History

For over a century, the William Henry Smith Foundation has been driven by a single purpose: to improve the lives of children and young people through care, education, and opportunity.

Early beginnings

1916 - 1948


Alderman William Smith, the first Mayor and a great benefactor of Brighouse created The Smith Foundation Trust on the 5th September 1916. He bought the Boothroyd Estate for the Trust to set up an orphanage for girls. On his death in 1922 he left the bulk of the estate to the Trust - money that would have gone to his cousin's adopted son William Henry Smith, who was sadly killed in the 1914-18 war. 

The orphanage opened in July 1920 for girls but soon admitted boys and changed its name to Smith's Homes. The Homes continued for nearly 40 years. During the 1939-45 war they admitted girls from the Sailor's Orphan Home in Hull.

Post war, the Trustees changed the name of the Trust to The Smith Homes. This came about following an approach by the Ministry of Education after the enactment of the 1948 Children’s Act.

The revised scheme allowed the continuance of the Homes for a limited time but added authority for the Trustees to make grants to special schools and to establish special schools of their own.

William Henry Smith
Arial Drone image of the school building

Transition to The Smith Foundation

1953 - 1990s

Grants were made to Breckenborough and Chaigley School, additionally Holly Bank House was purchased by the Trust to convert into a Special School for Physically disabled children. 

This School was opened in 1953 and was run by the Trust until 1998 when it was handed over to the newly formed Holly Bank Trust.

By the end of 1959, the last of the children left the Homes and by then plans were in hand to open a further residential special school in the buildings. 

The William Henry Smith School opened in September 1961 for 48 boys.  In December of the following year, the Charity Commission made a scheme that changed the name of the Trust to The Smith Foundation.

Over the next 30 years the school developed its education and social care provision becoming recognised as a specialist school for boys experiencing social, emotional and mental health difficulties, becoming very much a part of the national spectrum of special needs provision. 

During this period the Trustees with the help of the DfES provided a new science building, new kitchen and then portable classrooms and a gymnasium. In the early 1990’s it became clear that the residential accommodation needed to be replaced and the Trustees provided two new houses using some of their capital and money raised from Trusts.

Vision for the new Millennium

1994 - 2000s


In 1994 the Trustees commissioned a feasibility study that identified a plan to maximise the use of existing buildings through conversion and refurbishment to create new teaching facilities to allow the school to meet the challenges of the new millennium.

Since that time each summer there has been building work to fulfil the plan as money has allowed.  This has seen the whole site transformed with derelict buildings becoming teaching and communal facilities, single ensuite bedrooms for all the boys and recreation improvements in the houses on the Care side of the school. 

On the Education side all the original temporary classrooms have been rebuilt to provide permanent accommodation; an IT suite, Assembly Hall, Design and Technology Rooms, Art Room, Music Room, Sports Hall, Life Skills Kitchen and more recently a new Therapy Centre has been provided. There has also been onsite expansion in recent years including the addition of a new building for Commissioned Services in 2019 and in 2020, which will be used as a learning space for new students from September 2023.

Boy looking over his shoulder in play park
Boy smiling at camera holding binoculars

Recent expansion and diversification

2019 - present

The Foundation has also purchased a former B&B which has been developed and from late 2023, is now a 52-week therapeutic children's home, known as Boothroyd House.

In 2021 the Trustees purchased a further property offsite which was a former day nursery in Elland which is now our William Henry Smith Specialist College which opened in September 2023.

In late 2023, additional buildings adjacent to the College were acquired to support the growth of the College, and were launched in 2024.

Building on this period of growth and development, October 2025 marked another important step in our journey. We became the William Henry Smith Foundation, evolving from The Smith Foundation as part of a wider rebrand that reflects who we are today.

Alongside the name change, we introduced a new logo made up of abstract shapes, representing the individuality of every person we support and our tailored approach to each child and young person. We wanted the new look to feel as bright, fun and vibrant as the Foundation itself, which is reflected in our bold, eye-catching colour palette.

There are also subtle nods to our history and expertise within the design, including a reimagined clock, and abstract references to the brain and DNA.

Explore more
Meet the team
Behind everything we do is a dedicated team of professionals who bring compassion, expertise, and commitment to the young people we support. Get to know the people who make our vision a reality.
Safeguarding
We are fully committed to creating a safe, respectful, and supportive environment where all individuals are protected from harm and feel valued. Learn more about our safeguarding approach.
Admissions
Choosing the right setting for a young person is an important decision. Our admissions process is clear, supportive, and tailored to individual needs. We’re here to guide you every step of the way.