Oxford Diocesan Bucks Schools Trust Governors' Briefing Pack

19 h. How would we get a capital building project carried out? The ODBST is part of a pooled capital funding scheme co-ordinated through the Oxford Diocesan Board of Education (ODBE) and is awarded an annual allocation from the Department for Education. This is allocated to schools on the basis of our condition surveys. Our condition survey will be updated as part of the conversion process. We will continue to receive an annual allocation for small capital projects as we do currently. i. As a school, we were left money in trust. We are working on plans which would use much of that money, but what effect would joining ODBST have on our ability as a governing body to choose how that money is spent? Any money left in trust to a school, remains in trust and under the ownership of the trustees. Conversion would have no impact on how it is spent. ODBST would only seek to reassure itself that the company’s good name or reputation was not compromisedby the actions or decisions of trustees of any private fund. j. Would this have any impact on our funding from the ODBST? Not on the base funding – however if there were any decisions made by private fund trustees to, for example fund an employee,ODBST would expect any such payment to be made through the school’s payment mechanisms and so vectored through the school’s main bank account. k. Can you advise us of the tender process which ODBST undertakes for contractors/suppliers? In most cases this is a local decision – however for core processes (ie payroll) we undertook a classic tender process with board level decisions. In some cases schools are beginning to want to explore joint/shared procurement and officers would use leadership briefings to explore these areas with our schools. l. We still need to pay our service agreement charge to the diocese schools support or would that be part of the ODBST offer? The core package of ODBE support is included within the ODBST service charge. m. What is ODBST policy on selling school assets...eg playing fields? Any assets are on lease to ODBST only so we have no power to sell them.