Charging and Remissions Policy

We believe that all our pupils should have an equal opportunity to benefit from school activities and visits (curricular and extra curricular) independent of their parents’/carers’ financial means.

This charging and remissions policy describes how we will do our best to ensure a good range of visits and activities is offered and, at the same time, try to minimise the financial barriers which may prevent some pupils taking full advantage of the opportunities.

What was consulted?

The policy has been informed by A Guide to the Law for School Governors and the DfE guidance Planning and Funding Extended Schools.

Relationship to other school policies

The policy complements the school’s equality policy, curriculum policy, educational visits policy and the teaching and learning policy.

Roles and responsibilities of headteacher, other staff, governors

The headteacher, staff and governors will ensure that the following applies:

1.0 No charges will be made for

• 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 the school’s basic curriculum for religious education
• tuition for pupils learning to play musical instruments (or singing) 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
• 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 (provided by school).
• 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 the school’s basic curriculum for religious education
• supply teachers to cover for those teachers who are absent from school accompanying pupils on a residential trip

2.0 Activities for which charges may be made

1. a) Activities outside school hours

Non-residential activities (other than those listed in 1 above) which take place outside school hours, but only if the majority of the time spent on that activity takes place outside school hours (time spent on travel counts in this calculation if the travel itself occurs during school hours).

1. b) Residential activities

Board and lodging costs of residential trips deemed to take place during school time. Is a residential trip in or out of school time? If the number of school sessions on a residential trip is equal to or greater than 50% of the number of half days spent on the trip it is deemed to have taken place during school hours (even if some activities take place late in the evening). Whatever the starting and finishing times of the school day, regulations require that the school day is divided into two sessions.

A “half day” means any period of 12 hours ending with noon or midnight on any day. When any trip is arranged parents/carers will be notified of the policy for allocating places.

1. c) Music tuition

Music tuition for individuals or groups of up to four pupils.

The following is a form of words that could help to explain to parents and carers what may/may not be charged for. Charges will (or may) be made as indicated below. Parental agreement will be obtained before a charge is made.

<td”>As appropriate

Activity or thing which will	Notes	Remitted or help available
or may be charged for Charges will/may be made for any materials, books, instruments, or equipment, where a parent wishes their child to own them.	For example, a clay model – a charge to cover the cost of the clay.	When or if appropriate
Charges will/may be made for music tuition	The cost, or a proportion of the costs, for teaching staff employed to provide tuition in playing a musical instrument or singing, where the tuition is an optional extra for an individual pupil or groups of up to four pupils.
Charges will be made for the board and lodging component of residential trips	The charge will not exceed the actual cost	As appropriate
Charges will be made to cover transport costs for all visits, trips	This may be voluntary in some cases, with family circumstances being taken into consideration (other siblings within the school).	Help may be available

1. Additional considerations

The governing body recognises its responsibility to ensure that the offer of activities and educational visits does not place an unnecessary burden on family finances. To this end we will try to adhere to the following guidelines:

• Where possible we shall publish a list of visits (and their approximate cost) at the beginning of term so that parents/carers can plan ahead
• We have established a system for parents/carers to pay in instalments
• When an opportunity for a trip arises at short notice it will be possible to arrange to pay by instalments beyond the date of the trip
• We acknowledge that offering opportunities on a “first pay, first served” basis may discriminate against pupils from families on lower incomes and we will try to avoid that method of selection, if possible.

Arrangements for monitoring and evaluation

The Finance Committee of the governing body will monitor the impact of this policy by receiving on a termly basis a financial report on those activities that resulted in charges being levied, the subsidies awarded (without giving names) and the source of those subsidies. It will seek to evaluate the impact of the school’s extended services on those children most in need of additional support.