Charging and Remissions Policy

Rationale

Bishop Heber High School believes that all our students should have an equal opportunity to benefit from school activities and visits (curricular and extra-curricular) independent of their parents’ 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 students taking full advantage of the opportunities available at the school.

Sections 449-462 of the 1996 Education Act requires all schools to have a policy on charging and remissions for school activities, which will be kept under regular review.

Guidelines on Charges

The Governing Body will NOT charge for:

• An admission application to Bishop Heber High School
• Education provided during school hours
• Education provided outside school hours if it is part of the National Curriculum[1], or part of a specification for a prescribed public examination that the student is being prepared for at the school, or part of religious education.
• Entry for a prescribed public examination, if the student has been prepared for it at the school

Voluntary Contributions 

The school can ask for voluntary contribution(s) for the benefit of the school or any school activities.  However, if the activity cannot be funded without voluntary contributions, the Governing Body will make this clear at the outset.  The Governing Body will also make it clear to parents that there is no obligation to make any contribution.

No child will be excluded from an activity simply because his or her parents are unwilling or unable to pay.  If insufficient voluntary contributions are raised to fund a visit, or the school cannot fund it from another source, then it will be cancelled and parents informed accordingly. If a parent is unwilling or unable to pay, their child will be given an equal chance to go on the visit. 

Music Tuition

Charges may be made for vocal or instrumental tuition provided either individually or to groups of any size, provided that the tuition is provided at the request of the student’s parent. Charges may not exceed the cost of the provision, including the cost of the staff who provide the tuition.

Optional Extras

Charges may be made for some activities known as “optional extras”.  Where an optional extra is being provided, a charge can be made for providing materials, books, instruments, or equipment.  ‘Optional Extras’ are:

1. Education provided outside of school time that is not:
2. Part of the National Curriculum
3. Part of a specification for a prescribed public examination that the student is preparing for at the school
4. Part of religious education
5. Examination fees if the registered student has not been prepared for the examinations at the school
6. Transport (other than transport that is required to take a student to and from school or to other premises where the Local Authority/Governing Body have arranged for the student to be provided with education)
7. Board and lodgings on a residential visit
8. Extended day services offered to students (for example breakfast club, after-school clubs, tea and supervised homework sessions)

In calculating the cost of optional extras an amount may be included in relation to:

• Any materials, books, instruments or equipment provided in connection with the optional extra
• The cost of buildings and accommodation
• Support staff
• Teaching staff engaged under contracts for services purely to provide an optional extra. This includes supply teachers engaged specifically to provide the optional extra
• The cost, or an appropriate proportion of the costs, for teaching staff employed to provide tuition in playing a musical instrument, or vocal tuition, where the tuition is an optional extra

Transport

Bishop Heber High School will not charge for:-

• Transporting registered students to and from the school where the Local Authority has a statutory obligation to provide transport
• Transporting registered students to other premises where the Governing Body or Local Authority has arranged for students to be educated
• Transport that enables a student to meet an examination requirement when he/she has been prepared for that examination at the school
• Transport provided in connection with an educational visit although the school may seek reimbursement by a voluntary contribution from parents/carers

Residential Visits

Bishop Heber High School will not charge for:

• Education provided on any visit 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 student is being prepared for at the school, or part of religious education

Bishop Heber High School will charge for:

• Board and lodging although the charge will not exceed the actual cost.

When Bishop Heber High School inform parents about forthcoming visit, it will be made clear that parents who can prove they are in receipt of the following benefits will be exempt from paying the cost of board and lodging:

Parents in receipt of:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit – if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

Education Partly During School Hours

Where an activity takes placed partly during and partly outside school hours, there is a basis for determining whether it is deemed to take place inside or outside the school hours.  However a charge can only be made for the activity if it is not part of the National Curriculum, not part of a syllabus for a prescribed public examination that the student is being prepared for at the school and not part of religious education.  If 50% or more of time spent on an activity falls during school hours, it is deemed to have taken place outside school hours. Time spent on travel counts in this calculation if the travel itself occurs during the school hours.  School hours do not include the break in the middle of the day. Where less than 50% of the time is spent on an activity falls during school hours, it is deemed to have taken place outside school hours.

Residential Visit

If the number of school sessions taken up by the visit is equal or greater than 50% of the number of half days spent on the visit, it is deemed to have taken place during school hours (even if some activities take place 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 day.

Additional Considerations

The Governing Body recognises its responsibility to ensure that the offer of activities and educational trips and 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 trips and visits on the school website at the beginning of the school year so that parents can plan ahead
• We have established a system for parents to pay in instalments
• When an opportunity for a trip / visit arises at short notice it will be possible to arrange to pay by instalments beyond the date of the trip

Breakages (In line with the School’s Behaviour Policy)

Bishop Heber High School has the right to ask a student’s parents or carers to pay for the cost of breakages or damaged books, equipment or other articles, where the breakage or damage is a result of a student’s misbehaviour or carelessness.

PDF Download
Download the Charging And Remissions Policy