Knowledge Schools Foundation Trust

The Knowledge Schools Foundation Trust is a UK charity dedicated to advancing education by providing supplementary resources to state-funded academies within the Knowledge Schools Trust, primarily in London and surrounding areas. Established to enrich pupils' learning beyond Department for Education grants, it embodies a commitment to a rigorous, knowledge-rich curriculum, broad co-curricular access, inclusion, and excellence for all students—regardless of background or ability—with special emphasis on pupil premium recipients to close the enrichment gap.

It funds targeted enrichment activities, including extra-curricular programmes, summer productions, musical events, books, educational equipment, sports facilities, academic competitions, school trips, cultural visits, and subsidies for disadvantaged pupils' participation in music, theatre, or outings. Grant examples include multi-use games areas, textbooks, trip subsidies, prizes, and guest speakers, all aimed at removing barriers to diverse in- and out-of-classroom experiences.

Eligible applicants are exclusively individuals or groups connected to Knowledge Schools Trust schools—such as headteachers, staff, PTAs, parents, or pupils—with mandatory endorsement from a headteacher, Local Governing Body chair, or CEO. Academic institutions outside the Trust are ineligible; no income or size restrictions apply, but applications must detail purpose, amount, impact, and need via email on a rolling basis, with trustee decisions per meeting schedules.

Grants range from several hundred to tens of thousands of pounds, focusing solely on project-based co-curricular enhancements, not core costs, unrestricted support, or external charities. Distinctively, it operates as a strategic partner only to its affiliated academies, rejecting unsolicited proposals and prioritizing unfunded enrichment for this tightly defined community.