Capital

Most Catholic schools, and the land they are built on, are owned by the Diocese. They are held on charitable trust by Diocesan Trustees, appointed by the Diocesan Bishop. The role of the Diocesan Trustees is to administer the property of the diocese in accordance with its Trust Deed, making it available to the Diocese led by the Bishop. 

Trustees provide the land and buildings for the use of Catholic schools so that the governing board may conduct the school on their behalf under the supervision of the Diocesan Bishop. Schools occupy the premises subject to the Diocesan Trustees’ objects and any other parameters laid down by them. Governing bodies will be advised by the diocesan property team on all matters relating to land and building and must have diocesan approval before any work is considered on the school site. Each year every academy trust or group of schools in a local authority are invited to come together and prioritise the bids they wish to make. There is always a priority on ensuring that schools are safe, warm and dry before any other schemes can be considered. The prioritised list is then used to determine the funding available to each school.

The Department for Education provide grants for capital work that are distributed by the diocese based on bids from the schools. Every school or academy receives Devolved Formula Capital that covers small capital works. Other grants such as LCVAP or CIF may be bid for from the DfE but there is usually a 10% contribution that must be made by the school governors to match any capital income received.