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King Edward VI School's very creation is rooted in philanthropy and the desire to enable access to education for gifted children from less fortunate backgrounds. In 1553, our school was founded by letters patent from King Edward VI, following a bequest from William Capon (1480-1550) who was the Rector of St Mary’s Church. In his will, Capon left the sum of ‘one hundreth poundes’ to found a grammar school for “the poor scholars of Southampton” and in 1554 the school opened in Winkle Street, inside the city wall near God’s House Tower gate.
Inspired by Capon’s vision, nearly 500 years later we remain committed to fundraising for bursaries. Through the generous support of our alumni community, together we can provide life-changing opportunities for local, gifted children who would otherwise be unable to benefit from all that our school offers.
