The National Association of Virtual School Heads

Registered charity 1166708 · since 2016navsh.org.uk·England·Updated 29 October 2026

Key takeaways

Neither the annual report nor the register gives a grants total or grant range, so a realistic request size cannot be read from them.
The one grant they name is 6,000 to Attachment Research Community CIO for membership, which is a single example rather than a typical amount.
The Association's work centres on improving educational outcomes for looked-after and previously looked-after children and care leavers, through research and education and training for people working in care provision, so a project that does not reach those groups or that kind of work is unlikely to fit.
No application process is published in the annual report, the register or its website, so a sensible first step is to use the contact shown on its website to ask whether it considers requests before writing a full proposal.
Its stated approach of working with partners and commissioning research suggests an early conversation may matter, though neither the annual report nor its website says how competitive its giving is or when it next considers funding.

Overview

The National Association of Virtual School Heads is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1166708).

The National Association of Virtual School Heads exists to improve educational outcomes for looked-after children by working with partners and commissioning research so that their educational needs are better understood. It advances education through research and promotes care and education through training for people working in care provision. Membership fees and annual conference profits are used to commission research and run the Association. The register records one material grant of 6,000 to Attachment Research Community CIO for membership.

What they fund

Priority Areas

The Association's work is directed towards improving educational outcomes for looked-after and previously looked-after children and care leavers. It advances education through research into their care and education and dissemination of useful findings, and promotes their care and education through education and training for people working in care provision. Its stated approach is to work with partners and commission research so that educational needs are better understood. Membership fees and annual conference profits are used to commission research and run the Association.

Themes

Care and education
Research
Education and training

How to apply

No application process is published in the charity's annual report, its register entry or its website. The contact shown is for getting in touch.

Where they fund

Registered area of operation (Charity Commission)

England

Similar funders

Funders supporting work similar to The National Association of Virtual School Heads.

Education Endowment FoundationFixed deadlinesGave £21.8M The Noel Sweeney FoundationRollingGave £367k The Laurel TrustFixed deadlinesGave £237k Ormiston TrustNo public processGave £554k The Generational FoundationNo public processGave £969k Institute of Daughters of Mary Help of ChristiansNo public processGave £6,276 The Mercers Charitable FoundationNo public processGave £3.7M Combe Bank Educational TrustRollingGave £236k Fair Ways FoundationNo public processGave £250k Louis Lafosse EducationalNo public processGave £250k

Five years of accounts

Financial year	Income	Expenditure	Grants paid	Accounts document
year to 28 February 2021	£180,618	£146,072	—	Accounts for year to 28 February 2021
year to 31 March 2022	£223,119	£160,919	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2022
year to 31 March 2023	£258,403	£301,269	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2023
year to 31 March 2024	£319,243	£309,851	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2024
year to 31 March 2025	£296,631	£269,212	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2025

Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.