Great ideas change the world.
They are brought to life by people willing to build them.
They are made enduring by those who choose to fund them.
Today, the Association for Families of Independent Schooling (AFIS) is launching its Founding Benefactors Programme: an invitation to help build a lasting national organisation dedicated to supporting independent-schooling families and strengthening evidence, understanding and engagement on behalf of our members and everyone who values independent schooling choices.
Over the past eighteen months, a small team of volunteers has built AFIS from an idea into an established national organisation. Since launching seven months ago, we have created a national membership community, developed strategic partnerships, launched major research programmes, contributed to public debate and begun building the evidence base needed to ensure that independent-schooling families are better represented, better understood and more fairly considered in public debate and policymaking.
We are now ready for the next stage of our journey.
This is not a short-term campaign about VAT on school fees.
The VAT debate did not create the need for AFIS. It exposed the consequences of it not existing.
The forthcoming Supreme Court appeal concerning VAT on school fees has reinforced the importance of robust evidence, meaningful public engagement and ensuring that the experiences of children and families are properly understood when major decisions affecting them are made. AFIS is delighted to have supported the application to appeal to the Supreme Court and has now been invited to contribute to the case with a substantive intervention.
Although the appeal represents an important and immediate priority, the need for AFIS extends far beyond a single legal challenge. We are building the research, evidence, representation and organisational capacity needed to help ensure that future public debate and policymaking affecting independent-schooling families are better informed.
What AFIS Is Building
AFIS was established to fill a longstanding gap.
Our work now includes:
- FAMILY VOICE® — the UK's first long-term national research programme dedicated to understanding the experiences, perspectives and educational choices of independent-schooling families.
- Beyond School Labels — a major research programme exploring educational pathways, parental engagement and family decision-making, while challenging simplistic assumptions based on school-sector labels.
- Research, advocacy, public affairs and constructive engagement — helping ensure that robust evidence informs media reporting, public debate and policymaking.
- Strategic legal and policy engagement — contributing research, evidence and lived experience to significant national issues, including AFIS's forthcoming intervention in the Supreme Court appeal concerning VAT on school fees.
- Building a national community of families, schools, researchers, professionals and supporters committed to improving understanding of independent schooling and the families who choose it.
Together, these initiatives aim to strengthen parental choice, improve public understanding and help ensure that future decisions affecting children are informed by better evidence.
Why We Are Seeking Founding Benefactors
AFIS launched in December 2025 and has made significant progress, growing rapidly to what it is today.
Every respected national institution begins somewhere.
It begins with people who recognise an unmet need and choose to help build something that will endure. We now require greater funding to support our work on behalf of those who choose and value independent schooling.
We are seeking a small number of Founding Benefactors who share our belief that independent-schooling families deserve to be better represented, better understood and more fairly considered in public debate and policymaking.
Their support will help strengthen parental choice, sustain a diverse and resilient independent-school sector, and help ensure that independent-schooling families are
better represented, better understood and more fairly considered in public debate and policymaking.
From the outset, AFIS has chosen to keep membership free for families, and there is no charge for schools wishing to partner with us. Philanthropic support enables us to build an organisation that is accessible, independent and focused on serving the wider public interest.
Working Together with Schools and Philanthropists
As part of this initiative, we have written to a number of Britain's leading independent schools to invite them to become Founding Benefactors.
At the same time, we are reaching out to philanthropists, charitable foundations, family trusts and business leaders who share our commitment to education, parental choice and evidence-informed public policy, on behalf of families today and for future generations.
This is not simply an investment in AFIS.
It is an investment in stronger evidence, broader understanding and more constructive public debate about independent schooling and the families who choose it.
Could You Introduce Us to Someone?
Many of our members and supporters know individuals or organisations who care deeply about education and may be interested in helping establish AFIS for the long term.
If you know:
- a philanthropist
- a charitable foundation
- a family trust
- a business leader
- a senior leader within an independent school
- or anyone who may be interested in becoming a Founding Benefactor,
we would be delighted if you could introduce us.
Sometimes a single introduction can make a lasting difference.
For more information, or to request our Founding Benefactor Prospectus, please contact:
Michelle Daniells, AFIS Founder & CEO
Supporting AFIS in Other Ways
We recognise that becoming a Founding Benefactor will not be an option for everyone.
Our public crowdfunding campaign provides another way for members and supporters to strengthen AFIS as we continue building the organisation.
Every contribution helps support our research, evidence gathering, public affairs, advocacy and preparations for AFIS's contribution to the forthcoming Supreme Court appeal concerning VAT on school fees, while also helping us build the long-term organisational capacity needed to serve independent-schooling families for many years to come.
Support our Crowdfunding campaign here
Building Something That Will Last
Everything AFIS has achieved so far has been made possible through voluntary leadership, personal commitment and the generosity of early supporters.
With the support of our Founding Benefactors, we believe the next chapter can be even more significant.
Together, we can help build:
- a stronger evidence base
- better-informed public debate
- stronger parental choice
- greater understanding of independent-schooling families
- a more resilient and diverse independent-school sector
- better outcomes for children.
If this vision resonates with you—or if you know someone who may wish to help make it possible—we would be delighted to hear from you.
