Dear Parents
Although we are classed as a South Gloucestershire School, we are also a ’voluntary-aided’ school, which means that the school is responsible for maintaining and improving the building and grounds and purchasing equipment to use in the long term. We receive capital funding from the Government in order to do this but as voluntary aided school the Governors, who act on behalf of the families in the school, are required to make a 10% contribution to the purchase of equipment or any building costs or maintenance
With future current funding uncertainties, the additional expenses of the pandemic and other increased costs on our main school budget (maintenance costs are rising as the school becomes older), we are continuing to look ahead and wish to highlight our donation scheme/Gift Aid scheme which parents have always supported and allows us to make the required contribution towards capital projects. The only way this can be provided is through donations from parents.
Since opening the school in 1999, the school has expanded and developed in order to continue to provide an education of the highest standard. With the contributions Governors have collected from parents, as well as paying for ongoing maintenance costs, we have also paid for:
Many parents still kindly pay a standing order to the school on an annual basis and we have also in previous years set up a payment scheme within ParentMail. When your child joined the school, we would have made you aware of this.
We are writing to ask that parents make a contribution of £10 per year per child to support the Governors’ responsibility to maintain the building, grounds and equipment. This is a voluntary confidential contribution and it will not be detrimental to your child if you do not contribute. This donation can be made through our online facility, ParentMail – the amount was added to your basket recently and will be available to pay at any time before the end of the academic year. We appreciate that some people’s circumstances may be difficult and may have also changed with the pandemic, so if you cannot afford to make a contribution please leave the item sat in the basket and we will remove at the end of the academic year. If you have also already paid through standing order, please also ignore and we will remove in the next few weeks.
Governors recognise that not all families are in the same financial position and that in some situations contributing even this amount may be difficult. If this is the case then please feel free to donate an amount that you feel is affordable. The minimum amount will be £3, as we have to pay charges per transaction on ParentMail. If you feel able to contribute more than the set amount then please feel free to do so. Please click on Payments and then Shop within ParentMail.
If you are a tax payer we may also be able to claim an additional 25% on your donation, so please tick the Gift Aid box if you make a donation.
Many thanks,
The Governors of St Mary’s