..THE CAPITAL FUNDING GAP

Voluntary-aided (VA) schools are local-authority-maintained schools and in our case are run in partnership between the LA and the diocese. These schools are eligible for capital funding grants.  VA schools are paid on a similar basis to other categories of school, but the governing body must usually pay at least 10% of the costs of capital work.  Responsibility for work to VA school premises is shared between the school’s governing body and the local authority. The LA has responsibility for the playing fields and the governing body are liable for all other capital expenditure.

In order to help governing bodies raise funds to cover the 10% required, the diocese created the Voluntary Parental Contributions Scheme.  The Scheme enables schools to ask their school community for voluntary donations which can be ring-fenced to pay towards the required 10% cost of capital projects born by the governing body of VA schools.

Contributions are paid into a secure fund for each school held by the diocesan finance department.  In order to begin using the VPC form schools need to ensure they have the correct bank account details for monies to be received into – for details please contact us using the details at the top of the page.