Voluntary Aided School - Characteristics

Characteristics

Voluntary aided schools are a kind of "maintained school", meaning that they receive all their running costs from central government via the local authority. They do not charge fees to students, although parents are usually encouraged to pay a voluntary contribution towards the schools' maintenance funds.

In contrast to other types of maintained school, only 90% of the capital costs of a voluntary aided school are met by government. The foundation contributes the remaining 10% of the capital costs, and many VA schools belong to Diocesan Maintenance Schemes to help them to manage those costs.

The foundation usually owns the school's land and buildings, although there are instances where VA schools use Local Authority land and buildings.

The foundation appoints a majority of the school governors. The governing body runs the school, employs the staff and decides the school's admission arrangements, subject to rules imposed by central government. Pupils follow the National Curriculum, except that faith schools may teach Religious Education according to their own faith.

Within the maintained sector in England, approximately 22% of primary schools and 17% of secondary schools are voluntary aided, including all of the Roman Catholic schools and the schools of non-Christian faiths. Almost all voluntary aided primary schools and 93% of voluntary aided secondary schools are linked to a religious body, usually either the Church of England or the Catholic Church, with a minority of other faiths.