The St Albans School Foundation

At St Albans School we believe that education is the key to breaking the cycle of inequality and promoting social mobility.

The St Albans School Foundation was created to broaden access to the high-quality education and resources available at St Albans School by awarding financial support and free places to talented children from less advantageous backgrounds.

Honouring our history by creating change

St Albans School has a long history of needs-blind admissions dating back to its inception when education was supported through the monastic fund, then through local businesses and the Wine Charter: other recipients of which were Oxford and Cambridge Universities. In more recent times, the School was well-recognised as a Direct Grant School, providing a free education to young boys based on merit, and financially supported by Department of Education.

"St Albans School opened the windows to a wider world I would not have known otherwise. I have had a more varied and satisfying life as a result of my time there – and, 50 years on, I still draw on what I learned. I have been a committed supporter of the School’s Bursary Fund for a number of years and would encourage others to do the same. Those of us who have benefitted from the Direct Grant system can help to create the same life-changing opportunities for future generations of St Albans School pupils."
Neil Osborn (OA 1968), Chairman of Governors

"I would not have been able to attend St Albans School without the bursary. In addition to all the positive impacts that the School had on my A Level studies, they also really encouraged me to pursue extra-curricular opportunities. The confidence and drive I developed at St Albans School has allowed me to reach for my ambitions throughout my undergraduate degree at Durham University, my Masters at Imperial College London and currently within my PhD in Chemical Engineering at King’s College London."
Ellen Piercy (OA 2015)