Valuation Office Agency
The hereditaments to which this section refers are as follows:
- Community schools (often formerly described as County Schools), i.e. those provided and maintained by Local Education Authorities (LEAs) whether County Councils, Metropolitan Boroughs or London Boroughs.
- Voluntary schools, i.e. those provided by other bodies, usually religious bodies, but maintained by LEAs.
- Foundation schools where the governing body employs the schools staff and has primary responsibility for admission arrangements. The schools land and buildings are owned by the governing body or by a charitable foundation. Many of these schools were formerly grant maintained schools. A new type of Foundation school will be known as a Trust school and will be supported by a charitable trust.
- State funded Academies are technically independent schools with greater freedoms regarding the teaching of the National Curriculums but are operated in close conformity with LEAs and for rating valuation purposes should be treated in the same way as the schools in the above categories.
- Free schools, including Studio schools, are a type of Academy. They can be located in a variety of buildings, including converted offices, in addition to purpose-built school buildings. Each should be considered individually and referred to NVU Class Lead for advice to determine if this section or Rating Manual: Private and independent schools should be followed.
For the benefit of doubt this section does not refer to University technical colleges and City technical colleges (see Rating Manual: Colleges of further education). Nor does it include either LEA operated stand-alone nursery schools or independent day nurseries (see Rating Manual Day nurseries, nursery schools and other day care facilities for under fives).
It does apply to LEA run special schools (where not exempt), sixth form colleges, and primary (including nursery elements), middle, secondary (comprehensive and grammar), and all through schools, i.e. catering for pupils in the age range 3-16 (or 18) be they provided and maintained by the LEA or be they state funded academies. Due to their varied nature free schools should be considered on a case-by-case basis with advice from NVU Class Lead. This section is also applicable to pupil referral units (but design size criteria is not applicable) unless that unit is located within a building for which evidence exists to support a valuation based on the rental/comparative method.