A History of the Foundation - Andrew Reed Foundation
History of the foundation 1

A History of the Foundation

THE BEGINNING

A huge debt of gratitude is owed to one man: the Founder of Reed’s School, Reverend Dr Andrew Reed, a visionary and social reformer, ahead of his time. 

In the early 1800s, as a young Minister based in Stepney, Reed found himself holding the hand of a dying parishioner. The man’s wife had passed away and his final wish was that his two young daughters would be cared for. Reed’s own mother had been left a penniless orphan and, recalling this, he agreed to help. 

The granting of this simple wish would lead the way to a life dedicated to philanthropy, changing the futures of thousands of children over the next 200 years.  In his search to find suitable care for the girls, Reed visited many orphanages and was appalled at the circumstances he found. He believed that a better solution must exist and, with the help of a small but committed group of supporters, who all shared his vision that the poor should not surrender their dignity in the face of poverty, resolved to make it reality.

The outcome was the founding in 1813 of a charitable foundation: the London Orphan Asylum in Clapton, East London. The word ‘asylum’ was carefully chosen to signify a place of shelter, safety and education for vulnerable children. Indeed, so driven was Reed by the need for social reform, he founded several other charitable institutions including the Royal Hospital for Incurables in Putney (now the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability), the Reedham Orphanage and the Infant Orphan Asylum in Wanstead.

FROM 1813 TO TODAY

With a move to Watford in 1871, the London Orphan Asylum charitable foundation was renamed the London Orphan School (LOS), which later became Reed’s School in the early 1940s. This heritage attests to the fact that we are not a school with a Foundation but, importantly, a Foundation with a school.

Funding this charitable foundation was a constant challenge, but Reed refused to be daunted. His resolve saw him appeal to wealthy members of the City, the gentry and the Royal Family. He knew that their patronage would bring prestige to the charity and also instil confidence in its other benefactors. This support remains today.

During World War Two, the boys were evacuated to Totnes in Devon and the girls to Towcester in Northamptonshire. In 1946, the girls moved to Dogmersfield Park in Hampshire and the boys took up residency at our present site in Cobham.

From 1813 to the late 1950s, every pupil who attended the School had lost the support of one or both parents and so was fully funded by the Foundation, receiving the education and care to transform their futures. Then, due to financial difficulties, it became necessary to take on fee-paying pupils as well, creating the thriving and successful School we are today. 

The Foundation remains central to our purpose: the challenge is to ensure we can continue to offer no less than 10% of our pupils, who come from vulnerable social backgrounds, the opportunity to change the course of their lives by raising aspirations, inspiring confidence and providing a well-rounded education.

VISIT REED'S HERITAGE SITE

VIEW OUR TIMELINE

 

The Foundation in the News

@ReedsFoundation - 8 Jun
On we wanted to share some photographs from our archives. The Foundation has been supporting children who have lost the support of a parent since 1813! Things have changed, but what remains the same is our mission to create brighter futures! pic.twitter.com/vgbobkGNYR
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@ReedsFoundation - 8 Jun
Do you know a boy in Year 5 who has lost the support of one or both parents and would benefit from a life-changing education at Reed's School? Applications for September 2024 are now open! pic.twitter.com/t4ze14rTdE
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@ReedsFoundation - 7 Jun
It's exam season at - bet you don't miss those days ? But how lucky are we to be surrounded by so many for pupils, staff & visitors to relax, breathe & take in nature. Thanks to our ground staff for your #goodforthesoul#taketimeout pic.twitter.com/ULCvbtRe0b
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@ReedsFoundation - 26 May
As we head into the bank holiday weekend, we wanted to share this wonderful created by Diana, the Head of the Foundation Committee. pic.twitter.com/vzjjzKiohr
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@ReedsFoundation - 24 May
Do you know a boy in Year 5 who has lost the support of one or both parents and would benefit from a life-changing education at Reed's School? Applications for September 2024 are now open! pic.twitter.com/dXmPlRFhVk
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@ReedsFoundation - 18 May
Always good to be reminded that our Foundation and would not exist without the inspiring work of our Founder, Dr. Rev Andrew Reed. https://t.co/ZzkOQlo9rq
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@ReedsFoundation - 16 May
Just one of the many opportunities our Foundation students can choose to take part in during their time at Reed's School. https://t.co/QCRwAEHNy8
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@ReedsFoundation - 15 May
Wishing all our Foundationers the best of luck in their exams. https://t.co/uNuP0GI0hj
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@ReedsFoundation - 12 May
Do you know a Year 10 girl who has lost the support of a parent? We offer transformational bursaries for girls to attend the Sixth Form . Applications for September 2024 entry are now open! pic.twitter.com/pvRkC3WnRK
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@ReedsFoundation - 11 May
We're recruiting! There are some great job opportunities available here at Reed's School, so if you're looking for a new challenge and to work in a friendly and supportive community look no further! https://t.co/ibqQ60X4Q7 pic.twitter.com/zGHlpBfEDT
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@ReedsFoundation - 11 May
Do you know a boy in Year 5 who has lost the support of one or both parents and would benefit from a life-changing education at Reed's School? Applications for September 2024 are now open! pic.twitter.com/lnhT47giIZ
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@ReedsFoundation - 5 May
As we head into the , we wanted to share this amazing created by Diana, the Head of the Foundation Committee. pic.twitter.com/S6biR4HJjp
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@ReedsFoundation - 4 May
Please come along and find out more information about our wonderful Founder and the work of the Andrew Reed Foundation. https://t.co/sLQMzgvUxb
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@ReedsFoundation - 3 May
The Foundation has supported a staggering 13,000 children since our Founder, Reverend Dr Andrew Reed founded the Foundation in 1813! For more information on our qualifying criteria, please visit https://t.co/JP8ELbnCHs pic.twitter.com/0RlJkmwpKx
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@ReedsFoundation - 3 May
Now they've had over a week to recover, we wanted to offer another big THANK YOU to our runners raising nearly £13,000 for the . A great collaboration between & parents & staff...take a bow !👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/Vk6dpw6SJZ
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@ReedsFoundation - 27 Apr
pic.twitter.com/fXbzjxHkWF
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@ReedsFoundation - 27 Apr
Today 12 teams from 7 primary schools attended the Launch Car Challenge Final .Thank you to Simon Waugh, Mayor of Elmbridge who joined us, and to for sponsoring this initiative. Congratulations to the winning team from pic.twitter.com/bckwPNzdrA
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@ReedsFoundation - 21 Apr
Wishing all the London Marathon runners best of luck for Sunday! Thank you for choosing to raise money for the Foundation. https://t.co/AVGXeA5wTk
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@ReedsFoundation - 18 Apr
Really looking forward to welcoming pupils back for the start of tomorrow. The grounds are looking stunning in the sun today, huge thanks to our amazing team of gardeners & groundsmen who work tirelessly to ensure our spirits are lifted by the results of their work! pic.twitter.com/efn2tE1Rk6
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@ReedsFoundation - 31 Mar
This week, we welcomed children from for a Science and Engineering activity in which they use WeDo Kits to create working models. As you can see, there was lots of fantastic teamwork within the groups. pic.twitter.com/UyigVTpk3K
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