Charging and Remissions

Vision Statement

Carshalton Boys is a school community based upon positive relationships and a culture of kindness and mutual respect. Staff recognise their role in promoting our WE BELIEVE principles and are united in optimism and a belief in our young people. Looking after our students, on the journey from childhood to young adulthood, is a privilege and a responsibility that we take seriously.

What unites our Carshalton Boys family is a drive to look after our most vulnerable members. We do this proactively by ensuring staff are accessible to students and parents and that students have the opportunity to anonymously report unkindness, abuse or any welfare concerns.

WE BELIEVE knowledge is power, black lives matter, love is love, feminism is for everyone and that no human being is illegal.  WE BELIEVE in being gentle with The Earth and that we all have a part to play in protecting our planet. At Carshalton Boys we are proud to have an ethos rooted in our WE BELIEVE principles which promote inclusivity, kindness and aspiration. We encourage all our students to be the best version of themselves. We want students to feel proud of their achievements at school and their contribution to our whole school community. We believe in being really kind to each other so that every member of our school community feels safe and confident and is able to work and learn in a calm and inclusive environment.

Introduction

In accordance with Section 33 of the Schools Funding Agreement, the Academy Trust is required to determine the charging and remissions policies required to address Section 457 of the Education Act 1996 and for these to be approved by the Secretary of State for Education.

The Board of Trustees confirm their belief that this policy is in line with legislation.

The Board of Trustees recognises the valuable contribution that a wide range of activities including school visits, school clubs and residential experiences can make towards a students’ personal and social education. The Governing Body aims to promote and provide such activities both as part of a broad and balanced curriculum and as additional optional activities.

(Throughout this policy, the term “parents” means all those having parental responsibility for a child.)

General Principal

The general principle within the Act is that no charge will be made for any books, materials, instruments, equipment or transport for use in connection with education if the education is:

• Within school hours (but excluding the mid-day break)
• Required for the National Curriculum but out of school hours
• For statutory religious education
• For a prescribed public examination prepared for by the school

However there are exceptions where the school can make charges.

Exceptions

Charges are permitted under the Act to meet the costs of the following:

• Board and lodging on residential educational trips
• Non educational trips
• Music tuition and the attendant hiring of musical instruments where the tuition does not form part of the syllabus for a prescribed public examination
• Materials/ingredients required to produce a finished product made in school (e.g. in art, design, food or technology lessons), where parents have agreed in advance that the finished article should be owned by the parent/carer or the pupil
• Entering a student for a public examination which is not prescribed in regulations, and for preparing the student for such an examination out of school hours
• Entering a student for a public examination against the wishes of the school
• Entering a student for a public examination which the pupil fails to attend
• Re-marking an examination paper where the re-mark is requested by the parent or student
• Re-sits of prescribed public examinations where no further preparation has been provided by the school
• Voluntary optional extras provided outside of school hours (or mainly outside school hours)

In all cases where a permitted charge is made, parents will be told the amount in advance. Charges will not be set with the intention of exceeding the actual cost per student incurred.

Voluntary Contributions

The Act permits voluntary contributions to be requested for any specific visit and/or activity either inside or outside of school time. In all cases where voluntary contributions are requested, parents will be told the amount in advance. The level of voluntary contribution requested will not be set with the intention of exceeding the actual cost per student incurred. No individual student will be excluded from a visit or activity if their parent chooses not to pay the voluntary contribution. However the visit or activity may have to be cancelled if insufficient contributions are received.

Other Charges

To actively engage in learning, be ready to learn and be able to learn in many different contexts, it is essential that students have the right basic equipment e.g. pens, pencils, rulers, calculators. Whilst there is no legal or formal requirement for parents to provide these items the school actively encourages parents and students to purchase them. Some optional items of equipment may on occasion be offered for sale by the school e.g. calculators, revision guides etc.

Photocopying and/or printing which is not required by a member of staff may be charged for.

The school will seek payment from parents for damage to or loss of school property caused wilfully or negligently by their child.

Lettings and out of school access to facilities will be charged in accordance with published rates.

Refunds

Refunds of charges or voluntary contributions received will be made in the following circumstances:

• Cancellation of trips or activities due to circumstances beyond the student’s control
• If a pupil is ill at the time of a missed public examination upon production of a medical certificate
• In the event that an examination re-mark requested by a parent or student is successful (the reimbursement of fees will be made by the examination board)

In other circumstances, at the discretion of the Principal.

Support Fund

Where charges are to be made to parents, or voluntary contributions sought, these will be advised in advance and collected prior to the activity. Requests for help from parents on eligible benefits will be considered and assistance provided within the limits of any support fund that may be available. Complete confidentiality will be observed in all such matters.

Eligible benefits include:

• Income Support
• Income-based Job Seekers Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under part VI of the Immigration & Asylum Act 1999
• The Guaranteed Element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an  annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue & Customs) that does not exceed £16,190
• Universal Credit

Where a parent does not receive an eligible benefit the school will nonetheless consider sympathetically requests for assistance in the phasing of contributions, provided that all such phased contributions have been made by the time the trip or event takes place.