Independent schools like ours are in the political spotlight, with VAT chargeable on school fees from January 2025. It has been a divisive issue, but perhaps the two sides of this debate have more in common than you might think: they both care passionately about education, and they want all children to have access to a good one.
That is exactly what we want too; and it is why we launched our own Assisted Places programme 25 years ago, when Government support ended. We were committed to making KEHS accessible to all bright pupils in our region, and we always will be.
Thanks to generous alumnae and donors, and an annual grant from the King Edward’s Foundation, today we are proud to have double the national average proportion of students receiving means-tested support.
The introduction of VAT on fees and some bursaries will not change that – but it will make it harder.
Here’s how you can help:
Get Informed
Help us to advocate for schools like ours, that are not the engines of privilege.
- All our Assisted Places are means-tested at entry, and checked again every year, to make sure funding is distributed fairly and carefully.
- We are a financially conscious school. There is little fat to trim in our budgets, and any more would affect the quality of education we provide.
- Unlike most schools, 0% of fees is spent on bursaries. This helps keep our fees as low as possible.
- The KE Foundation gives a grant of over £1 million each year for Assisted Places here, and the same at KES – that’s equivalent to 50% of its endowment income (and the endowment cannot be spent).
- The Government suggests that partial bursaries will be subject to VAT at 20% of the total value of the education they receive. Requiring partial bursary holders to pay VAT undermines our efforts to make KEHS accessible to all.
Support Us
Whether big or small, if lots of people give together, it will help combat inequalities, giving talented children the education they deserve. You will make an immediate and tangible difference to the lives of children in Birmingham and help to shape a brighter future for generations to come.
Every contribution to the Assisted Places Fund directly protects our students and helps provide for new students. 100% of your donation goes directly to Assisted Places; the administrative costs are also covered by the Foundation.
Advocate for our Students
Speak out in defence of Assisted Places. When it comes to bursaries, this tax does not achieve fairness; this tax will target the very children we aim to uplift by imposing VAT on Assisted Places.
Assisted Places enable the brightest pupils to join our school. In turn, this enriches our community by fostering diverse perspectives and promoting an environment that actively encourages girls to step into other people’s shoes. In a world of echo-chambers, Assisted Places create a breadth of perspectives.
Rest assured, that we remain committed to Assisted Places.
