How is an academy funded?
A sponsor makes a contribution to the building costs of an academy, a sum up to £2m, with the Government providing the remainder of the costs for any new building. A multi-million pound investment would be made in the construction of the Academy. Running costs will be met in full by the Government.
Where does the sponsor’s funding come from?
The Church of England works with a range of benefactors in a well established national programme. The Church of England is very careful about the ethics of this investment and its benefactors. It is the Church of England that signs the funding agreement and becomes the sponsor of the Academy. Church of England website
Does it cost more money per pupil to fund a child in an academy?
No - academies are funded at a comparable rate to other maintained schools within their area. Academies do not receive any more funding than other schools. While they are receiving an initial substantial investment to provide and improve buildings, they are simply sharing in the Government’s ambitious capital plans to replace or modernise every secondary school in the next 15 years.
The regulations say that the authority would have to pick up the costs of excluded children – how are you going to afford this?
The Church of England has confirmed the Academy will adopt Darlington's local inclusion policies and be part of Darlington's family of schools. The Academy will play the same role in accommodating children with challenging behaviour and re-integrating children who have been excluded, in the same way as all the other Darlington schools.