I am eternally grateful for what Chigwell offered me and I cherished every moment I was there. I hope that there will be more students, from backgrounds similar to mine, who will be sitting in the classrooms at Chigwell School feeling the way I did and getting the most out of the brilliant education the school offers. Chigwell was founded in 1629 by Samuel Harsnett to help 16 students from disadvantaged backgrounds. That is what this school has always been about. It is entrenched in the history of the school and it should always continue to do exactly that.
I was really fortunate to have a high-quality education at Chigwell which was then followed up by amazing opportunities at university and now a career in media. I know I have been very lucky and now have a significant platform to express my views and opinions.
It is now my responsibility to do what I can to make sure that others get the opportunities that I was so lucky to get. There are so many bright children from disadvantaged backgrounds who won’t get the same opportunities as those who study at Chigwell and although the school can’t help every single one of them, every single student that it does help, it literally changes their lives.
Shehab Khan, Political Journalist and Political Reporter, ITV News. Bursary recipient, Class of 2012.