20^th October 2020

Dear Parent/Guardian,

Re:  School Levy 2020/21

We have recently received a bill from the Archdiocese for the Schools Building Fund for 2020/21.  There is information overleaf from the Archdiocese which explains very clearly what exactly this is.

The school share is based upon an annual amount calculated at £10.00 per child/family, and whilst the decision regarding the raising of this levy is a local one, the majority of schools request a voluntary contribution on this basis.   I must make it clear that the government does not allow schools to use any of its budget to meet this levy.  Whilst I appreciate there are great demands on families financially, I would ask for a contribution of £10 per family.

Please send your contribution through SIMS Pay, cash or Cheque made payable to Holy Cross Primary School) into school in an envelope with your child’s/children’s name(s),

Thanking you for your support.

Yours sincerely

H. Bannon

Headteacher

School Buildings Levy

Almost all schools within the Archdiocese of Liverpool are voluntary aided schools. Voluntary aided status provides distinct freedoms and flexibilities in the way that schools operate but, in return for the privilege of having and controlling such a school, there is a need to make a contribution to some costs, including those associated with capital investment.

Government provides the money annually for staff salaries, books and equipment for all schools. Catholic school buildings are constructed and repaired predominantly through Government grants but are owned by the Trustees of the Archdiocese of Liverpool.

Under current legislation voluntary aided schools have to find 10% of the costs of all capital works i.e. investment in the building fabric over a value of £2,000. In order to help meet these costs the Archdiocese operates a school building fund to help meet the 10% costs of major projects and all of the investment funded through the Archdiocese’s annual capital programme.

Parishes and schools contribute equally to the building fund and the school share provides the opportunity for parents of children who benefit from the facilities to contribute on a voluntary basis. The school share is based upon an annual amount calculated at £10.00 per child (or family where there is more than one child attending the same school) and, whilst the decision regarding the raising of this levy is a local one, the majority of schools invite a voluntary contribution from parents on this basis.

Parents are reminded that there is no legal obligation to make any contribution and pupils at any of our schools will not be treated differently according to whether or not their parents have done so.

The levy continues to play a crucial role to maximise the continued investment in our school buildings and, in recent years, has helped to facilitate significant investment in Catholic schools across the Archdiocese through various funding streams and initiatives.