Residential School Trips
A charge will be made for accommodation and food costs for any residential school trip involving an overnight stay. The charge will be the actual cost of provision for the student concerned or any lesser charge as may from time to time be determined by the Local Authority.
Eligibility for remission
Parents/carers in receipt of the following benefits are entitled to remission of charges for any agreed residential school course or camp:
- Income Support;
- Income Based Job Seekers Allowance;
- Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999;
- Income related Employment and Support Allowance;
- Child Tax Credit provided the parent is not entitled to Working Tax Credit, and their annual income does not exceed £16,190;
- Guaranteed element of State Pension Credit;
- Working Tax Credit run-on, paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit;
- Universal Credit
The residential course must be a necessary part of the National Curriculum or agreed syllabus for Religious Education or form part of the syllabus for a prescribed examination for which the school is preparing the student.
Optional Out of School Activities
A charge may be made for optional activities arranged by the school which take place outside school hours, where the activities are not a necessary part of the National Curriculum or agreed syllabus for Religious Education and do not form part of the syllabus for a prescribed examination for which the school is preparing the student.
The charge made will be the actual cost of the activity, including any necessary costs of supervision, divided by the number of participating students, or a smaller amount as may be determined.
Voluntary Contributions
The school may ask parents/carers for a voluntary contribution towards the cost of:
- any activity which takes place during school hours;
- school equipment.
Voluntary contributions in cash or in kind may be made by parents/carers, on the clear understanding that willingness to contribute by an individual parent shall not be taken into consideration when giving students access to school visits/activities.
The contribution must be genuinely voluntary and the students and parents/carers who are unable or unwilling to contribute must not be discriminated against. The activity may need to be cancelled if there are not enough voluntary contributions and there is no way to make up the shortfall.
Incidental Transport
Where a student travels from home to a sanctioned activity, e.g. for work experience, parents/carers are required to pay the costs of transport in full where the activity is less than 3 miles from home. The Local Authority will cover the cost of school transport where the activity is in excess of three miles from the student’s home. For further information on school transport, please see the Local Authority’s Home to School Transport policy.
Public Examinations
The cost of entering a student for public examinations will be charged to parents/carers only if:
- the examination is not one prescribed.
- the school has not prepared the candidate for that entry.
- a student misses a public examination for which he/she has been entered without a valid medical reason.
Music Tuition
The cost of tuition in playing a musical instrument for an individual or group of four students or less, will be charged to the parent if the tuition does not form part of the syllabus for a prescribed public examination or is required by the National Curriculum.
Ingredients/materials
A charge may be made for ingredients/materials for practical subjects where parents/carers indicate that they or the child wish to own the finished product.
Damage to equipment
Parents/carers may be asked to contribute towards damage to or loss of equipment caused by students’ behaviour, or wilful damage.