Clergy form

The Admissions Code prevents it from being mentioned in the application process. But that's why it comes as a surprise to parents later, when they get the letter requesting money.

If you're meant to give them money then there'll be an admin fee on a price list somewhere surely? Like when you have to pay at the doctors. I shouldn't think you'd have to pay anything? Just keep going and worshipping the lord.

But you don't pay anything up front in hope of securing a place, do you?

And any whiff of payment for getting a place in a a state school...

Voluntary aided faith schools rely on parental donations and fundraising activities for 10% of their capital costs - hence the name "voluntary aided". If your child goes to a VA school you are likely to be asked for regular donations. They're meant to be voluntary, but in practice schools do put pressure on parents. We used to get personally addressed reminders, handed out to children in class, to bring home, on red paper!

The OP didn't mention anything like the priest refusing to sign an attendance form. she's asking about whether she should be giving the priest money.

... Hence, the Church of England pro-atively advises churches that are near faith-selected schools to provide attendance registers.

You're missing the point. If the church provides no formal register of attendance, but refuses to sign an attendance form, they are wide open to litigation. If a parent has creates their own record of attendance, then that can be presented as evidence to back up their case. Otherwise it is just their word against the vicar's. If it does go to court, and there are gift aid records, the judge is likely to believe the parent - they will be making their judgement on the balance of probabilities (not "beyond reasonable doubt" as in a criminal case). If the vicar tried to argue, without evidence, that the donations were made remotely, he'd get short shrift.

By filling in the gift aid form you have created your own record of attendance.

Not really. My parents used to gift aid to their church, they had a supply of envelopes and if DM couldn't go DF would put hers in as well. All the treasurer would know is that somehow she'd made her donation, not that she'd actually attended the service.

I wouldnt guarantee that the gift aid envelopes give the vicar/priest a record of your attendance

If a church has no formal means of recording attendance, you can potentially sue them if they refuse to sign your form. Of course, it should never come to that, but priests have certainly been threatened with it (For example: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3058234/amp/Vicar-won-t-pick-pupils-based-religion-Church-England-school-dropped-faith-selection.html). By filling in the gift aid form you have created your own record of attendance. It doesn't matter whether that information is shared with the priest or not - the fact that it exists is enough. If the vicar doubts your attendance, you can politely suggest he talks to his treasurer.

Completely and utterly inappropriate. It would embarrass the priest I'd have thought. And any whiff of payment for getting a place in a a state school...

If you want to support the church, put something in the collection in the normal way, anonymously.

I wouldnt guarantee that the gift aid envelopes give the vicar/priest a record of your attendance - they'll usually go to the treasurer to deal with, and they don't report to the clergy on who is giving.

Some of this conversation reads really oddly to me. Giving money to a church is supposed to be about supporting the work of the church, not pay-per-view. Most regular attenders I know give by standing order, which guarantees that the church doesn't lose income if they're away one weekend, and makes budgeting easier for the parish.

If you really want to make the clergy smile, keep attending regularly once your child has the school place.

We had to go to church at least twice a month for a year. On each seat, with the order of service, there were little envelopes to put collection money in. On the outside of the envelope you could fill in name and address for gift aid, which is as good a way as any of making sure they have a record of your attendance - some churches have a register, but not all. I didn't give anything when the priest signed the form - it was an appointment at the vicarage for us.

Definitely not, nobody I know did this (oversubscribed C of E secondary school). In recent years, you've had to line up in a local hall to get your form signed so I would have seen anyone slipping the vicar a tenner!

I would have thought any money would be inappropriate, especially if it's for a UK state school. Make your donation to the church in general.

I worked for churches for years and the form was always given one Sunday at church (or emailed obv) and then collected another Sunday. Is this not an option?