School Finance
Many parents are very involved in their child’s education, but understandably know little about how schools are funded. You may have heard of the National Funding Formula (NFF), but what does it actually mean for our school and your child?
The NFF is the government’s method for allocating money to state schools in England each year. While it considers several factors, the most important is the number of pupils on roll. Despite this, schools with seemingly similar intakes and circumstances can receive very different levels of funding.
As a small, rural Voluntary Aided Church of England primary school, our main funding (received through West Sussex County Council) is relatively modest compared with larger schools in nearby Lindfield and Haywards Heath. We can also confirm that no member of staff at St Giles earns more than £100,000.
Under the School Information (England) Regulations 2020, all maintained schools must publish this information on their website, along with a link to the Government’s school financial benchmarking service. You can view St Giles’ information using the link below:
As a Voluntary Aided Church of England school, funding for major building and site works (such as roofs, heating or refurbishments) is mainly accessed through the Diocese of Chichester, which allocates government capital funding to its VA schools. This is supplemented by funds managed by our trustees, helping to meet required contributions and support essential improvements, making the upkeep of our buildings a shared responsibility between the Governing Body, Diocese, and the trustees and the school.
For more information about our PTA, please visit their dedicated page of our website.