Who can apply?
Grants for school-based projects can be made directly to Lambeth schools or to organisations working in schools. Organisations must also fulfil our eligibility criteria. The Walcot Foundation is a Living Wage Funder and we seek to ensure that all posts which are wholly or partially funded by us pay the Living Wage, unless there are particular reasons for this not to happen. Schools or organisations working in schools do not need to be registered Living Wage employers to apply to the Foundation but we do encourage schools and organisations to consider whether this is a possibility for them.
Please note - we only consider funding for school-based projects in our January/February grant round, funded projects should then begin at the start of the following academic year.
Grant size
We offer grants up to £30,000 per year for up to three years, however grants to primary schools are likely to be smaller.
Types of projects
Our grants for schools-based work (either directly to schools or via organisations working in schools) are designed to enhance opportunities and outcomes for pupils from non-advantaged Lambeth households (that is, families in receipt of means tested benefits, on very low incomes or without access to benefits). We take Pupil Premium - or being verifiably known to be slightly above the eligibility limit (e.g. in receipt of significant working tax credit) - as a proxy indicator of need. We are interested in receiving applications from projects that fit at least one of our five Priorities (below).
1. Supporting families under pressure
Empowering families to deal with the problems that are preventing them from thriving, such as poor housing, debt, benefits issues and difficulties in supporting their children’s education. This could involve funding advice projects or family support workers.
2. Improving engagement with education
Enabling pupils who are disengaged from education to achieve academically and/or vocationally, including projects that focus on the transition years or that work with students at risk of exclusion.
3. Building better mental health for children and young people.
Early intervention projects that help improve mental health and give children and young people effective coping skills for the future.
4. Increasing confidence and skills through positive activities.
Giving school-age children who would otherwise be prevented due to low-income the ability to take part in activities and experiences that build confidence and new skills. We support projects that specifically target and meet the needs of children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
5. Tackling youth unemployment
We support projects that are working with young people who have significant additional barriers to employment.
When reviewing which school-based projects to fund, we are more keen to consider projects that fulfil the following criteria:
Also, in making decisions on school-related projects, the Foundation will consider the geographical spread of its grants and the surrounding levels of deprivation in that school’s neighbourhood. In order to make sure there is a spread of school-related projects, a school can only have one active Walcot grant at a time. This includes a grant made directly to a community organisation or charity for a project that is taking place within the named school.
We will NOT fund the following:
Grants for school-based projects can be made directly to Lambeth schools or to organisations working in schools. Organisations must also fulfil our eligibility criteria. The Walcot Foundation is a Living Wage Funder and we seek to ensure that all posts which are wholly or partially funded by us pay the Living Wage, unless there are particular reasons for this not to happen. Schools or organisations working in schools do not need to be registered Living Wage employers to apply to the Foundation but we do encourage schools and organisations to consider whether this is a possibility for them.
Please note - we only consider funding for school-based projects in our January/February grant round, funded projects should then begin at the start of the following academic year.
Grant size
We offer grants up to £30,000 per year for up to three years, however grants to primary schools are likely to be smaller.
Types of projects
Our grants for schools-based work (either directly to schools or via organisations working in schools) are designed to enhance opportunities and outcomes for pupils from non-advantaged Lambeth households (that is, families in receipt of means tested benefits, on very low incomes or without access to benefits). We take Pupil Premium - or being verifiably known to be slightly above the eligibility limit (e.g. in receipt of significant working tax credit) - as a proxy indicator of need. We are interested in receiving applications from projects that fit at least one of our five Priorities (below).
1. Supporting families under pressure
Empowering families to deal with the problems that are preventing them from thriving, such as poor housing, debt, benefits issues and difficulties in supporting their children’s education. This could involve funding advice projects or family support workers.
2. Improving engagement with education
Enabling pupils who are disengaged from education to achieve academically and/or vocationally, including projects that focus on the transition years or that work with students at risk of exclusion.
3. Building better mental health for children and young people.
Early intervention projects that help improve mental health and give children and young people effective coping skills for the future.
4. Increasing confidence and skills through positive activities.
Giving school-age children who would otherwise be prevented due to low-income the ability to take part in activities and experiences that build confidence and new skills. We support projects that specifically target and meet the needs of children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
5. Tackling youth unemployment
We support projects that are working with young people who have significant additional barriers to employment.
When reviewing which school-based projects to fund, we are more keen to consider projects that fulfil the following criteria:
- Focused on one or more of the Governor Priorities
- Clear how the project proposal is additional to the school's core offer to pupils
- Provides targeted and sustained group activities or one-to-one activity with pupils from non-advantaged homes. We are unlikely to fund whole class activity.
- Projects which have some match-funding from schools
- A partnership with a community organisation or charity
Also, in making decisions on school-related projects, the Foundation will consider the geographical spread of its grants and the surrounding levels of deprivation in that school’s neighbourhood. In order to make sure there is a spread of school-related projects, a school can only have one active Walcot grant at a time. This includes a grant made directly to a community organisation or charity for a project that is taking place within the named school.
We will NOT fund the following:
- Independent schools
- Anything we consider to be the responsibility of central or local government
- Anything we consider could be reasonably met from the school's devolved budget
- Debt repayments
- Capital works such as classroom renovation and playground equipment