Schools are required to comply with statutory requirements, by publishing details of Charging and Remissions Policy which includes details of the activities or cases where the school will charge pupils’ parents and the circumstances where your school will make an exception on a payment you would normally expect to receive under your charging policy.
The Legal Framework of the charging provisions in the Education Reform Act 1988 are:
• to maintain the
right to free school education
• to establish that activities offered wholly or mainly during normal
teaching time should be available to all pupils regardless of their parents’/carers’ ability or willingness
to help meet the cost
• to give schools discretion to charge for optional activities provided wholly or
mainly out of school hours
• to confirm the right of schools to invite voluntary contributions for the
benefit of the school or in support of any activity organised by the school whether during or outside school
hours Charging Policy Activities without charge There will be no charge for the following activities:
•
education provided wholly or mostly during school hours. This includes the supply of any materials, books,
instruments, other equipment and also transport provided in school hours to carry pupils between the school
and an activity;
• education provided outside school hours if it is part of the National Curriculum, or
part of a syllabus for a prescribed public examination which the pupil is being prepared for at the school,
or part of religious education;
• instrumental and vocal music tuition for pupils learning individually
or in groups, unless the tuition is provided at the request of the pupil’s parent/carer.
Voluntary Contributions: Where the school cannot levy charges, and it is not possible to make these additional activities within the resources ordinarily available to the school, the school may request or invite parents to make a contribution towards the cost of the trip.
Remissions: All Parents and Carers are made aware that financial support may be made available providing they fulfil the specified criteria. Elmlea Schools will use information that a child is in receipt of free school meals and/or pupil premium as a starting point and all parents should be advised annually that failure to take up benefits for which they may be eligible may mean that their child does not have access to available funding.
