In 1958, a young Calvert Markham arrived at King's Ely having secured a scholarship that would change the course of his education.

His parents had always hoped to give him a private education, but the cost had placed it beyond their reach. Having briefly attended Acremont House as a younger child, Calvert had moved into local state education. It was only through a scholarship supported by the local authority that a return to King's became possible.

What followed was a remarkable seven years.

The pages of the 1965 edition of The Elean offer a fascinating glimpse into Calvert's school career. By the time he left King's, he had served as Deputy Head of School, held leading roles in the Music and Debating Societies, received academic and other distinctions, and secured a place at Churchill College, Cambridge.

Yet when Calvert reflects on his time at King's today, it is not simply the academic achievements that stand out. It is the opportunities, experiences and encouragement that came with them.

More than six decades later, Calvert has chosen to support the 1541 Bursary Fund, recognising that the opportunity he once received is one he would like another young person to experience.

In Conversation with Calvert Markham (OE 1965)

How did your journey to King's Ely begin?

My parents were keen for me to be educated privately, so in my early years I attended Acremont House, then a private school separate from Kings. This was only for a short while, as my parents were not particularly well off and could not afford the fees.

I then moved into state education at the local primary school, where eventually I sat the 11+ and took a separate scholarship examination for The King's School Ely. At the time, the local authority funded five scholarship places for day boys and two for boarders. I came sixth as a day boy, so initially just missed out, but then the local authority converted the boarding scholarships into ones for day boys, which meant I could go to King's. Without the scholarship my parents simply would not have been able to afford for me to attend.

What do you remember about arriving at King's?

Public schools have their own cultures and traditions, so for me as a newcomer there was a considerable cultural adjustment in joining pupils who had already been at the school for years. For example, on arrival I had no knowledge of Latin, so misheard the response of ‘adsum’ when the register was called as ‘absent’ which I assumed was simply a cultural quirk!

But I soon adjusted and particularly appreciated the wide range of subjects offered.

What difference did that scholarship make to you?

Without it I would of course not have been able to attend the school. It's difficult to assess what difference it made scholastically, but there are three other benefits which immediately come to mind.

Firstly, the buildings and college grounds of the cathedral are beautiful and have instilled a lifelong pleasure in these sorts of environment. Next, I was encouraged and supported in taking the entrance exam for Cambridge University (I got in!). Finally, through the school I secured a bursary from the Worshipful Company of Carpenters, a City livery company, to help with my living expenses while at university. So the scholarship provided opportunities that otherwise would not have been there.

You have remained connected with King's. How does the school feel to you today?

The school has expanded enormously of course, but what strikes me whenever I return is the extraordinary breadth of opportunity available to pupils today. In recent years I have seen some fabulous school productions, been enormously impressed by the fashion and textiles provision, and the facilities are exceptional. The range of things a young person can experience at King's is remarkable.

Why did you decide to support the 1541 Bursary Fund?

For me, there is a very direct connection. I know from personal experience what it means to be given an opportunity that your family could not otherwise have afforded. I benefited from that generosity during my own education, and it had a profound effect on my life. That is why I want to support the 1541 Bursary Fund. I want children in circumstances similar to my own to have the opportunity I had: to come to King's, to experience everything the school has to offer and to see where that opportunity might take them.

What Happened Next

The opportunities Calvert discovered at King's were only the beginning. His subsequent career would take him into industry, international consultancy, academia and the City of London, while interests first nurtured at school would continue to play a part in his life.

We asked Calvert to tell us a little more about where life had taken him since leaving King's in 1965. In Calvert's own words:

I left King's in 1965 to read physics at Cambridge University, planning to continue into academic research, but soon realised that I wasn't very good at physics, so decided on a career in industry!

On graduation, I joined ICI Petrochemicals in the northeast, working in process control engineering, production management and eventually international marketing. Large corporations in those days acted as management 'teaching hospitals', providing training and development for young managers, often with the expectation of a career for life.

While at ICI, I completed a part-time Diploma in Management Studies, which inspired an interest in management consultancy. I joined PA Consulting in London, initially intending to stay for just three years before returning to industry. In the event, I enjoyed consultancy so much that I never went back!

I eventually became President of the Institute of Management Consultants and served on the board of the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes. Having run induction training at PA Consulting, I later wrote a book on practical skills in management consultancy and established my own business, eventually leading a team training management consultants around the world.

My connection with the City of London livery companies also has its roots in my time at King's. The bursary I received from the Worshipful Company of Carpenters to help with university expenses first sparked my interest. In the early 1990s, I joined the working party that established what is now the Worshipful Company of Management Consultants.

More recently, I donated a stopwatch from my early consultancy days to the Company, which in turn presented it to the City of London. It is now displayed by the Chamberlain during Freedom ceremonies for members of the Company!

Music has remained another lifelong connection to King's. Science master Miles Amherst encouraged us to learn musical instruments, and I played the tuba in the school brass band, marching with the CCF on Remembrance Sunday and travelling to local concerts in his converted hearse! I also learnt the clarinet, with lessons funded by a small bursary I received as a King's Scholar.

Although I abandoned the clarinet after leaving school, I took it up again while working on a project in Saudi Arabia, joining the Riyadh concert band. Since retiring, I've returned to playing both clarinet and saxophone with several bands.

I sent my former English teacher, Ian Matheson, a copy of my consultancy book, hoping he would approve of my use of English. I hope he would also be pleased with my current role as Chairman of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London, a literary society.

And perhaps that early ambition for an academic career was eventually fulfilled after all, when I spent some time as a Visiting Professor at City University and could legitimately be addressed as 'Professor'!

Opening Doors for the Next Generation

Looking back at Calvert's journey, it is striking how many of the opportunities he embraced began with his education at King's.

A scholarship first made it possible for him to attend the School. Encouragement from teachers helped him secure a place at Cambridge. A further bursary supported him through university, while his introduction to music and the City livery companies inspired interests that would remain with him for decades.

His story demonstrates that the value of educational opportunity cannot always be measured at the point it is given. Its influence can continue throughout a lifetime, shaping careers, friendships, interests and experiences in ways that might never have been anticipated.

The 1541 Bursary Fund seeks to make those same opportunities possible for future generations, helping young people whose families might otherwise be unable to afford a King's Ely education.

For Calvert, supporting the fund is a way of recognising the generosity that shaped his own life and extending that opportunity to someone else.

His journey from scholarship recipient to bursary supporter is a reminder of the lasting difference that generosity can make.

Every opportunity has the potential to change a life.

To find out more about the 1541 Bursary Fund and how you can help create opportunities for future generations, please visit 1541 Bursary Fund.