Co-op Academy Hamilton

Charging and Remissions Policy

Policy details

• Date created - January 2024
• Date reviewed - June 2024
• Date approved - June 2024
• Next review date - July 2025
• Policy owner - L Brandrick

1.       Introduction

1.1. Co-op Academy Hamilton is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all pupils, regardless of their financial circumstances, and has established this policy to ensure that no child is discriminated against by our offering of school trips, activities and educational extras.

2.       Legal Framework

2.1. This policy will have consideration for, and be compliant with, the following legislation and statutory guidance:

• Education Act 1996
• The Charges for Music Tuition (England) Regulations 2007
• The Education (Prescribed Public Examinations) (England) Regulations 2010
• Freedom of Information Act 2000
• DfE (2018) ‘Charging for School Activities’
• DfE (2021) ‘Governance Handbook’
• The Trust Funding Agreement

3.       Charging for Education

3.1. We will not charge parents/carers for:

• Admission applications
• 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 curriculum, part of the syllabus for a prescribed public examination that the pupil is being prepared for by the school or part of religious education
•  Instrumental or vocal tuition, unless provided at the request of the pupil’s parent/carers
• Entry for a prescribed public examination, if the pupil has been prepared for it at the school
• Examination resits, if the pupil is being prepared for the resits by the school

3.2. We may charge parents/carers for the following:

• Materials, books, instruments or equipment, where the pupil’s parent/carer desires their child to own them
• Optional extras (see below)

• Music and vocational tuition (under certain circumstances)
• Use of community facilities
• Certain early years provision. Parent/carers can expect to pay for any meals offered by the school alongside any free entitlement. Parent/carers can also expect to pay for other consumables or additional activities offered by the school, such as nappies
• Provision of information within the scope of freedom of information or subject access requests. Please refer to the Freedom of Information Policy for further details

 
4.       Optional Extras

4.1. We may charge for the following optional extras:

 Education provided outside of school hours that is not:

• Part of the national curriculum
• Part of a syllabus for a prescribed public examination that the pupil is being prepared for at the school
• Religious education
• Examination entry fees where the pupil has not been prepared for the examinations at the school
• Transport, other than that arranged by the local authority for the pupil to be provided with education
• Board and lodging for a pupil on a residential trip
•  Extended day services offered to pupils (for example Before and After School Club, etc)
• Extra curricular after school clubs, supervised homework sessions, etc

4.2. When calculating the cost of optional extras, the school will only take into account the following:

• Materials, books, instruments or equipment provided in relation to the optional extra
• The cost of the buildings and accommodation
• The employment of support staff
• The cost of teaching staff under contracts for services purely to provide an optional extra
• The cost, or an appropriate proportion of the costs, for teaching staff employed to provide vocal tuition or tuition in playing a musical instrument

4.3.   The school will not charge in excess of the actual cost of providing the optional extra by the number of participating pupils. We will not charge a subsidy for any pupils wishing to particiapte but whose parents/carers are unwilling or unable to pay the full charge. If a portion of the activity takes place during school hours, we will not charge for the cost of alternative provision for those not participating.  

4.4.   Participation of any optional activity will be on the basis of parental choice and a willingness to meet the charges. Therefore, parental/carer agreement is a pre-requisite for the provision of an optional extra.

5.       Voluntary Contributions

5.1. We may, from time to time, ask for voluntary contributions towards the benefit of the school or school activities. If an activity cannot be funded without voluntary contributions, we will make this clear to parents/carers. We will also make it clear that there is no obligation for parents/carers to make a contribution, and notify parents/carers whether assistance is available

5.2. No child will be excluded from an activity simply because their parent/carer is unwilling or unable to pay, their child will be given an equal opportunity to take part in the activity. If insufficent voluntary contributions are raised to fund an activity, and the school cannot fund it via another source, the activity will be cancelled

5.3. We will strive to ensure that parent/carers do not feel pressured into making voluntary conributions

6.       Music Tuition

6.1. Music tuition is the only exception to the rule that all education provided during school hours must be free. The Charges for Music Tuition (England) Regulations 2007 allow for charges to be made for vocal or instrumental tuition provided either individually or to groups of any size – provided that the tuition is at the request of the pupils parent/carers

6.2. Charges will not exceed the cost of the provision, including the cost of the staff who provide the tuition

6.3. A charge will not be made if the teaching is either an essential part of the national curriculum or is provided under the first access to the key stage 2 instrumental and vocal tuition programme

6.4. No charge will be made in respect of a pupil is Looked After by a local authority (within the meaning of Section 22(I) of the Children Act 1989)

7.       Transport

7.1. We will not charge for:

• Transporting registered pupils to or from the school premises, where the local authority has a statutory obligation to provide the transport
• Transporting registered pupils to other premises where the governing body or local authority has arranged for pupils to be educated
• Transporting pupils to meet an examination requirement when they have been prepared for the examination by the school
• Transport provided for an educational visit

8.       Residential Visits

8.1. We will not charge for:

• Education provided on any visit that takes place during school hours
• Education provided on any visit that takes place outside school hours if it is part of the national curriculum, 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 teachers accompanying pupils on visits

8.2.   We will charge for board and lodging but the charge will not exceed that actual cost

8.3.   Parents/carers will be exempt from board and lodging costs if they can prove that they are in receipt of one or more of the following benefits:

• Income Support
• Income Based Jobseekers Allowance
• Support under part IV of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999Child Tax Credit, provided that they are not also receiving Working Tax Credit and the family's annual income is not more than £16,190
• The guarantee element of State Pension Credit
• An income related employment and support allowance
• Working Tax Credit run-on, paid for 4 weeks after someone stops qualifying for Working Tax
• Credit
• Universal Credit

9.       Education partly during School Hours

9.1. If 50% or more of the time spent on an activity occurs during school hours (including time spent travelling if the travel occurs during school hours), it is deemed to take place during school hours and no charge will be made

9.2. If less than 50% of the time spent on an activity occurs during school hours, it is deemed to have taken place outside school hours and we may charge for the activity; however, we will not charge if the activity is part of the curriculum, part of a syllabus for a prescribed public examination that the pupil is being prepared for at school, or part of religious education

9.3. If the number of school sessions covered by a residential visit is equal to or greater than 50% of the number of half days (any period of 12 hours ending with noon or midnight on any day) spent on the visit, we will not charge for the activity        

9.4. The remission of charges for board and lodging payments is the responsibility of the school. These costs will be borne by voluntary contributions or our contingency funds

9.5. Any charges for extended day services will be charged

10. Damaged or Lost Items

10.1. The school may charge for the cost of replacing items that are damaged or lost due to the negligence or behaviour of pupils or their parent/carers. Parents/carers will only be charged the replacement cost to purchase the same or equivalent item. The school will consider waiving the costs in exceptional circumstances, e.g financial hardship,this will be considered on a case by case basis

11. Remissions

11.1. In some circumstances, the school may not charge for items or activities set out in this policy. This will be at the discretion of the Trustees and will depend on the activity in question

11.2. Parents/carers in receipt of the benefits outlined in 8.3 may request assistance with the cost of activities. Assistance will be allocated on a need’s basis, and if the full cost of the trip/activity cannot be met through voluntary contributions or other sources, the trip /activity will be cancelled.

11.3. To request assistance, parents/carers should contact the school office