Charging and Remissions Policy/Full Time Students

(Years 7 to 13)

NO charge will be made for education provided during College hours
NOR for activities which are an essential part of the syllabus of an approved examination
NOR for any visit undertaken, during College hours, which is part of the National Curriculum or is an essential part of the syllabus for an approved examination.

Equipment and books and most materials are provided free of charge as are copies of College publications; subject to recovery from parents of the cost for any such College property which is lost or destroyed or is returned in a damaged condition.
Charges for information remain subject to the provisions of the College Freedom of Information Policy and Publication Scheme (available on request) and require pre-payment where appropriate.

The College will pay for a student’s entry to prescribed public examinations but only for the first occasion for each subject and at each level and on the clear understanding that the student must fulfil his or her obligations to sit each examination and to complete all necessary coursework. The Governing Body has determined that the College will charge parents for the reimbursement of fees in respect of examinations where the student has failed in his or her obligation to attend College to sit a particular examination and/or to complete all necessary coursework, save for situations where there is convincing evidence of incapacity or illness.

The Governing Body has also determined that the College will charge parents for :

• Music tuition offered to individual students or small groups of students which tuition is over and above the requirements of the National Curriculum;
• Fees in connection with examination re-sits (at cost ***);
• Fees in connection with re-marking contested examinations (at cost ***).

  *** plus a Flat Rate Admin fee (to be determined by the Governing Body from time to time).
  

In each case the overall charge must be paid in advance.
The Governing Body has further determined that the College shall ask parents to make voluntary contributions towards :

• “Occasional visits”
  Field trips (unless an essential part of the syllabus for an approved examination) and occasional visits (to museums, theatres, farms and the like) will be offered on the basis that, for such visits to be confirmed, the cost must be met by voluntary contributions in advance from the parents of students who wish to participate;
  
• The Cost of Materials used in Technology lessons, including Food Technology.

[see Note 1 below]
NOTES :

Note 1 : Schools and Colleges are permitted to charge for ALL such materials so long as parents are advised in advance of the costs. Such payment would mean that the “finished product” would be owned by the parent. In practical terms the Governing Body considers that the high cost of certain materials &/or the nature of the end product make it impractical to charge parents for everything so Governors have preferred in this Policy to continue with the established arrangements of inviting voluntary contributions for the cost of such materials.

Note 2 : Wherever possible the College will continue to assist in finding financial help for students whose parents are in receipt of Income Support or Family Credit (or whose income is assessed at the level equivalent to qualify for such benefits). Further clarification can be obtained by contacting the College and asking to speak with the Director of Finance and Personnel.

Note 3 : to read - In this Policy “Parents” or “Parent” means “Parent(s) or Carer(s)”