King Edward VI Foundation – an integrated partnership

King Edward VI Foundation is the name given to the integrated partnership between a MAT of twelve schools (King Edward VI Academy Trust, Birmingham) and a foundation charity of two independent schools and an endowment (the Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham).

While retaining their distinct legal status and accountabilities, both organisations, under the title of ‘the Foundation’, work strategically and operationally as one. They share expertise and resources in order to support a wide range of pupils within the city of Birmingham and are particularly committed to improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.

On average, disadvantaged students in the Foundation’s academies make better progress than their non-disadvantaged peers nationally in terms of FSM, SEND and Low Prior Attainers.

The Foundation is an example of accessibility to selective schools, with at least 25% of places at the Foundation’s six grammar schools made available to Pupil Premium students, compared to a national average of 8%.  Around 15% of pupils at the Foundation’s two independent schools receive Assisted Places (means-tested bursaries), compared to the national average of 8%.

Collaboration between state and independent schools works for the benefit of pupils and staff in all schools. By way of example, King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy is the second most deprived mainstream school in the country and rated ‘inadequate’ when it joined the Foundation in 2019. Last year, the school received a full suite of ‘good’ ratings from Ofsted, giving its community its first good school in 18 years. School improvement and a cultural capital programme Enquiring Minds involving staff and pupils from the Foundation’s two independent schools and featuring debating, philosophy, maths, sport and wellbeing activities, have changed pupils’ overarching experience of education.

You can find out more about the King Edward VI Foundation here.