London's elite Harrow School is one of the world's most famous private schools.
Renowned for producing the finest statesmen, including Churchill and Nehru; writers like Richard Curtis and Anthony Trollope; and numerous captains of industry, Harrow is one of the last remaining all-boys boarding schools in Britain and one steeped in history.
Yet access into a world seen as the preserve of the super-rich really does come at a price: over a whopping £28,000 a year in school fees. But for those who can't afford the fees there's another way in. Each year, two boys from far less wealthy families are offered the chance of a scholarship.
The Peter Beckwith Scholarship is targeted specifically at families who'd never be able to pay for such a privileged education at a boarding school. The means-tested scholarship can pay up to full fees for a boy's entire career at Harrow, and two years at a prep school before they join Harrow at 13 years old. All in all it's worth close to £200,000.
The scholarship was founded and is funded by multi-millionaire businessman Peter Beckwith, himself a Harrovian and the father of former It Girl Tamara Beckwith. So far he's paid for 37 boys to go to Harrow.
In autumn 2009 Harrow granted Cutting Edge access - for the first time - to film the annual selection contest. It all happens on a single day in November.
The documentary follows the journey of three of the 11 shortlisted boys as they undergo a relentless day of tests and interviews. The parents of 10-year-old Krishan and 11-year-olds Numhan and Tumi can only wait in hope as their sons compete for a prize that will change their lives forever.
-
-
Thu 11 Mar 2010
London's elite Harrow School is one of the world's most famous private schools.
-
MORE:
-
Boys to Men
1 Episode
Controversial academic Tony Sewell thinks he has found a way to stop some of Britain's brightest black kids being seduced by the thrills and easy money offered by urban street culture
-
Alex: A Passion for Life
1 Episode
Cutting Edge catches up with Alex Stobbs, the musical prodigy and cystic fibrosis sufferer originally featured in A Boy Called Alex, who is now studying music at Cambridge
-
The World's Greatest Musical Prodigies
3 Episodes
Sixteen-year-old Alexander Prior is one of Britain's most talented and prolific young composers. Now he's bringing together some of the world's greatest young musical talent to perform his new concerto.
-
Child Genius
1 Episode
Documentary series following the lives of some of the UK's most gifted children as they grow up. How will these children develop, and what unique problems are faced by such talented prodigies?
-
Jamie's Dream School
7 Episodes
Jamie Oliver brings together some of Britain's most inspirational individuals to see if they can persuade 20 young people who've left school with little to show for the experience to give education a second chance
-
Meet the Au Pairs
2 Episodes
Cutting Edge follows three families going through the stresses and strains of finding the ideal carer for their precious offspring
-
The Russians Are Coming
1 Episode
Sally Ashby's intriguing First Cut film lifts the lid on the exclusive world of super rich Russians who want an English public school education for their children
-
Secret Life of the Classroom
1 Episode
The first year at school is viewed through the eyes of four and five year olds with particular emphasis on how friendships are formed and conflicts negotiated
-
One Born Every Minute
3 Series, 25 Episodes
A ground-breaking look at the drama and emotion of a maternity unit, from the perspective of the parents-to-be and the maternity ward staff
-
Coppers
4 Episodes
Filmed across Britain, from inner cities to country beats, Coppers reveals what the police are up against every day of their working lives
-
Katie: The Science of Seeing Again
1 Episode
Katie Piper explores the issues surrounding the pioneering surgery she's undergoing to regain the sight in her left eye
-
Confessions of a Nurse
3 Episodes
Filmed over a year at a major NHS trust, Confessions of a Nurse follows a diverse group of nurses, revealing their day-to-day challenges and what they really think about being a nurse
-
Party Paramedics
3 Episodes
Three part series following the medical units, home and abroad, that patch up the victims of Britain's binge-drinking culture
-
Bouncers
1 Episode
Funny, irreverent and often surprising film following the boys of Newport's biggest security firm over a summer of booze and brotherhood
-
Bleach, Nip, Tuck: The White Beauty Myth
1 Episode
Two documentaries from the Race: Science's Last Taboo season examine the growing trend for deracialisation surgery
-
15 Kids and Counting
3 Episodes
Three-part series exploring the lives of some of the UK's biggest families