ADVANCING EDUCATION

ENCOURAGING PUPILS

SUPPORTING THE SCHOOL

The aims of the King James's School Foundation

Welcome to the King James’s School Foundation, based in the village of Almondbury. We give grants to promote the education of those under 25 who attend or formerly attended King James’s School and / or live in the Ancient Parish of Almondbury, as defined by the map at the foot of the page.

In recent years, these grants have helped to fund World Challenge expeditions to Vietnam and Cambodia, sports training with expenses and special music training at summer schools.

We support the King James's school minibus used for extra-curricular sports fixtures and the Reward Shop. Recently, we supported the PTA of a local first school in providing an outdoor activity trail in their playground.

The Charity was established in 1608 and its assets have been subject to various additions. It is currently governed by a scheme approved by the Charity Commission in 2001 which details its objectives. All allocations of funds must be within the scope of these objectives:

To continue to permit the land containing 1.132 hectares or thereabouts, situate at Almondbury in the County of West Yorkshire, together with the buildings thereon to be appropriated and used for the purposes of the school called King James's School.

To provide items, services and facilities for King James's School, or to assist in the provision thereof, as may be agreed with the School governors, to advance education.

To promote the education of individual pupils attending the School at the time of their application for assistance, in such ways as the Trustees think fit.

To promote the education of persons who are under age 25 years who are resident in the Ancient Parish of Almondbury, in such charitable ways as the Trustees shall think fit.

The Foundation welcomes grant applications at any time. Please complete this form giving us your contact details and the grant you are seeking and our trustees will be happy to give it full consideration.

Castle Hill long shot Fran WIlson copy_edited.jpg

Income from historic endowments, land and properties helps to support the school, its pupils and other young people, and to maintain the grounds on which the buildings stand.

The total value of grants awarded by the Foundation over the past five years was more than £50,000, an amount that would have been greater had it not been affected by the Covid pandemic.

Where the money goes: beneficiaries of the fund

Since 2024 KJSF has supported the 37th Almondbury Scout Movement in various ways including providing a space for regular meetings and activities while the Scout Hut is out of action. A sum of £2000 was donated towards the Scouts' rebuilding fund and we are committed to supporting the movement in the future.

In 2025 we supported a pupil from Holmfirth High School who participated in World Challenge.
We have donated to the Rowley Lane Junior and Infant School PTA in order to support their upgrading of the external play area.

Over the 2025 summer holiday we donated £20,000 towards the cost of re-surfacing the tennis courts at King James's school and over the next two years we will be contributing towards the cost of re-surfacing the all-weather pitch.
Since 2024 we have supported the establishment of an Alternative Provision unit on the school site upgrading an existing building which belonged to KJSF to be used for teaching small groups of pupils in order to support inclusion and reintegration.
We continue to support the minibus rental, fuel, insurance and driver training and the Reward System which is an incentive system linked to achievement points for engagement with learning. Members of the Student committee attended a KJSF meeting and bid for funding.
KJSF's funding derives from income from its property portfolio which is managed by Paisley's Estate Agents, Almondbury.The foundation is responsible for maintaining the property and its insurance and administration. We are also reponsible for maintaining the land on which the historic buildings of the school stand.

History of the Foundation

From the time of the school charter in 1608, a piece of land was conveyed to a trust fund to be held for the purposes of the school and occupied by it in perpetuity. This represents an area of approximately 2.8 acres and that covers the oldest part of the school.

Since the 17th century, the assets of the fund have grown through gifts from benefactors. Particularly noteworthy was the winding-up of Wormall’s Charity in about 1880 and the subsequent transfer of its assets to the King James’s Trust.

The King James School is currently governed by a scheme approved by the Charity Commission on September 17, 2001, which details the objectives of the charity. The capital value of properties owned by the Foundation, along with other investments, is in the region of £2m. This enables the Foundation to make substantial grants each year to the School and to individual beneficiaries.