Funding for secondary schools & sixth form colleges
Our 2026 funding round is now closed, and we will make funding decisions in November 2026.
We expect to share the dates and details of our next funding round in spring 2027.
Eligibility
We support high-achieving state-funded secondary schools and sixth form colleges to improve the teaching at GCSE and A-Level of subjects that need specialist spaces and equipment. We award grants towards capital projects that help schools to create and improve these facilities.
This information does not apply to special schools, which should apply under our funding for special needs schools and colleges.
Your school or college should:
- be state funded
- have at least two years of exam results available
- have been inspected by Ofsted / Estyn / HMIE / ETI and have an overall outcome, or majority of ratings, of ‘Good’ or above (or ‘Strong Standard’ or above in Ofsted’s new grading system)
- be able to demonstrate an achieved level of excellence OR significant progress towards excellence through, for example, inspection reports and progress made by students
- if a predominantly denominational or faith-based school, it should have a non-discriminatory entry policy in respect of religious allegiance with at least 10% of pupils of other denominations, faiths or none.
In assessing the excellence of a school or college we also consider the local context, including deprivation measures and previous Wolfson support in the same region within the last five years.
Your project must:
- cost at least £25,000
- be for new build, refurbishment work or technical equipment
- be focussed on the teaching of one or more of the following subjects at GCSE and A-Level: science, computer science, design & technology, art, languages, music and performing arts.
and have one or more of the following aims:
- improved quality of teaching and learning spaces for subjects which require specialist facilities and technical equipment
- increased numbers of students taking these subjects
- improved learning outcomes for students taking these subjects.
Other programmes that may be of interest
What we don't fund
Examples of ineligible projects and costs include:
- Musical instruments
- General auditorium refurbishments
- General IT infrastructure and classrooms
- Library facilities
- Sports facilities
- General building improvements
- Purchase of land or existing buildings (including a building’s freehold)
- Grants direct to individuals
- Grants through conduit organisations
- Overheads, maintenance costs and VAT
- Non-specific appeals (including circulars) and endowment funds
- Costs of meetings, exhibitions, concerts, expeditions, conferences, lectures, etc.
- Salary costs
- Running costs, including vehicle fuel and maintenance
- Film, websites or promotional materials
- Repayment of loans
- Projects that have already been completed or will be by the time of award.
How to apply
In 2026 we are continuing with a one-stage application process for this funding programme.
Our 2026 funding round is now closed. We expect to share the dates and details of our next funding round in spring 2027.
Applications are submitted online, via our online application system.
If you are part of a MAT
- If the applicant school or college is a member of a multi-academy trust (MAT), the application should be submitted by the MAT
- MATs are only allowed to submit one application each funding round
If you are not part of a MAT
Applications should be submitted by the school or college itself, not a fundraising body.
What to include
Information required will include:
- a brief description of the project, including the total cost
- the current funding shortfall
- the proposed timetable.
It is important that the application comes with the full backing of the institution and you will be asked to confirm that it has the support of both the Chief Executive of the MAT (if applicable) and the Headteacher of the school or college.
See the list of questions you will be asked to complete in your online application.
Match funding
Matching funds may include funds raised towards elements of the capital project that are not eligible for Wolfson funding (e.g. contingency). They should not be for funds raised towards staff costs or core funding. If you will need additional funding to deliver the project but have not yet secured this, you should give details of your fundraising strategy for raising the balance.
Planning permission
Any necessary planning permission should be in place. If you have not yet received formal planning permission but you think it may be granted soon, please contact us for advice.
Project timing
Grants are not made retrospectively, so your project must not have been completed at the time that a funding decision is made.
How applications are assessed
Your application will be assessed according to:
- the eligibility and level of excellence of the school or college
- the eligibility of the proposed project
- the timescale for fundraising and undertaking the project. We work with educational data specialists SchoolDash to support this process.
If we can consider your application further, it will then be assessed by our expert panel who will make grant recommendations. If we require any additional information to support the assessment of your application, we will be in touch.
If you've applied before
If we have previously awarded your school or college a grant, we are unable to accept another application until five years have passed since the date your last award was offered. This is because our programme is over-subscribed and we want to support as many schools and colleges as possible. You should therefore ensure that the project that you apply for is your priority capital project over the next five years.
Schools that are a member of a multi-academy trust (MAT) should apply through their MAT. MATs are allowed to submit up to one application each funding round and the five year reapplication waiting period applies to the school within the MAT, not the MAT itself. If a MAT has multiple schools they are considering for an application, they are welcome to phone the grants team for advice.
If you were previously turned down at Stage 1, you are allowed to submit a new application for the next funding round. If your application was turned down because our programme was over-subscribed and not because your project was ineligible, we are willing to accept an application for the same project again but would encourage you to check that the application still meets our eligibility criteria before submitting. Otherwise, please ensure that your new application meets our eligibility criteria and if you are unsure, you are welcome to phone the grants team for advice.
If you have been turned down at Stage 2, you should wait until at least one year has passed before submitting a new application for a different project.
When to apply
We expect to share the dates and details of our next funding round in spring 2027.
Grants are not made retrospectively, so your project must not have been completed at the time that a funding decision is made.
Background and case studies
Read our case studies
Need to know
Who can apply:
State-funded secondary schools and sixth form colleges
Location of applicant and project:
UK only
Funding covers:
New build, refurbishment and technical equipment
Minimum grant amount:
£15,000
Maximum grant amount:
£100,000
Usual grant range:
£15,000 – £50,000 (for equipment)
£15,000 – £100,000 (for new build and refurbishment)
Match funding required:
If total project cost is <£50,000, no match funding is required
If total project cost is >£50,000, some matched funds should be in place. We do not require a specific amount of matched funds for projects on this scale, but we want to see that enough funding is in place to make the project viable and deliverable
If total project cost is >£1 million, 25% match funding is required
When to apply:
Our 2026 funding round is now closed. We expect to share the dates and details of our next funding round in spring 2027.
Decision dates:
Decisions for our 2026 funding round will be made in November 2026. Projects must not be completed before a funding decision is made.
Wolfson funding programme:
Secondary Education
Ready to start application?
If you have checked you are eligible and understand the application process and timescale, you can start your application.
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