The school’s charging and remissions policy determined by the school's governors under section 457 of EA 1996(7).
CHARGING AND REMISSIONS POLICY – September 2013. Reviewed January 2023.
| Introduction |
This policy has been formulated in accordance with the DFE’s guidance on: Charging for School Activities.
| Aim |
The aim of this policy is to set out what charges will be levied for activities, what remissions will be implemented and the circumstances under which voluntary contributions will be requested from parents.
| Responsibilities |
The Governing Body of the School are responsible for determining the content of the policy and the Headteacher for implementation. Any determinations with respect to individual parents will be considered jointly by the Headteacher and Governing Body.
| Prohibition of Charges |
The Governing Body of the School recognise that the legislation prohibits charges for the following:
· education provided during school hours (including the supply of any materials, books, instruments or other equipment);
· education provided outside school hours if it is part of the National Curriculum, or part of a syllabus for a prescribed public examination that the pupil is being prepared for at the school, or part of religious education;
· tuition for pupils learning to play musical instruments if the tuition is required as part of the National Curriculum, or part of a syllabus for a prescribed public examination that the pupil is being prepared for at the school, or part of religious education;
· entry for a prescribed public examination, if the pupil has been prepared for it at the school;
· examination re-sit(s) if the pupil is being prepared for the re-sit(s) at the school;
· education provided on any trip that takes place during school hours;
· education provided on any trip that takes place outside school hours if it is part of the National Curriculum, or part of a syllabus for a prescribed public examination that the pupil is being prepared for at the school, or part of religious education;
· Supply teachers to cover for those teachers who are absent from school accompanying pupils on a residential trip;
· transporting registered pupils to or from the school premises, where the local education authority has a statutory obligation to provide transport;
· transporting registered pupils to other premises where the governing body or local education authority has arranged for pupils to be educated;
· transport that enables a pupil to meet an examination requirement when he has been prepared for that examination at the school;
· transport provided in connection with an educational trip.
| Publication of Information |
A summary of this policy will be included in the School website and the weekly newsletter which will specify what charges are/are not to be made and for which activities voluntary contributions will be invited from parents.
| Charges |
The governing body intends to make a charge for the following:
· board and lodging on residential visits (not to exceed the costs)
· the proportionate costs for an individual child of activities wholly or mainly outside school hours (‘optional extras’) to meet the costs for:
o travel
o materials and equipment
o non-teaching staff costs
o entrance fees
o insurance costs
· individual tuition in the playing of a musical instrument
· any other education, transport or examination fee unless charges are specifically prohibited
· breakages and replacements as a result of damages caused wilfully or negligently by pupils
· extra-curricular activities and school clubs where costs are incurred in providing tuition, supervision or materials.
| Remissions |
Children whose parents are in receipt of the following support payments will, in addition to having a free school lunch entitlement, also be entitled to the remission of charges for board and lodging costs during residential school trips. The relevant support payments are:
a) Income Support;
b) Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance;
c) Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999;
d) Child Tax Credit, where the parent is not entitled to Working Tax Credit and whose annual income (as assessed by The Inland Revenue) does not exceed £13,480 (FY 04/05).
In respect of (d) above account will be taken of any revision to the amount as advised by the Authority.
| Voluntary Contributions |
Parents will be invited to make a voluntary contribution for the following:
a) Educational visits in support of the work of the class
b) Visits to the school by experts or specialist services in support of the work of the class
c) Additional specialist tuition and facilities eg extra swimming tutors or the use of an additional teaching pool.
The terms of any request made to parents will specify that the request is for a voluntary contribution and in no way represents a charge. In addition the following will be made clear to parents:
a) that the contribution is genuinely voluntary and a parent is under no obligation to pay; and
b) that registered pupils at the school will not be treated differently according to whether or not their parents have made any contribution in response to the request.
The responsibility for determining the level of voluntary contribution is delegated to the Headteacher.
Voluntary contributions will be used to cover the costs only of the activities noted above. Should insufficient contributions be raised and the activity cannot be funded by other means eg PTA subsidy, the event will not take place. Any contributions made at that point will be refunded in full.