Plymouth Grove Primary SchoolCharging and Remissions Policy
Charging and Remissions Policy
Introduction
This policy has been formulated in accordance with Authority’s guidance on: Charging for School Activities. The purpose of this document is to help the Headteacher and Governing Body set out their policy on charging and remission for school activities and school visits.
Sections 449-462 of the Education Act 1996 set out the law on charging for school activities in schools maintained by local authorities in England. Further information is given in “A Guide to the Law for School Governors” (Chapter 23). This guidance accurately reflects the terms of the Education Act 1996, but it is not a substitute for those terms.
Schools must ensure that they inform parents on low incomes and in receipt of the benefits listed later in this policy of the support available to them when being asked for contributions towards the cost of school visits.
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 Head teacher and Governing Body.
The Governing Body recognises the valuable contribution that the wide range of additional
activities, including clubs, practical activities, trips and residential experiences can make towards pupils’ personal and social education. The Governing Body aims to promote and provide such activities both as part of a broad and balanced curriculum for the pupils of the school and as additional optional activities. The governors endorse the guiding principles contained in the Act, in particular that no child should have his/her access to the curriculum limited by charges. If a particular activity is limited to a specific number of pupils, the inclusion of pupils must not make reference to the ability or willingness to pay on behalf of the parent.
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.
Charges
The Governing Body reserves the right to make a charge in the following circumstances for
activities organised by the school.
• Activities outside school hours including clubs
• The full cost to each pupil of any activities deemed to be optional extras taking place outside school hours including residential visits
• Individual Instrumental Tuition (not part of the National Curriculum)
• Breakages
Residential Visits
A charge will be made for the cost of board, lodging and travel costs (subject to statutory
exceptions) the cost will not exceed the actual cost of provision. See remissions for further details.
Music Tuition
Although the law states that all education provided during school hours must be free, music
lessons are an exception to this rule.
The Education and Inspections Act 2006 introduced a regulation-making power which allowed the Department for Children, Schools and Families to specify circumstances where charging can be made for music tuition. The new Regulations, which came into force in September 2007, provide pupils with greater access to vocal and instrumental tuition.
Charges may now be made for teaching either an individual pupil or groups of any appropriate size (provided that the size of the group is based on sound pedagogical principles) to play a musical instrument or to sing. Charges may only be made if the teaching is not an essential part of either the National Curriculum.
Breakages
In cases of wilful or malicious damage to equipment or breakages, or loss of school books or
equipment on loan to pupils the Headteacher in consultation with the Chair of the Governing Body may decide to make a charge. Each incident will be dealt with on its own merit and at their discretion.
Voluntary Contributions
The Governing Body may ask parents for a voluntary contribution towards the cost of any activity that takes place during school hours. Parents are under no obligation to make any contribution and pupils of parents who are unable or unwilling to contribute will not be discriminated against. In the event of insufficient voluntary contributions being made the activity may have to be cancelled and refunds will be given.
Parents may also be invited to make a voluntary contribution for the following:
• educational visits
• any activity which takes place during or outside of school hours;
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 Head
Teacher.
Remissions
Where the parents of a pupil are in receipt of state benefits which would entitle their child to
receive free school meals the Governing Body will remit the majority of the cost of board and
lodging for any residential activity (classed as an optional extras taking place outside school
hours).This is made clear in all correspondence in relation to these activities.
In other circumstances the Governing Body will invite parents to apply in confidence to the
Headteacher for the remission of charges in part or full. The Headteacher in consultation with the Chair of Governors will make authorisation of remission.
Review and amendments
This policy will be reviewed annually by the GB Finance Committee who may, from time to time recommend amendments to the categories for which a charge maybe made, this will be brought to the full Governing Body for ratification. However, the Governing Body reserve the right to review the Charging and Remissions Policy as necessary.