The All Saints Educational Trust is one of a small group of unique church-based charitable trusts, each established with the proceeds of the sale of teacher training and higher education colleges, in the case of the All Saints Educational Trust, the College of All Saints at Tottenham. The College was closed upon merger with Middlesex Polytechnic (now University) in 1978.

The College of All Saints was itself the product of an earlier merger, in 1964, of two smaller Colleges, St Katharine's (founded in 1878 by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge) and Berridge House (founded in 1893 by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education).

The Trust is based broadly on the object of the College of All Saints which had been to train teachers within a Christian foundation. Whilst St Katharine's College had been concerned mainly with general teaching, Berridge House had been established primarily to train teachers of Domestic Science (now known as Home Economics). The Trust seeks to carry on the work of the 'founding Colleges' by awarding scholarships to students (or potential students) who intend to teach, or to develop an existing career as a teacher, and by making grants to build up the teaching profession.

The Trust is devoted primarily to supporting the training or the better qualification of teachers, with a particular bias towards individual awards for teachers of Religious Education and Home Economics.

In supporting Home Economics the Trust makes awards to teachers (in schools, colleges or universities) of Home Economics or related areas such as consumer sciences, food technology, food studies or a related subject. However, dieticians and nutritionists who intend working in schools and clinics and in the public sector (excluding the NHS), promoting food and health education in the community, are also eligible.

The Trustees will consider applications first and foremost from those who are pursuing basic or improved teaching qualifications. Those seeking further qualifications, such as a second degree (e.g. MA, MSc), before going on to spread the benefits of their knowledge are also considered.

The Trust's funds can also be applied to more "corporate" projects, but these too must centre on helping to meet the needs of teachers or on improvements in Religious or Home Economics education.

During the past three decades, well over 1,000 grants have been awarded. These have been mainly to individuals. Most awards are given to those applicants who need help to pay the fees of degree courses that carry Qualified Teacher Status in Religious Education or Home Economics. Some grants are available for improving or extending existing teaching qualifications. Assistance is sometimes given towards meeting the essential costs of maintenance, childcare, books or travel while studying for a teaching qualification.

Some awards are small (a few hundred pounds) while others are much larger, where the need is established.

Most of those receiving Awards have gained one or more of the following qualifications: PGCE, PGDE, BEd, BA (with Qualified Teacher Status), MEd, MA, MSc, and occasionally PhD (principally for applicants who are themselves the trainers of teachers).

Awards have also occasionally been made to those taking technical or specialist qualifications for teaching children with a variety of special needs, but in general financial assistance is given only to those who will work within the formal education system.

Awards are not usually made to support those involved with counselling or youth work, unless these activities are centred primarily within a school environment. The Trustees are required to honour the fact that the assets of the Trust came from Teacher Training Colleges dedicated to Religious Education and Domestic Science. Formal training for teachers of these subjects is the main but not exclusive interest of the Trust. For instance, the Trustees may give support to lecturers in Higher Education who will in turn be training teachers.

The Trustees require that applicants will have explored all sources of university, Local Authority or Central Government funding - including loans - for which they may be eligible before making any application to the All Saints Educational Trust.

Whatever the background circumstances the Trustees expect to see indications of initiative and of self-help, and a sense of purpose in the applicants. The Trustees try to give the benefit of their financial support to those whom they feel will pass on to others the benefits of their new skills and qualifications.

You can apply at any time for assistance, if you suddenly find yourself in unexpected financial difficulty. The criteria for awarding grants for 'hardship' are the same as for awards made according to the Trust's annual timetable; but the amounts available under these 'emergency' arrangements are very limited.

ARE YOU ELIGIBLE TO APPLY?