Support Us

Parental support is vital to the success of any school. Here at K.E.S. we are fortunate in having many parents who are able to contribute to School life in a number of ways. These include:

• Supporting the King Edward VI School Fund “Pound-a-Day” Scheme

• Donor Wall

• Legacy Bequests

• Join a Parents' Association

One of the greatest strengths of the School is the huge range of additional extra-curricular and enrichment opportunities that are made available to all of our students.   Unfortunately these activities do not attract funding from central government but we have traditionally been able to rely upon parental voluntary contributions to the School Fund to support this programme. 

This money provides vital on-going financial support including the subsidising of School trips and expeditions, assistance with musical performances and drama productions, transport and refreshments for sports fixtures, academic/extra-curricular competition entry fees, hire of specialist facilities and insurance cover for equipment and students. 

However, as a result of the significant funding cuts we face as a state school, we are increasingly reliant on parental contributions to the School Fund not only to ensure that the extra-curricular provision that we currently offer remains sustainable but also to help enrich the full spectrum of the School’s work. 

If you would like to contribute towards the King Edward VI School Fund “Pound-a-Day” Scheme (a suggested amount is £30 per month or £365 annually), you will see on the attached Donation Form that there are various higher and lower amounts that you can choose to pay through convenient standing orders. There is also the ability to claim back tax if you are a higher rate taxpayer.  Please do note that it is very important that you also complete the Gift Aid Declaration, if relevant, as it will ensure that we gain the maximum benefit from your contribution.

We thank you for considering our request. Please return completed forms to the School Office.

The Donor Wall is an art installation in the lobby of the Spender Building featuring wooden book spines engraved with the names of those who have made a donation to the School. Three categories of donation are available, which are reflected in the size and engraving options for the book spines.

There is also the opportunity to become an official Benefactor of the School for gifts received in excess of £10,000, which will be marked through an engraved shelf.

The Donor Wall is being commissioned in sections, as donations are received, and will therefore be a long-term scheme open to parents and supporters of the School.

If you wish to make a donation at any time, please complete the attached donation form, giving us details of the engraving you wish for the book spine. Payments can be made by bank transfer or cheque, or by standing order for monthly gifts. If you have any queries or wish to discuss making a donation please contact future@kes.net or the School Office. Please return donor wall forms to the School Office.

Tax Benefits – Making your gift go further
Any donation made to School can be enhanced through tax arrangements

Gift Aid
As the School Fund has charitable status, we can claim back the basic rate of tax you have paid on your gift, at no extra cost to you.  This means that for every £1 you give, the School can claim an extra 25p in Gift Aid from HMRC.

Tax Relief for Higher Rate Taxpayers
If you are a higher rate tax payer, you may be entitled to claim tax relief of 20% or 25% of your gross gift to the School – the difference between the basic rate of 20% tax and the higher rate of 40% or 45% tax.

Gifts of Shares
If you make a gift of publicly quoted shares, you will be eligible to claim income or corporation tax relief at 40% of the current market value of the shares.  You will also be exempt from paying capital gains tax on gifts of quoted and unquoted shares, works of art and property.

Payroll Giving
If your employer has a payroll giving scheme, you can give any amount to School and receive immediate tax relief at your highest rate. Please contact your tax or financial advisor for individual information.

Match Funding
Many employers offer a match-funding scheme whereby money donated to a charitable organisation by an employee is matched by a donation from the employer. If your employer offers such a scheme, this can be extremely beneficial to School.  Please contact us at future@kes.net to discuss this.

King Edward VI School is an exceptional school and is regularly ranked in the top West Midlands Schools in the Sunday Times Guide. We seek to prepare our students for rewarding lives, aware of their obligation to serve the local, national and internal communities in a fast changing world, and to inculcate in them a sense of pride in the unique character of Shakespeare’s School.  The School owes its existence and heritage to the Guild of the Holy Cross, a social and religious membership organisation, and to one of its chaplains Thomas Jolyffe who endowed the school in 1482. King Edward VI re-endowed the school in 1553 by Royal Chart after the Reformation, enabling the education of generations of students for over 460 years since.

Charitable legacies today offer a way for alumni and their families to give back by helping others, and in the educational world to influence the opportunities for future generations of students. We are delighted that our alumni wish to help future generations of K.E.S students, and we have therefore established The 1553 Society so that we can thank during their lifetimes, those who have pledged to support the School with legacy bequests.

Through the Society, we want to celebrate the School’s achievements and share our plans, so that donors can appreciate how their gifts will help support the school’s future successes. Whether your legacy is small or large, it can help King Edward VI School continue to provide to all its students a huge range of opportunities at the very highest standards. Members of The 1553 Society will receive:

·         Regular information about the School’s achievements and plans
·         The opportunity to attend an annual society event
·         Invitations to other social and informative events
·         Recognition/acknowledgement amongst the School Community if desired

A legacy bequest enables you to support the School in a way which may not be practical or possible during your lifetime, and can be simply done by adding into a new will, or as a codicil to an existing will. Legacy giving is highly tax effective as:

·         It reduces the overall Inheritance Tax on your estate
·         It is free of Capital Gains Tax and Income Tax

Our legacy bequest leaflet is attached and can be downloaded. Once completed please return to KESFuture at the School Office. For more information or to discuss a legacy bequest, please contact the School Development Office on future@kes.net.