About us
Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation (RNCSF) is a UK-wide children’s charity working to create stability and opportunity for children facing the greatest barriers.
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Our journey began in the 19th century as an orphanage supporting vulnerable children. Today, we have evolved into a forward-facing charity working in partnership with local authorities, schools and organisations across the UK to improve outcomes for children and young people. We focus particularly on children with experience of the care system and those growing up in low-income communities, strengthening stability, access to education, and long-term outcomes through our programmes, partnerships and research.
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Across the UK, too many children face unequal access to opportunity, shaped by where they grow up and whether they experience instability in their care. Rising demand on children’s social care services and increasing pressure on public funding mean that too often, support comes too late or is unable to change long-term outcomes. We believe that by intervening at key moments — and by strengthening stability, relationships and access to opportunity — it is possible to change life trajectories for the better.
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Our Approach
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We deliver a holistic strategy centred on:
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Intervening at key moments in a child’s life—such as care transitions, critical school stages, and post-education preparation
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Partnering across the voluntary sector to reduce fragmentation and strengthen collaboration—not as a service provider, but as an honest broker
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Investing in evidence-based programmes with proven impact and the potential to scale
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Using strategic grant-making to activate underused assets and extend our reach
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See Our Programmes
Our values
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We always start with the child
In everything we do, we ask: “What is in the best interests of the or young person?” Our ‘Whole Child’-centred approach means continually asking ourselves if we are doing all we can to ensure children are healthy, safe, supported, engaged, and thriving academically. -
We are optimistic
We believe passionately that a boarding or independent school education can transform the life chances of any child, regardless of their background.
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We act with integrity
Our pupils, families, schools and community partners trust us to make good decisions. They have confidence in our values and how we work. -
We are focused on impact and learning
We hold ourselves accountable, and we are committed to continuously reflecting on our pupils’ experiences and adapting our model to respond to what we learn. -
We work together in a network
We believe that it is only by working collaboratively in long-term, committed school and community partnerships that we will make a lasting difference to social mobility.
Our history
Royal National Children's SpringBoard Foundation is the result of the 2017 merger of Royal National Children’s Foundation (RNCF) and The SpringBoard Bursary Foundation (SpringBoard).
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RNCF started out as the Royal Wanstead Children’s Foundation, an organisation founded by Dr Andrew Reed in 1827. Initially an orphanage the charity benefitted from donations from the young Princess Victoria who later became Royal Patron. The charity evolved to support vulnerable children at a range of boarding and day schools across the UK.
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The SpringBoard Bursary Foundation was launched in 2012, inspired by the Arnold Foundation of Rugby School to help children from some of the UK’s most deprived communities to attend leading boarding schools on full bursaries.
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On the merger of RNCF and SpringBoard, HRH The Princess Royal, who was previously patron of RNCF, became patron of Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation.
