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 - 15 Mar
Great to see OR Toby Conway-Hughes (Br98) today, dropping off his incredible artwork for The Affordable Art Fair this Thursday, 14 March (from 4.30-7pm).Book your tickets herehttps://t.co/wxHArq8tlv with proceeds going to & pic.twitter.com/NZ8VOd1FMt
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@ReedsFoundation - 12 Mar
First Form pupils were treated to a reading of Michael Rosen's poems, No Breathing in Class, in the Library today as part of their World Book Day celebrations. Head of Library, Ms Horton, transformed the space into a school 'prison' and the boys had such fun reading along to this… pic.twitter.com/WF3Y9cP2EJ
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@ReedsFoundation - 12 Mar
The infamous magnolia tree in front of the school is suddenly in full bloom! A little bit of joy on this rainy, grey day. ☔️(Thanks to Mrs Lambert for the fab photo 👏)#magnolia#springhassprung#springflowers pic.twitter.com/ZK4gcdkC74
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@ReedsFoundation - 12 Mar
Today we are pleased to welcome students from to Reed's School to participate in Launch Car Challenge, a STEM activity for Year 5 students. pic.twitter.com/rDGb1bh82s
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@ReedsFoundation - 6 Mar
Today we are pleased to welcome students from to Reed's School to participate in the Launch Car Challenge, a STEM activity for Year 5 students. pic.twitter.com/8Bjr75om1e
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@ReedsFoundation - 6 Mar
From farm-fresh ingredients to bold flavours, every dish is a celebration of culinary excellence. Join us as we embark on a delicious journey that delights the palate. Arrive hungry, leave happy! 🌟 pic.twitter.com/pcuqUIkdgE
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@ReedsFoundation - 28 Feb
We are grateful for the continued partnership with and for helping us to support disadvantaged young people. Our educational bursaries are life-changing in so many ways.
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@ReedsFoundation - 21 Feb
Today we are pleased to welcome students from class 5 Rowling to Reed's School to participate in Launch Car Challenge, a STEM activity for Year 5 students. pic.twitter.com/8L8SKxYrzx
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@ReedsFoundation - 14 Feb
On this dull and rainy day, here is something to cheer everyone up! A heartwarming created by Diana, the Head of the Foundation Committee. Happy Valentine's Day to our amazing supporters. pic.twitter.com/mBple23Vmz
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@ReedsFoundation - 9 Feb
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! Today is a mufti day in aid of the Foundation. Thank you to the Reed's community. pic.twitter.com/b9QWv7EVyZ
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@ReedsFoundation - 8 Feb
On we wanted to share some photographs from a recent visit to from to take part in Launch Car Challenge! As a foundation, we are committed to sharing our resources with primary schools. pic.twitter.com/9OFaiWXH40
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@ReedsFoundation - 2 Feb
Congratulations Clare - well-deserved recognition of the difference you've made to so many families.
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@ReedsFoundation - 31 Jan
Today we were pleased to welcome students from class 5G to Reed's School to participate in Launch Car Challenge, a STEM activity for Year 5 students. We hope we have inspired some future engineers! pic.twitter.com/qsIzgPjPKa
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@ReedsFoundation - 17 Jan
Today we were pleased to welcome students from class 5P to Reed's School to participate in Launch Car Challenge, a STEM activity for Year 5 students. Below are photographs taken from last week's class (5F) pic.twitter.com/GAYUJCzncZ
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@ReedsFoundation - 16 Jan
Today we are pleased to welcome students from to Reed's School to participate in Launch Car Challenge, a STEM activity for Year 5 students. pic.twitter.com/WmxKHhfbbc
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@ReedsFoundation - 1 Dec
As partnership week comes to a close we finish showcasing one of our most successful partnerships. This week students from attended the final of . A fantastic 9-week STEM-based education programme. pic.twitter.com/MbDG7MmItD
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@ReedsFoundation - 30 Nov
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@ReedsFoundation - 30 Nov
During partnership week we wanted to share some of the ways in which we work with local schools. Today's focus is on how we share our facilities to help children to have access to a variety of sports. pic.twitter.com/b9Ge6qQpLo
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@ReedsFoundation - 29 Nov
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@ReedsFoundation - 29 Nov
During partnership week, we wanted to share some key facts about our long-established outreach programme. We are committed, as a school, to creating and delivering meaningful partnerships for the benefit of both Surrey and London schools. pic.twitter.com/FOwb9MZn35
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