Question: Can you explain what the Church of England's Barchester Fund / Scheme is all about ? My school seems to pay into it, but there are no proper accounts, etc. Nobody seems to know much about it.

Joan Sallis replies: I’m sorry but I can’t. It may be something local to your diocese. No doubt the origins are a mystery within the school but your parochial church council, diocesan authority or other regulating body ought to know how it originated and what it is for. It may be just the fund into which money is paid to fulfil the governing body’s responsibility for repairs, etc, if it is an aided school or it may be something more specific, like a prize fund.