue their aspirations. We also hope to make additional funding available to those who need it for uniform, school trips and other associated costs that will enhance their experience of an education at The Cathedral School.
The achievements of past fund-holders, both bursaries and scholarships, illustrate the importance of the Bursary Fund today. Many have achieved great success in their careers and, by doing so, they benefit those around them.
The Chorister Bursary Fund aims to widen access to choral training, making it open to many more promising young singers, regardless of whether their parents can afford the fees required for a private school education. We want to give the opportunity for choral training to more children from a wider range of backgrounds.
All choristers currently receive a 35% reduction in fees. The Chorister Bursary Fund aims to provide an additional 65% of fees for pupils in Years 3 to 6, thereby creating a fund large enough to ensure choral places in perpetuity, irrespective of financial means.
The choir began in its present form following the Victorian restoration of the Cathedral building and Llandaff Cathedral School was set up by Dean Henry Vaughan in 1880 to educate the boy choristers of the Cathedral Choir. The girl choristers were established by the Cathedral School in 1996 and, following an historic change in 2021, the girls were formally welcomed into the Cathedral music department and became part of the Cathedral Choir. From September 2022 full parity of opportunity was realised for boys and girls who wish to be choristers in Llandaff, and they now share duties equally. All the Choristers attend The Cathedral School which is the only remaining Anglican Cathedral School in Wales.
The Choir has been heard internationally on broadcasts, most recently for a service attended by HM The King and Queen Consort which was broadcast live worldwide.
There are many opportunities throughout the year to hear the choristers perform. If you would like to discuss attending a forthcoming chorister event, please do get in touch.
Throughout our history, the School has had a reputation for excellence. Starting as a chorister school, one of our earliest choristers moved from Llandaff to Westminster Abbey to sing at the coronation of Elizabeth II. The School numbers four Welsh rugby internationals amongst our alumni, which also includes musicians, politicians, and those who have served the people of Wales in the fields of medicine, business and the Arts.
Whilst the current site remained relatively untouched between 1958 and 1987, since then, a consistent programme of upgrading and refurbishment has underpinned our development.
This programme of development was funded by the School’s own resources, financial support and donations. We are deeply grateful to those who have given generously to support The Cathedral School.
Every gift, regardless of size, makes a difference and is an investment in our pupils’ education and future.
All gifts are meaningful, and we are immensely grateful to those within The Cathedral School community who have already supported the School and continue to do so.
As we are a registered charity (Charity Number: 1103522), it is possible to give in a number of ways and, depending on your circumstances, there can be tax advantages for both the School and the donor. Gifts do not always have to be in cash, nor do they have to be in your lifetime. However you give, your donation will go straight into our Bursary Fund, helping to widen access to an outstanding education.
Donors may choose to give on a regular basis. This is an affordable way of donating to The Next Steps Giving Programme and also allows us to plan for the future. Regular gifts add up and your contribution will join those of others to fund a bursary place.
A bursary place for a year at The Cathedral School is the equivalent to receiving:
The Cathedral School is able to continue to provide world class learning opportunities thanks to the generosity of donors like you. Thank you for considering supporting our Next Steps Giving Programme.
You can donate directly to us by bank transfer for one-off donations or you can set up a direct debit (click here to download Direct Debit form) for regular donations with your bank. We would be grateful if you would email Mrs Petra Barry via barrypj@cathedral-school.co.uk to let us know that you have made a donation via bank transfer.
The Cathedral School's bank details are as below.Account number: 83956172
Sort code: 20-18-76
Reference: Next Steps
IBAN: GB79BARC20187683956172
BIC: 201876
Cheques can be sent to the Alumni & Development Office, The Cathedral School, Cardiff Road, Llandaff, Cardiff, CF5 2YH made payable to The Cathedral School (Llandaff) Ltd.
Or if you wish to donate in person, please call into The Cathedral School during school hours and ask for Mrs Petra Barry. If you would prefer to make an appointment to donate in person, please email barrypj@cathedral-school.co.uk
Making a gift of any size using the Gift Aid Scheme allows us to reclaim from the Government the basic rate of tax on the gift which you have already paid as the donor.
Higher rate tax payers can claim tax relief on their donations by including them in the Gift Aid box on their Self Assessment Tax Return.
If you pay UK tax, please download our Gift Aid form here to enable us to reclaim tax which will enhance your gift by 25%.
We are asking parents of children who are leaving Year 13 at the end of the academic year to consider donating their £500 deposit to our Bursary Fund. Whilst we recognise this might not be possible for all parents, even if you were only able to donate some of it, this would make a big difference in the lives of future generations. In the Summer term, we will write to all parents of Year 13 to ask if they would like to support this initiative.
Remembering The Cathedral School, Llandaff in your will
Legacy gifts to the School can provide an enormous boost to our fundraising to provide means-tested bursaries. We understand that decisions concerning your will are very personal and your family will be your first priority. We hope you might consider supporting future generations of pupils by including The Cathedral School in your will.
Legacy bequests are free from inheritance tax and gifts of shares and property are exempt from capital gains tax. Making a will is an important step and it is recommended that you seek independent professional legacy advice. When making a bequest in your will, please note that the beneficiary should be The Cathedral School (Llandaff) Ltd, registered charity number 1103522.
For additional information, please get in touch with Mrs Petra Barry in the Alumni & Development Office via: barrypj@cathedral-school.co.uk
Our Next Steps Giving Programme is the focal point of The Cathedral School’s fundraising efforts. The programme supports The Cathedral School’s ambitious plans to support each child’s unique journey through the School.
For The Cathedral School to continue to flourish and achieve our ambitions, we hope we can rely on the generosity of our strong and warm community to continue to provide exceptional learning experiences. We are proud of our strong community and we hope that this warmth will translate into powerful collective giving.
We ask that you give what you can. All gifts are greatly appreciated and collectively make a significant impact. We ask that you consider The Cathedral School to be one of your family’s top philanthropic priorities and give to the Next Steps Giving Programme as generously as possible. Our priorities this year are to encourage monthly regular giving (sums of £10, £25 or £50 each month) and we are also asking current parents to consider donating their £500 deposit when their child leaves the School.
Your donations to the Next Steps Giving Programme directly support the priorities of The Cathedral School and will benefit every student at The Cathedral School. This year our featured project is to widen access with the creation of three new bursary places for young people who would not normally be able to afford a place at the School. We will also aim to make choral training open to many more promising young singers through our Chorister Bursary Fund.
There are a number of ways to offer your financial support to the School:
- By returning your parental deposit
- By making a regular gift via standing order
- By electronic bank transfer
- By donating in memory of a loved one
If you would like to support the School, you can make a single gift by bank transfer for one-off donations. We would be grateful if you would email our Communications Manager, Mrs Petra Barry via barrypj@cathedral-school.co.uk to let us know that you have made a donation via bank transfer.
The Cathedral School's bank details are as below.
Account number: 83956172
Sort code: 20-18-76
Reference: Next Steps
IBAN: GB79BARC20187683956172
BIC: 201876
All donations to The Cathedral School, Llandaff are voluntary. We encourage every family to give as generously as possible. Every gift, whatever the size, is gratefully received and strengthens our community.
No. We will not sell, share or trade our donors' names or personal information with any other entity, nor send mailings to our donors on behalf of other organisations.
The Cathedral School’s Bursary Fund is an integral function of the School, and celebrates its vision and ethos to widen access and create a community centred on equality and opportunity irrespective of a pupil’s social background and financial situation. The Fund ensures that we can retain our position as a true centre of excellence open to all. We know from experience that bursary students bring unique qualities to the School, and help maintain the diversity which The Cathedral School has valued since our foundation in 1880.
Until the late 1990s, the government-funded Direct Grant and Assisted Places schemes were in place. Such schemes are longer available, so we need you help to ensure bright and able children, from less privileged backgrounds, can continue to benefit from a Cathedral School education.
The Cathedral School receives a high demand for financial assistance each year. Sadly, we are unable to help all eligible children to the extent we would like, and if a network of support is not established, The Cathedral School risks not being able help those students who need our support. We now look to our wider community and ask you to help The Cathedral School preserve its rich tradition of excellence in all spheres by ensuring this truly is a school for everyone.
We all can! This is the opportunity for parents, guardians, extended family, Old Llandavians, staff and friends of the School to join forces and offer a life-changing opportunity to a talented individual.