Our ambition is to give young people an excellent education and opportunities that help shape their futures. Delivering that ambition takes careful planning and strong finances.
Enabling Priority 1 (EP1), our Financial Plan, brings together how we fund our schools, manage the Foundation’s investments and develop new sources of income. It will help us meet today’s needs while building the resources to achieve more in the years ahead.
Why does this matter?
An excellent education needs great teaching, caring support, welcoming spaces, and buildings and equipment that work well. As costs rise, we need to plan carefully so we can sustain these essentials, make improvements and respond when something unexpected happens. Planning ahead also allows us to pursue new opportunities for our pupils.
What are we working towards?
- Schools we can be proud of: safe, welcoming and well cared for, with the facilities pupils and staff need.
- More opportunities for young people: experiences and support that help pupils discover their talents and build their futures.
- Money that goes further: schools working together, sharing expertise and buying together where this gives us better value.
- New sources of support: building relationships with former pupils, supporters and partners to raise funds and create more opportunities.
- A secure future: planning across our academy trust, independent schools and Foundation so we can meet today’s needs and invest in tomorrow.
How will we put this into practice?
We will use proven approaches to plan teaching and staffing together, care for our buildings and keep money available for unexpected needs and future investment.
Stronger shared services will help us make the most of our collective size. Clear roles and authority will enable colleagues closest to the work to make timely decisions within agreed budgets, with support when they need it.
We will set clear expectations for how money is managed and check progress regularly, so we can spot problems early and take action. These are practical connections with EP2, our work on organisational structure and culture, and EP3, which clarifies who makes decisions and how they are held accountable.
We will prioritise spending where it is needed most, recognising that our schools have different needs and directing resources where they can make the greatest difference for pupils.
How does the Foundation’s endowment help?
For generations, the Foundation has looked after investments and property known as its endowment. These assets provide lasting support for our educational and charitable work. Our responsibility is to care for them and use them well - earning income and growing their value over time, while balancing what we spend today with what we preserve for the future. Over the longer term, our ambition is for the endowment to widen educational opportunities and benefit more young people.
What will success look like?
Success means our schools have the resources to provide an excellent education, maintain welcoming and well-equipped buildings, and offer experiences that broaden pupils’ horizons.
It also means we can plan confidently, respond to unexpected pressures and invest in our ambitions. By managing our finances well today, we can make a lasting difference to more young people tomorrow.
Please look out for further updates on the Foundation’s 2026–2031 strategy.
