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Fundraising

Alice Stanley-Dervin
Principal

Dear Friends,

I am sometimes asked, "Why is it important to raise funds for our school? As a parent, I already pay substantial tuition for my children. Can't the school just get along with that?"

Or a past parent or pupil may think, "I already supported the school when I was closely linked to it. Someone else can offer that support now."

Of course, we are very much aware of the money parents pay for an education at Claremont Fan Court, and we know that it is a significant financial commitment to send a child here. In fact, we do try to keep tuition and other costs as low as possible in order to be considerate of parents.

However, running a school is expensive! A school like this cannot realistically charge fees that would cover every possible expense, and it is not unusual for a school to depend on donations. Some of those donations come from current parents and grandparents. Some come from past pupils and parents, perhaps families that could not afford to give more when they were here but whose financial circumstances have since improved.

What we want for our school is for all those associated with the school to experience a richness here. That should come not just from what parents are required to pay, but from a deep gratitude for the school, either from current parents and grandparents, or from those who want to express their gratitude for the good Claremont Fan Court gave them while they were here.

We recognize that this is a time of economic uncertainty and we know that there may be many who would very much like to support the school, but feel unable to do so at this time. However, even a very small donation signifies the gratitude behind the gift. It is that gratitude that represents the true richness and treasure contributed to the school.

A school like this presents an interesting dichotomy. We are a business in that we must operate with good business practices. So we send out bills and parents of our pupils should be treated in a businesslike way. As a business we strive to design and live within a budget that is both reasonable and practical.

However, we are also a charity. In that sense we look to provide charitable work and accept donations to help us in this work. Parents paying fees certainly help us do this work and we want fees to be as affordable as possible, but still represent the value that we provide.

A major component of being a charity in the UK is that we must prove that we offer public benefit. The newest ruling of the Charity Commission is that public benefit for a school must come through offering assisted places for qualified pupils who could not afford to attend without such support. This ruling makes an added demand for funds for the school that we hope can come through charitable contributions.

We hope that parents, even though they pay fees, will also join us in providing for the charitable portion of our work. And for those of you who are no longer directly connected with the school, we hope your appreciation for all the school has meant to you has increased to the point where you want very much to give funds to help current students experience all the best that Claremont Fan Court can offer.

Rest assured, we do not determine your value based on how much money you have, or how much you give to us. However, we very much appreciate being part of a community where those who are able to give, do give, and where those who cannot give now are building their gratitude for giving in the future.

Please review the enclosed brochure to see some of our current projects. If you are able to support these financially we would greatly appreciate it.

Kind regards,

Alice Stanley-Dervin
Principal

Projects for 2009/10

For further information please contact Kim Stapff on +44 1372 467841 or by e-mail at kstapff@claremont.surrey.sch.uk