A voluntary controlled school is a state-funded school in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in which a foundation or trust (usually a Christian denomination) has some formal influence in the running of the school. Such schools have less autonomy than voluntary aided schools, in which the foundation pays part of any building costs.
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Prior to the Education Act 1944, voluntary schools were those associated with a foundation, usually a religious group. That Act imposed higher standards on school facilities, and offered voluntary schools a choice in funding the costs this would incur.
The Roman Catholic Church chose to retain control of its schools, while more than half of Church of England schools became voluntary controlled.[1]
Voluntary controlled schools are a kind of "maintained school", meaning that they are funded by central government via the local authority, and do not charge fees to students. The land and buildings are typically owned by a charitable foundation, which also appoints about a quarter of the school governors. However, the Local Education Authority employs the school's staff and has primary responsibility for the school's admission arrangements. Pupils follow the National Curriculum.[2][3][4]
Within the maintained sector in England, approximately 15% of primary schools are voluntary controlled, almost all of them associated with the Church of England. Only 3% of secondary schools are voluntary controlled, of which about half are Church of England schools.[5]