A PUPIL from Malmesbury School has had the weight of £36,000 worth of university tuition fees lifted from his shoulders, thanks to the Malmesbury-based engineering firm Dyson.

Adrien Fauvarque was the recipient of this year’s university scholarship from the James Dyson Foundation that will see his tuition fees paid for by the company.

The 18-year-old applied to study mechanical engineering at several top UK universities and had to fight off stiff competition from other Malmesbury School students to win the scholarship.

Students applying for the fund were asked to explain what inspired them about the degree they had chosen, as well as writing 300 words about their favourite invention.

Adrien wrote about Leonardo da Vinci’s self-propelled cart and was subsequently shortlisted to be interviewed by the James Dyson Foundation and a Dyson engineer.

After being announced the winner of the scholarship Adrien said: “I’m very excited to have won the James Dyson Foundation scholarship. It means that I’ll be able to focus on my studies, without the distraction of financial worries.

“After graduation, I want to be an engineer. I don’t know exactly what type yet, but I know that I want to have a job where I get to work on useful things that will help people.”

James Dyson said of Adrien: “Adrien is a clever young man with an evident passion for his chosen degree. The list of engineering competitions and events he has entered, in his own time, is impressive.

“I have no doubt that he will do exceptionally well at university, putting his theoretical abilities in maths and physics to practical use.”

The James Dyson Foundation do a number of other things to help support their local senior school.

In addition to the scholarship, every year the James Dyson Foundation supports six Malmesbury School students studying design and technology A-level with bursaries of £1,000 apiece.

On top of that they provide financial support for the students’ design and technology project work, and the bursary recipients receive mentoring from Dyson engineers.

The James Dyson Foundation has also previously donated state-of-the-art equipment, including a 3D printer and laser cutter to the school, to provide students with experience of professional design engineering methods in the classroom.

Tim Gilson, headteacher at Malmesbury School, said: “As a specialist maths and science school we understand the importance of these subjects as the foundation for challenging careers in science and engineering – but getting students to share our enthusiasm isn’t always easy.

“Our relationship with the James Dyson Foundation is invaluable; raising the profile of STEM subjects and helping to bring engineering to life.”

Britain is currently only producing 66,000 engineering graduates a year, an annual shortfall of 38,000. The Malmesbury School scholarship is part of the James Dyson Foundation’s work to support young, local people in becoming engineers.