The King Edward VI Foundation

A History of Giving

The school’s very foundation is based on philanthropy and the desire to enable access to education to gifted children from less fortunate backgrounds.  In 1553, King Edward’s was founded by letters patent from King Edward VI, following a bequest from William Capon (1480-1550) who was the Rector of St Mary’s Church.  In his will, Capon left the sum of ‘one hundreth poundes’ to found a grammar school for “the poor scholars of Southampton” and in 1554 the school opened in Winkle Street inside the city wall near God’s House Tower gate.

Inspired by Capon’s vision the school is committed to its bursary fundraising programme, raising money solely for the provision of bursaries and fee assistance for gifted children who would otherwise be unable to benefit from all that the school offers.  Our hope is to continue the philosophy of giving upon which our school has been built. 

Gifts, Donations and Legacy Giving

The King Edward VI Foundation bursary programme aims to lift the barriers faced by gifted children from less affluent families and, much as Capon did, provide these pupils with educational opportunities they would not otherwise have, allowing them to achieve their academic potential and flourish in all meanings of the word. Our hope is that they can then go forward into the world being able to make a difference.

King Edward’s is one of the country’s leading independent day schools with numerous successful and distinguished alumni, many of whom attribute their influences and accomplishments to their formative years at KES.

The very nature of our fundraising for bursary provision reinforces our commitment to being a wholly aspirational, supportive and inclusive school community, recognising individuals in terms of their ability, hard work and effort, as opposed to their social and economic background or family circumstances.

We are extremely grateful for the gifts we receive from members of our Old Edwardian community and other friends of the School. These gifts are invaluable to the students who receive them and we are able to offer bursary funding, as a direct result of the generosity of our donors. The recipients of these awards are gifted pupils who, due to financial means, would not have been able to afford a King Edward's education. 

The gift of education is priceless

Ways of giving - How you can help 

Making a Donation 

Regular and one-off donations are a vital way of raising money and every gift made to the Foundation, regardless of size, is important. 

A modest donation from you can help us to offer the chance of a King Edward's education to worthy applicants. Please help us, to help them. 

Gift Giving Through Your Will 

We recognise that not everyone is in a position to make gifts during their lifetime but we urge you to consider leaving a legacy to the Foundation that will allow us to help the brightest and most deserving children.  King Edward’s is a registered charity and any gift in your will is exempt from UK inheritance tax.  Those who leave 10% or more of their net estate to charity will also be eligible for a reduction in their overall inheritance tax rate from 40% to 36%.

There are several different types of legacy and it is important that you seek professional advice when making or amending your will. Legacies of all sizes are vital in allowing us to provide bursaries to worthy applicants and continue fostering the spirit of charitable giving and the wholehearted belief in the importance of education demonstrated by our founder.

If you would like to discuss legacy giving or would like further information on how your gift will be used please contact the Development Team via edwardians@kes.hants.sch.uk