Heathfield School has received a £1.5 million grant to provide 'transformational' bursaries.

The Julia Rausing Trust awarded the grant to Heathfield School in Ascot, allowing the institution to fully fund students who would not otherwise have access to its education.

The school, which is rated 'excellent' across all areas by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, also plans to collaborate with schools and the Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation.

This partnership aims to extend opportunities to children and young people from low-income households facing challenging circumstances.

The late Julia Rausing, a British philanthropist and alumna of Heathfield, was a fervent advocate for young people and those in need.

She attended Heathfield in the early 1980s alongside her sister, fashion editor Isabella Blow.

Her husband, Hans Rausing, established the Julia Rausing Trust earlier this year in her memory.

The Trust awards grants to arts and heritage, health and welfare, and education sectors, including the Julia Rausing Bursary Fund donated to Heathfield.

In its first year, the Trust’s donations reached £50m.

The Trust will merge with the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust in 2025, continuing all charitable efforts under Julia’s name to honour her legacy.

Julia and Hans Rausing originally set up the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust in 2014, which became one of the UK’s largest philanthropic funds.

The Trust was instrumental during the COVID-19 pandemic, distributing £35 million to help charities struggling with fundraising during lockdowns.

It also made the largest single donation to NHS Charities Together.

Sarah Rollings, headmistress at Heathfield, expressed her gratitude for the grant.

She stated: "We are deeply appreciative of this generous donation made in memory of the remarkable Julia Rausing.

"The Julia Rausing Bursary will transform individual life chances and build a movement of inspirational future role models."

Heathfield School is an independent secondary boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18.

Celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, the school is located in an Italianate mansion with 36 acres of grounds, formerly owned by the Paravicini family, relatives of Queen Camilla.

The institution prides itself on providing opportunities for every student to discover their unique passions and talents, fostering self-belief and confidence for success.

The Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation (RNCSF), which will partner with Heathfield to distribute the bursaries, collaborates with over a hundred state boarding and independent schools.

The foundation aims to widen access to fully funded bursary places for children who most need the opportunities these provide.

The Julia Rausing Trust continues to support a range of causes important to Julia Rausing, particularly within the broad areas of welfare and the arts.