Practical Grant Funding Routes For Schools in England

Here are five practical grant funding routes available to schools in England and the UK (2025–2026), from national government schemes to charitable and local community funding:

1. DfE Maths & English CPD Grant Competition

The Department for Education has launched a competitive grant programme for the continuous professional development of maths and English teachers working with students aged 16–19. This covers in-person teaching aligned with the literacy and numeracy condition of funding and is accessible via the official government Find a Grant portal.

2. Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship Grants via ESFA

Schools taking on ITT (Initial Teacher Training) apprentices receive grants to offset trainee salaries. For 2025–26, this includes high-value grants: up to £29,000 per trainee in subjects such as computing, maths, and physics; and lower amounts for other subjects.

3. Core Schools Budget Grant (CSBG) for Special & AP Schools

This statutory grant supports maintained and non‑maintained special schools, pupil referral units, and alternative provision settings. It covers staff pay awards, pensions, and NICs, with direct allocations from either local authorities or the DfE.

4. Adventure, Climate & Enrichment Project Grants via Grants4Schools

Grants4Schools aggregates funding schemes open to schools, including:

• Up to £20,000 for local climate action projects in England
• Smaller grants (e.g. up to £2,500) for outdoor learning and sports activities. These can fund new club resources, community engagement, and enrichment activities.

5. Major Charitable Foundation Grants

Several foundations offer grants to support school projects:

• Garfield Weston Foundation distributes roughly £62 million annually across education, community, and environment sectors.
• UK Community Foundations (local branches) distribute over £70 million/year through local networks, supporting projects from educational uplift to community engagement.