Charging Policy 2023-24

Introduction

The Governing Body recognises the valuable contribution that the wide range of additional activities, including trips, clubs and residential experiences can make towards pupils’ 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.

Charges

The Governing Body reserves the right to make a charge in the following circumstances for activities organized by the school:

• School journeys in school hours
• The board and lodging element of approved residential activities deemed to take place in school hours
• Activities outside school hours – the full cost to each pupil of all approved activities deemed to be optional extras taking place outside school hours
• Individual instrument tuition – the cost to the pupil for providing any instrument tuition not part of normal LEA peripatetic provision
• Charging in kind – the cost of materials, ingredients, equipment (or the provision of them by parents) for the following subjects: D&T, Science, Art / Craft. The governing Body reserves the right to charge for ingredients and materials or require them to be provided if the parents have indicated in advance that they wish to own the finished product.

General

The Governing Body may from time to time, amend the categories of activity for which a charge can be made. Nothing in this policy statement precludes the Governing Body from inviting parents to make a voluntary contribution towards the cost of additional activities which take place in school time.
Parents may be advised that the continuance of an activity may depend upon voluntary contributions, but once it has been decided to run such an activity no qualifying child will be excluded on the grounds of voluntary contributions.

Remissions

When the parents of a pupil are in receipt of income support or family credit, the Governing Body will offer to remit in full the cost of full board and lodging for any residential activity which is deemed to take place in school hours or where it forms part of the syllabus for the National Curriculum.
The governing Body may wish to remit in full or in part the cost of other activities for particular groups of parents, for example, in the case of family hardship. When arranging a chargeable activity such parents will be invited in confidence for the remission of charges in full or in part.
Authorisation for such remission will be made by the Headteacher in consultation with the Chair of Governors.

Authorisation for such remission will be made by the Headteacher in consultation with the Chair of Governors.

General principles underlying Charging and Remissions

• Letters detailing class visits and excursions make explicit reference to contributions being voluntary.
• No child or family will be discriminated against or made to feel self-conscious about making no payment or part payment towards school visits and excursions
• Costs of visits and excursions will be kept to a minimum to be affordable to families
• In the event of a visit costing considerably more the school will look to subsidise costs and arrange fundraising or support from William Patten PTFA to ensure all costs are affordable