London Fee Assistance Consortium

What London Fee Assistance Consortium does

The London Fee Assistance Consortium (LFAC) is a UK-registered non-profit consortium of 17 London independent schools, founded around 2010 and chaired by Michael Bond, Head of Brentwood School. Its functional role is to raise public awareness that bursaries, scholarships and other fee-assisted places are available at member schools, countering the perception that independent education is only accessible to wealthy families. Member schools include Westminster, St Paul's, City of London School, City of London School for Girls, University College School, Latymer Upper, Emanuel, Godolphin and Latymer, Alleyn's, Francis Holland (Regent's Park and Sloane Square), Kingston Grammar, Newton Prep, Notting Hill and Ealing High School, Putney High School and South Hampstead High School. Several LFAC schools are part of the Girls' Day School Trust.

LFAC operates three core assets: a website portal (lfac.org.uk) with postcode-based radius search (1, 3, 5, 10 or 20 miles) that links families to individual member school profiles; an annual multi-channel awareness campaign spanning Transport for London Underground 4-sheets and digital displays, YouTube, social media, Google Display and London press; and a membership program with an annual AGM. The portal is managed and hosted by Magna Rose Ltd; there is no native mobile application or public API. Underlying technology is standard content management rather than a proprietary platform.

LFAC's business model is membership-funded: the 17 schools contribute fees that finance the awareness campaign and portal operations. LFAC charges families nothing. Bursaries of up to 100% of fees are awarded by individual member schools through means-testing or merit (academics, sport, music, art, drama), with some schools also covering uniform, travel, trips and music lessons. Customer segments are dual-sided: member schools (paying, B2B) and eligible families seeking fee-assisted places (non-paying end beneficiaries). Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer for families via awareness advertising and a self-serve portal, and direct sales to prospective member schools via a web form.

Name

London Fee Assistance Consortium

Legal name

London Fee Assistance Consortium

Website

https://lfac.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The London Fee Assistance Consortium is a non-profit consortium of 17 London independent schools that raises awareness of bursaries and scholarships and operates a website portal directing eligible families to fee-assisted places at member schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Advocacy Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC)

Keywords

• Fee assistance advocacy
• Bursary programs
• Scholarship programs
• Independent school consortium
• Education financial aid

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Consortium membership fees: LFAC is a consortium of independent schools that collaborate to raise awareness of fee assistance availability. As a non-profit advocacy organization, LFAC is funded through membership contributions from its 17 member schools. The organization does not generate revenue from families directly.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LFAC is a non-profit consortium of 17 independent schools in London that operates a shared website portal and an annual awareness campaign to help families discover and apply for fee assistance (bursaries, scholarships, assisted places, and sponsored awards) at its member schools. The consortium is funded by membership contributions from the schools and does not charge families for using the service.

Product overview

London Fee Assistance Consortium operates as a unified platform consisting of three interconnected offerings: the LFAC Website Portal serving as the central gateway connecting families with 17 member independent schools; the Annual Awareness Campaign providing extensive marketing presence across London media, social media, YouTube, and London Underground; and the School Membership Program enabling schools to participate in shared promotional efforts and the consortium's awareness initiatives. The consortium was established over a decade ago and serves as both an information portal and advocacy organization for fee assistance at top London independent schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LFAC Website Portal A centralized website portal acting as a gateway to 17 member independent schools in London, allowing families to search for schools by postcode within 1, 3, 5, 10, or 20 miles and to access individual school profiles with fee assistance information.
• Annual Awareness Campaign An extensive annual marketing campaign promoting the availability of fee assistance at top independent schools in London, utilizing London media, social media, digital platforms including YouTube, and the London Underground network.
• LFAC School Membership Program A consortium membership program for independent schools that provides access to shared marketing resources, an annual awareness campaign, and participation in the LFAC portal, with an annual AGM held around April or May.

Quantifiable outcome

• A third of pupils attending fee-paying schools benefited from some form of fee assistance according to ISC Census
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Alleyn's SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 17 LFAC member schools. Alleyn's is a leading co-educational day school in Dulwich offering means-tested bursaries at 11+ and 16+ entry, with around 10% of senior school pupils receiving significant help with fees. Bursaries may cover up to 100% of fees plus additional support for extras such as school trips.
• Brentwood SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 17 LFAC member schools and home of the LFAC Consortium Chair Michael Bond. Brentwood School is a leading independent school for boys and girls aged 3-18 with a 500-year history, offering means-tested bursaries at 11+ and 16+ entry with specialist awards in Art, Chess, Choral, Dance, Drama, Music and Sport.
• City of London SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 17 LFAC member schools. City of London School is a single-sex boys' school located near St Paul's Cathedral, offering means-tested fee assistance at all standard entry points with most awards at 11+ and 16+.
• City of London School for GirlscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 17 LFAC member schools. City of London School for Girls is situated in the Barbican and has more than 100 pupils receiving bursary support. Full bursary recipients also receive support for curriculum-based compulsory school trips, travel on public transport, uniform and exam entry fees.
• Emanuel SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 17 LFAC member schools. Emanuel School offers a well-rounded education for boys and girls aged 10-18, providing wide-ranging means-tested bursaries at all entry points (10+, 11+, and 16+), enabling places for pupils who would most benefit from an Emanuel education regardless of financial circumstances.
• Francis Holland Regent's ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 17 LFAC member schools. Francis Holland Regent's Park is a single-sex girls' school in central London with a 140-year tradition of excellence, offering fee assistance at 11+ and 16+ entry points.
• Francis Holland School, Sloane SquarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 17 LFAC member schools. Francis Holland School, Sloane Square is an academically selective school for girls offering transformational bursaries through their Foundation Scholarship programme at 11+, 14+, and 16+ entry points.
• Godolphin and Latymer SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 17 LFAC member schools. Godolphin and Latymer is an academically-selective school for girls aged 11-18 in Hammersmith, offering means-tested bursary programme for talented girls who otherwise wouldn't be able to attend.
• Kingston Grammar SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 17 LFAC member schools. Kingston Grammar School is one of the most successful co-educational schools in the country, offering fee assistance at 11+ and 13+ subject to satisfactory performance in entrance examinations.
• Latymer Upper SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 17 LFAC member schools. Latymer Upper School is a leading co-educational school on the banks of the Thames in Hammersmith. Currently 1 in 5 of Upper School students receive bursaries, with aim to increase to 1 in 4 by 400th anniversary in 2024. Bursaries range from 25% to 100% of fees.
• Newton PrepcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 17 LFAC member schools. Newton Prep is a thriving co-educational school for children aged 3-13 in Battersea. The Newton Bursary Fund (NBF) is a registered charity offering means-tested bursaries up to 100% of day tuition fees for children entering from Year 3.
• Notting Hill and Ealing High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 17 LFAC member schools and part of the Girls' Day School Trust. Notting Hill and Ealing High School offers Academic, Music, and Sport Scholarships (up to 10% of fees) at 11+ and 16+ entry, plus means-tested bursaries up to 100% of fees in Senior School.
• Putney High School GDSTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 17 LFAC member schools and part of the Girls' Day School Trust. Putney High School is an academically high-achieving school for girls aged 4-18, offering fee assistance at 11+ and 16+ entry points.
• South Hampstead High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 17 LFAC member schools and part of the Girls' Day School Trust. South Hampstead High School is winner of UK's Independent Girls' School of the Year Award 2022 and shortlisted for London Independent School of the Year 2024. Offers means-tested bursaries up to 100% of fees plus extras for families with assessable income below £107,500, with full bursaries for income under £49,500.
• St Paul's SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 17 LFAC member schools. St Paul's School offers up to 100% bursaries and funding for other necessities at 7+, 8+, 11+, 13+ and 16+ entry points for academically gifted boys aged 7-18. Founded in 1509, it is one of the most academically successful schools in the country.
• University College School, HampsteadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 17 LFAC member schools. University College School (UCS) in Hampstead is a top academic London day-school founded by UCL in 1830. Around 60 pupils receive means-tested bursaries with up to 100% fee reduction plus free school trips.
• Westminster SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 17 LFAC member schools. Westminster School is one of the leading academic schools in the country, offering means-tested day bursaries of up to 100% of day fees at 11+, 13+ and 16+ entry points. Full bursaries cover uniform, equipment and compulsory school expeditions.
• Girls' Day School Trust (GDST)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerGDST is a family of 25 independent girls' schools founded in 1872. Several LFAC member schools (South Hampstead High School, Putney High School, Notting Hill and Ealing High School) are part of GDST, which runs its own bursary programme with consistent eligibility criteria across member schools.
• Independent Schools Council (ISC)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe ISC Census provides data showing that a third of pupils attending fee-paying schools benefited from some form of fee assistance, supporting LFAC's mission and providing credibility to its advocacy efforts.
• Transport for London (TfL)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerTfL provides advertising space for LFAC's awareness campaign across London Underground stations and tube trains, including 4-sheet poster placements and digital display advertising.
• Magna Rose LtdminorOthersMagna Rose Ltd manages and hosts the LFAC website (lfac.org.uk).

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Independent Schools Council: Umbrella association for UK independent schools, producing the ISC Census data that LFAC references to validate the bursary market. A broader incumbent in the same space that represents all independent schools rather than specializing in the London fee-assistance niche.

Emerging players

• Social Mobility Foundation: UK charity focused on improving social mobility through mentoring, internships, and university access programmes for state-educated students. Comparable mission around social mobility via education access, though with a focus on higher education and employment rather than school bursaries.

Direct peers

• Buttle UK: UK charity providing means-tested bursaries and grants to enable children in crisis to access education, including at independent schools. Directly comparable as a fee-assistance provider targeting disadvantaged families and partnering with schools.
• Sutton Trust: UK charity focused on improving social mobility through education access, including research on bursary uptake at independent schools and programmes that place state-educated students at leading universities and schools. Directly comparable mission to LFAC's awareness-raising and access mission.
• Royal National Children's SpringBoard Foundation: UK charity that places children from disadvantaged backgrounds at independent boarding and day schools with bursary support. Operates a matching/awareness function similar to LFAC but with boarding schools, making it a directly comparable fee-assistance intermediary.
• Girls' Day School Trust: Network of 25 independent girls' schools, several of which are LFAC members, that runs its own coordinated bursary programme with consistent eligibility criteria. Closest direct comparable as a multi-school bursary consortium, though GDST operates schools itself rather than as an awareness consortium.

Others

• Ark (UK charity): UK charity running a network of academy schools for disadvantaged pupils. Comparable mission of widening access to high-quality education, though operates its own schools rather than coordinating independent-school bursaries.
• IntoUniversity: UK education charity operating local learning centres that support state-educated students to progress to top universities. Adjacent rather than directly comparable - shared social mobility mission but operates local centres rather than a fee-assistance directory.
• Boarding Schools' Association: UK trade association for boarding schools, providing sector representation and bursary-related guidance. Adjacent as a sector body overlapping with LFAC's independent-school universe, though not focused on London day-school fee assistance specifically.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about London Fee Assistance Consortium