Charging and Remissions Policy

The Governors wish to make clear their determination to support and encourage as wide a range of activities for students as possible, both within the confines of the day-to-day curriculum and outside that curriculum and beyond the Academy day. However, the Governors are also conscious of the high costs involved, either to Parents or the Academy, in maintaining a full programme of events, visits and activities for all age groups throughout the Academy year. Therefore, in accordance with the terms of the 1988 Education Reform Act, they have prepared this statement of their Policy on charging.

Policy

The Governors propose to charge only for those activities allowed within the current guidelines from the DfE. In summary, this means that charges will be made for:

• Board and lodging on residential visits;
• Costs associated with individual tuition in the playing of a musical instrument, whether in or out of Academy hours [unless it is provided as part of the syllabus for a prescribed public examination, or is required by the national curriculum];
• Activities which take place wholly or mainly outside Academy hours, but which are not provided as part of the syllabus for a prescribed public examination and are not required in order to fulfil statutory studies relating to the national curriculum or of religious education;
• The cost of entering a student for a public examination not prescribed in regulations and for preparing the student for such an examination outside Academy hours;
• Re-sits of prescribed public examinations;
• Failure without good reason to complete the examination requirements for any public examination for which the Governing Body has authorised the payment of an entry fee.

In cases of hardship, the Governors authorise the Principal, on their behalf, to remit, either as a whole or in part, any charges which could be levied. The Governors will expect the Principal to use his discretion in the light of circumstances in each case.

The Governors have also decided to continue to ask for voluntary contributions from Parents, even in cases where no charge can be levied. This will be on the clear understanding that:

• there is no obligation to contribute, and
• no student will be treated differently according to whether or not his/her Parents have made a contribution.

The Governors must, however, make it clear that, because of the financial constraints under which they operate, they reserve the right not to proceed with any activity which could not be funded principally by voluntary contributions.

The effective date of this policy is 10 December 2019
This policy was reviewed and reapproved December 2024