Building Fund
This page provides information on the Schools Building Fund Scheme, which operates in the Diocese of Portsmouth.
Our School Building Fund
As a Voluntary Aided School, St Joseph’s has the right to determine its own Admission Policy, character and ethos and so preserve the distinctive Catholic nature of the school. This is fundamental to our school and the reason you, as parents, choose to send your child here.
However, being a Voluntary Aided School means that certain financial responsibilities are placed on the school such as meeting some of the cost of building works and repairs. In order that we don’t suddenly find ourselves having to find a large sum of money for a new building or expensive repair, our Diocese operates a Building Fund into which all schools pay and then draw from it when the need arises.
Schools and parishes are required to send an amount to the Diocesan Schools Building Fund each term based on the number of pupils in the school regardless of whether they are Catholic or not. When a school carries out any major building work that has been approved by the Diocese then it can make a claim against the fund to help meet its statutory obligation of 10% of the costs. Depending on the amount of work needing to be carried out, some years we may claim more than we contribute, other years less.
Funds previously donated to the School Building Fund have helped us to:
– provide shelters to enhance outdoor learning
– improve the learning environment of our youngest children
– redecorate all rooms in our school
– double glaze all our windows and doors
– mend our roofing, have new soffits and fascias and replace all skylights
– carry out vital repairs throughout the school
How you can help
Parents of pupils attending our schools are requested to make a voluntary contribution of £10 per pupil per term (£30 per year) into the Building Fund as a contribution towards the 50% of the Fund which is provided by the schools in the Diocese. It is hoped that everyone will be able to contribute something. Please ask at the school office for a leaflet if you would like to contribute or download the form at the bottom of the page.
We realise however, that this may prove a burden on some families, especially if they have a number of children in schools in the Diocese. In such cases, we request that a voluntary contribution according to your means be made. Payment can be made by ParentMail +Pay, cheque, bank transfer or cash, whichever suits you best. In addition, we ask parents who are tax payers to sign the “Gift Aid” section on the leaflet which enables us to reclaim from the Inland Revenue the tax you have already paid on your donation. Thank you in anticipation for your support.
Brigid Hincks (Chair of Governors)