The Schools Of King Edward Vi In Birmingham
Charity 529051
www.schoolsofkingedwardvi.co.uk
Overview
Summary
The Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham appears to operate less as a single school provider than as a long-established educational foundation coordinating a diverse family of schools, assets and support mechanisms. Its distinctive role lies in linking selective, comprehensive and independent education within one Birmingham-focused structure, while using governance, shared services, partnerships and financial support to extend opportunity. The available evidence suggests an institution seeking both educational excellence and wider civic influence, though its measurable impact on access and inequality is not yet clear.
Operational geography
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Edgbaston
Confidence: medium
The Foundation Office and the two independent schools operated by the sponsoring charity form a principal administrative and education campus. The supplied evidence does not directly establish the ward assignment.
- King Edward VI Foundation, Who we are
The Foundation comprises the sponsoring charity, which operates two independent schools, and the Foundation Office, which hosts central services. - King Edward's School, Contact us
King Edward's School states that it is in Birmingham. - King Edward VI Foundation, 2024/25 annual report and financial statements
The report identifies staff of the independent schools and Foundation Office as part of the charity's operations.
Aston
Confidence: medium
A current academy site is explicitly listed in Aston; the supplied evidence does not directly establish the ward assignment.
- Department for Education, Get Information About Schools: King Edward VI Academy Trust Birmingham
The Trust's academy list includes King Edward VI Aston School in Aston, Birmingham. - King Edward VI Foundation, 2024/25 annual report and financial statements
The Foundation provides executive, finance, personnel, operations and governance services to the twelve academies and owns academy land and buildings.
Frankley Great Park
Confidence: high
King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy is in Frankley, and Birmingham City Council records the site within Frankley Great Park ward.
- Department for Education, Get Information About Schools: King Edward VI Academy Trust Birmingham
The Trust's academy list includes King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy in Frankley, Birmingham. - Birmingham City Council postcode directory
Council election material places the academy site in Frankley Great Park ward.
Brandwood and Kings Heath
Confidence: high
Two current Foundation academies share a campus in Kings Heath, and Birmingham City Council identifies the campus as within Brandwood and King's Heath ward.
- Department for Education, Get Information About Schools: King Edward VI Academy Trust Birmingham
The Trust's academy list includes King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys and King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls in Kings Heath, Birmingham. - Birmingham City Council, Vicarage Road Allotments directory entry
The council records the campus area in Brandwood and King's Heath ward.
Bartley Green
Confidence: medium
King Edward VI Five Ways School is explicitly located in Bartley Green; the supplied evidence does not directly establish the ward assignment.
- Department for Education, Get Information About Schools: King Edward VI Academy Trust Birmingham
The Trust's academy list includes King Edward VI Five Ways School in Bartley Green, Birmingham. - King Edward VI Foundation, 2024/25 annual report and financial statements
The Foundation provides operational and governance services to the Academy Trust's twelve academies and owns their land and buildings.
Handsworth
Confidence: medium
Two current academies are located in Handsworth; the supplied evidence does not directly establish the ward assignment.
- Department for Education, Get Information About Schools: King Edward VI Academy Trust Birmingham
The Trust's academy list includes King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys and King Edward VI Handsworth School in Handsworth, Birmingham. - King Edward VI Foundation, Who we are
The Foundation states that its Academy Trust hosts six grammar and six comprehensive academies in Birmingham.
Handsworth Wood
Confidence: high
A current academy site is in Handsworth Wood, and Birmingham City Council's planning record explicitly assigns that site to Handsworth Wood ward.
- Department for Education, Get Information About Schools: King Edward VI Academy Trust Birmingham
The Trust's academy list includes King Edward VI Handsworth Wood Girls' Academy in Handsworth, Birmingham. - Birmingham City Council planning record 2024/05235/PA
The planning record for Handsworth Wood Academy identifies the ward as Handsworth Wood.
Bournville and Cotteridge
Confidence: high
King Edward VI King's Norton School for Boys is a current academy, and a Birmingham City Council planning record assigns its site to Bournville and Cotteridge ward.
- Department for Education, Get Information About Schools: King Edward VI Academy Trust Birmingham
The Trust's academy list includes King Edward VI King's Norton School for Boys in King's Norton, Birmingham. - Birmingham City Council planning record
The council's record for King's Norton Boys School identifies the ward as Bournville and Cotteridge.
Harborne
Confidence: medium
A current academy is explicitly located in Harborne; the supplied evidence does not directly establish the ward assignment.
- Department for Education, Get Information About Schools: King Edward VI Academy Trust Birmingham
The Trust's academy list includes King Edward VI Lordswood School for Girls in Harborne, Birmingham. - King Edward VI Foundation, 2024/25 annual report and financial statements
The Foundation provides executive leadership, finance, accounting, payroll, personnel, operations and governance services to Academy Trust academies.
Longbridge and West Heath
Confidence: high
King Edward VI Northfield School for Girls is in Turves Green, and council election material records the site within Longbridge and West Heath ward.
- Department for Education, Get Information About Schools: King Edward VI Academy Trust Birmingham
The Trust's academy list includes King Edward VI Northfield School for Girls in Turves Green, Northfield, Birmingham. - Birmingham City Council election material
Council election material identifies the academy site within Longbridge and West Heath ward.
Sheldon
Confidence: medium
King Edward VI Sheldon Heath Academy is explicitly located in Sheldon; the supplied evidence does not directly establish the ward assignment.
- Department for Education, Get Information About Schools: King Edward VI Academy Trust Birmingham
The Trust's academy list includes King Edward VI Sheldon Heath Academy in Sheldon, Birmingham. - King Edward VI Foundation, Who we are
The Foundation describes its Academy Trust as comprising twelve academies serving Birmingham.
Remaining uncertainties
- The evidence establishes a dispersed Birmingham school estate and central office, but does not provide a complete current site-by-site register for every Foundation-owned facility, playing field or community-use venue.
- The primary-school partnerships programme operates across the Birmingham local-authority boundary, but the public page does not publish a current complete list or locations of participating primary schools. It therefore supports a citywide operational reach but not additional specific ward entries.
- The independent schools draw pupils from across the West Midlands and the Foundation says it influences beyond Birmingham. This is evidence of a wider beneficiary and influence geography, not sufficient evidence of regular physical service delivery outside Birmingham.
- Several ward assignments cannot be directly confirmed because the Department for Education source identifies school locations but does not provide ward codes.
Additional evidence needed
- A current Foundation estate or school-site register, including any separately operated sports, arts or community facilities.
- A current list of active partner primary schools and the locations and frequency of partnership activity.
- A Foundation or Academy Trust service map confirming which central services are delivered at each academy site and whether any additional Birmingham venues are regularly used.
Areas of work
- Education/training
Who they help
- Children/young People
How they help
- Makes Grants To Organisations
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
- Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space
- Provides Human Resources
- Provides Services
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A foundation model connecting otherwise separate school types
The organisation appears to be a convening and governing foundation rather than a conventional single-school charity. Its combination of independent schools, academies, selective schools and comprehensive schools may give it an unusual ability to share resources, practice and relationships across parts of the education system that often operate separately.
Why it matters
This helps explain its potential civic value: its influence may come as much from connections between schools as from provision within any individual school.
Show evidence
“The Foundation describes its schools as a rare combination of independent schools and academies, both selective and comprehensive.”
Source:Organisation“The governors must keep a register of all schools of the Foundation.”
Source:Charity Commission
Access is embedded alongside excellence
The organisation's stated ambition for educational excellence is paired with formal powers to provide bursaries, grants and other financial support. This suggests that access for financially disadvantaged pupils is not merely a peripheral programme, although the scale and reach of support are unknown.
Why it matters
It identifies a central tension worth examining: whether a foundation containing selective and independent education can translate its resources into broader educational mobility across Birmingham.
Show evidence
“The charity may give grants, bursaries or other payments to pupils or students attending, or successfully applying to attend, schools of the Foundation who need financial assistance.”
Source:Charity Commission“The Foundation states that it seeks to raise aspirations and transform lives through forward-thinking and inclusive education.”
Source:Organisation
The organisation may be extending its role beyond secondary schools
Primary partnerships, teacher training, community activities and opportunities to join the academy trust suggest an operating model that reaches beyond direct secondary-school education. It may be positioning itself as an educational network-builder with influence over local pathways into teaching and secondary education.
Why it matters
This points to potential relationships with primary schools, prospective teachers and other schools that may be more important to its local role than its charity classification alone implies.
Show evidence
“The website includes Partner Primary Schools, Initial teacher training and Join the King Edward VI Academy Trust.”
Source:Organisation“The latest news includes Celebrating Three Successful Years of our Primary Partnerships.”
Source:Organisation“The charity objects include ancillary or incidental educational activities and associated activities for the benefit of the community, including evening classes.”
Source:Charity Commission
- How resources, admissions opportunities and outcomes differ across the Foundation's selective, comprehensive and independent schools.
- Whether bursaries, primary partnerships and teacher training materially improve access or attainment for disadvantaged Birmingham communities.
- Which community organisations, local authorities or education providers are active partners beyond the schools themselves.
Remaining uncertainties
- Annual reports or impact data showing pupil demographics, bursary spending, attainment and destination outcomes by school type.
- A current list of Foundation schools, primary partners and delivery partners, including the nature of each relationship.
- Evidence on shared services, resource allocation and collaboration between independent schools and academies.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
The education of boys and girls from Birmingham and surrounding areas through the schools or otherwise
Charity objects
(1) THE OBJECT OF THE CHARITY IS, FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT, TO ADVANCE EDUCATION (INCLUDING PHYSICAL EDUCATION) THROUGH ANY OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING MEANS: (A) THE PROVISION OF A SITE OR SITES FOR ANY SCHOOL OF THE FOUNDATION; (B) THE SUPPORT AND/OR MAINTENANCE AND/OR CONDUCT OF SCHOOLS OF THE FOUNDATION INCLUDING: (I) ANCILLARY OR INCIDENTAL EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND ASSOCIATED ACTIVITIES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY (INCLUDING EVENING CLASSES); (II) THE SUPPORT (BOTH FINANCIAL AND NON-FINANCIAL) OF ANY CHARITY ESTABLISHED IN CONNECTION WITH ONE OR MORE OF THE SCHOOLS OF THE FOUNDATION; (C) GIVING GRANTS, BURSARIES OR OTHER PAYMENTS TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS ATTENDING (OR SUCCESSFULLY APPLYING TO ATTEND) ANY SCHOOL OF THE FOUNDATION WHO ARE IN NEED OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE; (D) AWARDING TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS ATTENDING (OR WHO HAVE ATTENDED) ANY SCHOOL OF THE FOUNDATION PRIZES, SCHOLARSHIPS, EXHIBITIONS, BURSARIES, MAINTENANCE ALLOWANCES OR GRANTS TENABLE AT ANY SCHOOL OF THE FOUNDATION OR AT ANY SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, OR OTHER INSTITUTION OF FURTHER (INCLUDING PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL) EDUCATION APPROVED FOR THE PURPOSE BY THE GOVERNORS. (2) THE GOVERNORS SHALL KEEP A REGISTER OF ALL SCHOOLS OF THE FOUNDATION (INCLUDING THOSE SCHOOLS THAT ARE SCHOOLS OF THE FOUNDATION ON 7 MARCH 2012).