Below we set out what we can charge for:

Education

• Any materials, books, instruments or equipment, where the child’s parent wishes him or her to own them
• Optional extras (see section 6.2)
• Music and vocal tuition, in limited circumstances (see section 6.3)
• Certain early years provision
• Community facilities
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Optional extras

We are able to charge for activities known as ‘optional extras’. In these cases, schools can charge for providing materials, books, instruments or equipment. The following are optional extras:

• Education provided outside of school time that is not part of:

• The national curriculum
• Religious education

• Transport (other than transport that is required to take the pupil to school or to other premises where the local authority or governing board has arranged for the pupil to be provided with education)
• Board and lodging for a pupil on a residential visit
• Extended day services offered to pupils (such as breakfast clubs, after-school clubs, tea and supervised homework sessions)

When 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
• Non-teaching staff
• Teaching staff engaged under contracts for services purely to provide an optional extra (including 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

Any charge made in respect of individual pupils will not be greater than the actual cost of providing the optional extra activity, divided equally by the number of pupils participating.

Any charge will not include an element of subsidy for any other pupils who wish to take part in the activity but whose parents are unwilling or unable to pay the full charge.

In cases where a small proportion of the activity takes place during school hours, the charge cannot include the cost of alternative provision for those pupils who do not wish to participate.

Parental agreement is necessary for the provision of an optional extra which is to be charged for.

Music tuition

Schools can charge for vocal or instrumental tuition provided either individually or to groups of pupils, provided that the tuition is provided at the request of the pupil’s parent.

Charges may not exceed the cost of the provision, including the cost of the staff giving the tuition.

Charges cannot be made:

• If the teaching is an essential part of the national curriculum
• If the teaching is provided under the first access to the Key Stage 2 instrumental and vocal tuition programme
• For a pupil who is looked after by a local authority

Residential visits

We can charge for board and lodging on residential visits, but the charge must not exceed the actual cost.