The Royal Wolverhampton School Foundation
A charity focused on supporting pupils of the Royal School Wolverhampton
The Royal Wolverhampton School Foundation traces its history back to the 1850 orphanage and the previous independent school – it retains the previous school’s name. It exists to provide extra but vital funding to The Royal School to support current pupils who urgently require a level of support not funded by the State.
Providing additional support for pupils in need
The costs of day-school education at The Royal School are funded by State grants. DfE and Social Services provide some top-up funding, principally for underprivileged children or those with learning difficulties and/or specified health needs. Social Services fund some boarding places for Looked-After Children.
Boarding at The Royal has proved to be spectacularly successful in helping vulnerable young people, facing difficult circumstances. Many have benefited greatly from a period in boarding. This has been officially recognised in recent awards by the Boarding School’s Association.
However, we know State funding is rarely enough. Each year, among its 1500 or so pupils, there are usually some whose needs are great, but who cannot gain the funding they need. They may be facing critical GCSE or A Level exams and living in an environment where space, family relationships and daily pressures mean study at home is almost impossible, but State funding is not available.
In these circumstances, the school may request funding from the Foundation and similar organisations to help place a small number of pupils into boarding for a short period.
Maintaining and developing unfunded facilities
The Foundation also may support important renovation or development projects, in parts of the school that are not funded by the State, which would not otherwise be achieved.
The school chapel, which has been at the heart of the school since 1853, and the sports / swimming pool complex are not considered to be essential educational facilities and therefore their full costs must be carried by The Royal School and any users of the facilities such as other schools, local clubs and the community. The school runs the largest Learn-To-Swim programme in the country, which demonstrates the importance of these facilities.
Funding these needs
The Foundation does not have a heritage of invested funds to do these things. Its assets were transferred to the Free School. It relies upon donations and bequests often from former pupils, friends of the school and parents of former and current pupils, all of whom recognise that they can make a significant difference to the lives young people at The Royal School.
Would you like to know more about the Foundation? Do you recognise these circumstances and needs and wish to play your part in helping these young people thrive?
If you would like to find out more, please follow the link to the new Royal School Foundation website.