TARGETED CAPITAL FUND – STANDARDS AND DIVERSITY FUND
The DCSF has now issued the Guidance to accompany its recent announcement of £327 million of Targeted Capital funding between 2008/9 and 2010/11 under the Standards and Diversity heading.
The funding is to provide resources for projects relating to:
1.0 The development of provision which will help improve outcomes for pupils in:
1.1 Maintained boarding schools
1.2 Non-maintained boarding schools
1.3 Music and Dance Scheme schools
2.0 Projects removing significant numbers of surplus places
3.0 Projects which will help raise standards through increasing parental choice and diversity of provision in an area by
3.1 The expansion of successful and popular maintained schools
3.2 New entrants to the maintained sector
3.3 Fresh Start schools
4.0 Federations of schools and group of schools working together under a single Trust to facilitate joint working
The guidance states that this is not a bidding round, as was the case with TCF bids in the past, but is an application process. Having said that, there is still a lot of detail and justification required on the application form and there are likely to be more requests for funding than there is funding available. There will still, therefore, be a competition for resources and the better case you have, the better chance you will stand.
Priority will be given to projects which make good use of the resources already devolved to authorities, schools and dioceses and projects expecting all or majority DCSF funding will not be considered.
The guidance makes an important point about the expansion of successful and popular schools:
"The funding will not be available to relieve overcrowding in successful and popular schools – there must be evidence that the expansion is principally to provide new places in the school in response to sustained parental demand."
Applications can be submitted at any time and will be considered on a quarterly basis.
The full Guidance and supporting Application Form can be found on the Teachernet website.
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