The King Edward VI Foundation Birmingham is a charitable institution that operates thirteen schools in Birmingham, England.
The Foundation was registered as a charity in November 1963 under the name "The Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham". As of September 2022, the Foundation operates two independent schools and a multi-academy trust called the King Edward VI Academy Trust Birmingham, consisting of six selective schools, and five non-selective academy schools.
In 2019/20 the Foundation had a gross income of approximately £21 million, much of which is derived from extensive land holdings in the centre of Birmingham. The Academy Trust has a further income of approximately £47 million.
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Origins
On 28 October 1382, a chantry to say masses for the dead was established in New Street, Birmingham. As part of the religious settlement of King Henry VIII, laws were enacted suppressing all monasteries and chantries. In the case of chantries, little had occurred since the 1545 Act, so when King Edward VI came to the throne in 1547 new legislation to close chantries was soon enacted. Part of the process of suppressing chantries involved holding an inquiry into their property and assets. The New Street chantry was one of thousands abolished, though the people of Birmingham were told that the assets would not be seized by the Crown but made available for educational purposes.
When the assets still had not been returned to the town, a meeting was held at St Martin in the Bull Ring to petition the Crown to build a school on New Street on the land occupied by the former chantry. The Guild of the Holy Cross persuaded the Earl of Northumberland to release the land at New Street for the creation of a free Grammar School; a charter for its formation was issued on 2 January 1552 and King Edward VI School was opened in the chantry's hall. In 1883 a complementary Girls' School was formed, initially sharing the same site as the Boys' School.
Victorian expansion
Owning land in the very centre of Birmingham gave the Foundation a secure financial base. In 1883, five new King Edward's schools were created to meet the educational needs of the expanding population of the city of Birmingham.
Due to financial difficulties, many of the schools were forced to sell the land of their original location to buy the cheaper land from the surrounding area in the city. Many of the schools have since changed location since their founding, with only Aston remaining in its original buildings.
All of the Foundation's grammar schools are now a part of the King Edward VI Academy Trust.
King Edward VI Academy Trust
In 2013 the Foundation took control of Sheldon Heath Community College and it was renamed King Edward VI Sheldon Heath Academy. This marked the first time the Foundation had taken control of an existing educational establishment and its first non-selective school.
In September 2017 the Foundation divided the operation of its two independent schools (KES and KEHS) and its multiple grammar schools – including the non-selective KEVI Sheldon Heath Academy. A Multi-academy trust, known as the King Edward VI Academy Trust Birmingham, was formed to manage its non–fee-paying establishments, consisting of five grammar schools and one academy.
With the formation of the Academy Trust, the previously independent Handsworth Grammar School joined the foundation, becoming King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys. Since then, the Academy Trust has taken control of one educational establishment each year with the exception of 2020 (due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
The Academy Trust inductee for the 2023/24 academic year is King's Norton School for Boys, having received approval in 2023. The school is expected to formally join in January 2024.
Foundation Service
Since the expansion of the Foundation in 1883, Year 7 pupils from each school of the Foundation have met once a year at either St Martin's Church or the Aston Webb Building's Great Hall at the University of Birmingham for a service to commemorate the King Edward VI Foundation. At this service, pupils have historically read from The Bible, sung hymns, and been told the story of the creation of the Foundation. More recently, pupils have engaged in musical performances, short plays, and recited poems.