Reed's School case studies (15)

Partners

Reed's School
St Andrew's Primary School
Cranmere Primary School
Royal Kent Primary School

Impact of partnership work done in 2025 (ISC annual Census 2026)

20 state schools involved
2001+ state school pupils involved
600 staff hours given

Impact Statement

The partnerships we have at Reed’s School with over 40 State Primary and Secondary schools in economically deprived areas are a fundamental part of the School’s core mission and values. Last year saw a record 3,375 children from State schools benefit from these partnerships. This is achieved by bringing together Reed’s School, key operational charities, funding from trusts and individuals, and State schools.

Reed’s School was founded as a school for orphan children in 1813, although now a fee paying school, 10% of our pupils are still Foundation pupils, having lost the support of one or both parents through family trauma and facing extreme hardship as a result. In 2012, we established the Reed’s Primary and Secondary Forum as a means to extend the reach of the Foundation and raise the aspirations and attainment of children in the State sector.

The idea of the Forum is simple, to offer a programme of activities and events throughout the year which will enrich the pupils’ current curriculum, raise aspirations, and are exciting and attainable for the schools and the pupils, all hosted at Reed’s using our staff, pupils, and facilities.

In developing the Forum we build close relationships with the Head Teachers at our partner schools, partner with operational charities and bring together key funders. Our relationships with the schools allow us to evolve our programme of events to best meet the needs of their pupils; the list of schools we partner with continues to grow each year. Our operational partners, such as Chelsea FC Foundation, assist with the delivery of some programmes whilst also being exciting for the pupils. Because the Forum utilises Reed’s own facilities and staff, costs are minimal, however all expenses are met through external funders including the Tim Henman Foundation, Worshipful Company of Actuaries, W.C. of Tallow Chandlers and the W.C. of Goldsmiths. The total cost of running these programmes is less than £22,000 per annum, on average £6.50/child/event.

We offer a full range of programmes from sport to the arts to STEM across a variety of formats, including half day, full day and regular weekly activities. Recent programmes include Lego Robotics, Sports Olympiad, GCSE Tutoring, Launch Car Challenge, Drama workshops, and a RacketsCubed: a squash/maths/nutrition programme.

An added benefit of the programme is that by working closely with teachers at these partner schools potential Foundation pupils are identified, and provided the opportunity to attend Reed’s. Having visited Reed’s in their primary years, the transition to a full-time pupil is more fluid. In several cases, not only have the children from the Forum attended the School, but in later years so have their siblings.

“I first came to Reed’s as a pupil at Cyril Jackson School and subsequently as a Foundationer. Reed’s has played a vital role in terms of my rehabilitation into a life full of opportunity and happiness. This year my younger brother joined Reed’s as well. Seeing him at School and sharing this special place with him means the world to me.”

After Reed's, our Foundation students go onto many different universities including Oxford University, Bath University, Manchester University, Music Conservatoire, Germany, Queen Mary, University of London.

Founded in 1813 as the London Orphan Asylum, the Reed’s Foundation is committed to providing educational and pastoral support for vulnerable children who have lost the support of one or both parents. Over 12,000 children have had their lives transformed through the work of the Foundation. These children have suffered from parental deaths, abandonment, abuse, and parental health issues, physical or mental. They each have the ability, but unfortunately not the means, to overcome these childhood traumas.

Andrew Reed, our Founder, believed that simply because a child had lost a parent they should not be condemned to a life of poverty and deprivation. He believed that by providing an education in a safe and caring environment these children could flourish. Continuing to build on the legacy of Andrew Reed is at the very core of all we do at the Foundation and the School today. A Foundation place at Reed’s is not merely a financial package, it incorporates the specialist pastoral support that these children need to survive and thrive. Our team of Foundation staff, teachers, housemasters and support staff are all specially trained to assist these children; to provide them with the stability, guidance, time and love they so desperately need in their lives.

In addition to Foundation places, the Reed’s Foundation also runs outreach activities with over 40 primary and secondary schools in disadvantaged areas as well as a thought leadership programme to help schools and charities assist children from vulnerable backgrounds. During this past year alone, over 1,300 children attended our outreach activities. These include everything from science and maths based courses, to sport, music, drama, GCSE tutoring and robotics. The aim of our outreach is to provide a broader reach of our support, raise children’s aspiration and attainment and, in some cases, offer an introduction to the School for potential Foundation pupils. Additionally, our thought leadership element incorporates lectures and debates on the area of overcoming disadvantage in children. Increasingly our pastoral team have been speaking at conferences and individually to other charities looking to expand their work in this area.

The core aims of the Foundation are simple, we want to help these vulnerable young children to overcome the traumas of their past, to define their futures as they want them to be, and to go into the world with self confidence and self belief so that they can succeed and make a difference.

Foundation Bursaries

QUALIFYING CRITERIA
Foundation places are available for boys from the age of 11 to 18 and girls aged between 16 and 18. Applications for places are based on the following criteria:

Having lost the support of one or both parents through death, abandonment, mental or physical ill health, separation or divorce.
Having an unhappy or unsatisfactory home life where the child is in need of pastoral care and, in most cases, boarding provision.
Having a financial need in the family.

Each case is considered on an individual basis with the child's best interests at the centre of the discussions.

Number of Foundation Pupils at the School: 70

Total amount of Foundation Bursaries offered: £1,534,000

Scholarships

Reed’s offers a range of scholarships which are designed to attract those pupils who show the potential to benefit from the academic education offered by the School, its ethos and opportunities, and who will contribute to the active life of our School community.

Scholarships are available at 11+, 13+ or Sixth Form entry. The awards are made on the basis of assessments held in the year before entry.

They are awarded in the following fields: Academic, Art, Music, Drama, Design and Technology, and Sport

Total amount of Scholarships and other awards offered: £1,666,000

Academic scholarships
All Rounder awards
Art scholarships
Design scholarships
Drama scholarships
Music scholarships
Sport scholarships
Sixth Form scholarships
Bursaries for new entrants
Hardship awards for existing pupils

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Reed's School case studies (15)