Schools of King Edward VI Birmingham

Schools of King Edward VI Birmingham

The King Edward VI Foundation was established by a charter from King Edward VI in 1552, absorbing the assets of the Guild of the Holy Cross. It operates fourteen secondary schools across Birmingham — a deliberate mix of selective independents, selective state academies, and comprehensive schools. Jodh Dhesi, as CEO since 2020, oversees an entity that is both a service provider to its pupil population and a steward of the endowment that makes its mission possible. The foundation’s investment assets are managed across a long-term portfolio allocated to UK equities, fixed income, and direct real estate holdings. Directly owned properties include the Edgbaston campus, the Bordesley Centre on Stratford Road, and a commercial portfolio in Birmingham city centre — notably land on New Street. The endowments for King Edward’s School and King Edward VI High School for Girls operate as parallel trusts, with a pooled investment mandate. The foundation is a signatory to the UK Stewardship Code through its fiduciary manager, Schroders. The financial scale remains opaque: the foundation does not publish audited investment returns or asset values. Its team size is undisclosed. The Investment Committee is chaired by Mark Lee, former CEO of Calthorpe Estates, with Vice Chair Erica Conway, CFO of the University of Birmingham. The foundation operates through the King Edward VI Academy Trust Birmingham, which it sponsors and to which it provides land, buildings, and administrative infrastructure (per firm website). Structurally, the foundation is a charitable corporation that functions as an estate manager, a school operator, and an investment office under one governance roof. Unlike most endowed charities, its operating model ties its real estate directly to its educational mission — land generates income and houses schools — creating a balance sheet that resists separation from its charitable purpose.