Schools Finance Manual

NORTH YORKSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S SERVICE

SCALBY SCHOOL

FEES AND CHARGES POLICY

HISTORY OF DOCUMENT

1Introduction

1.1 A number of charges collected at the school are centrally or nationally determined. These will be reviewed periodically by the Authority and beyond implementing notified charges there is no responsibility falling upon the school regarding policy or reassessment, other than to ensure the increase is implemented on the appropriate date. These include:

Statutory Purposes e.g. use as a polling station.

Parish Council meetings.

Parliamentary Election meetings.

Meetings arranged by the Corporate Director – Children & Young People’s Service eg consultation meetings.

Other LA Approved Use e.g. Youth Clubs and Adult Education.

School Meal charges.

1.2 There are however a number of categories of income whereby the level of charging scales is entirely at the Governing Body’s discretion. These might include:-

Lettings of premises (other than those detailed in paragraph 1.1).

Charges for additional facilities such as showers, sports equipment etc.

Charges for examination fees to external candidates.

Sales of produce.

Sale of surplus equipment.

Charges for the use of telephones and photocopiers for private purposes.

2Policy

All charges should be reviewed at least annually by the Governing Body who should take into account the following criteria:-

The level of demand and competition for the services in question.

All elements of cost (e.g. labour, energy, materials) and inflation since the date the charge was last reviewed.

The degree to which it is intended to subsidise or profit from the charges rendered. However, it should be noted that schools may cross-subsidise lettings for community and voluntary use with income from other lettings, provided there is no net cost to the delegated budget.

It is recommended that the level of charges reimbursed in connection with LA Approved use should be regarded as a basis minimum when considering charges to other users.

Determine whether VAT is chargeable (see guidance in School Finance Manual Section 16) and, if chargeable, decide if the charge is either “VAT inclusive” or “VAT exclusive”.

The agreed scale of charges, including the basis of any remission arrangements approved by the Governing Body, should be known to all staff involved in income collection and set out on a printed list which can be made available, or displayed, to all prospective customers.

3Making the Charge

3.1 For each service which is to be the subject of a charge it is necessary to consider and determine how the income is to be collected; here the aim is to collect the amount due as efficiently and quickly as possible but by arrangements which also ensure that all amounts due are actually collected.

3.2 If the scale of charges is known before the service is provided and the amounts involved are relatively low, the aim should be to make the charge at the “point of sale” by collecting cash or cheque.

3.3 In other cases it may prove necessary to invoice the debtor. If the sum involved is significant, consideration should be given to requiring that a deposit or advanced payment be made.

3.4 Further details are set out below on the procedures to be followed for the collection of cash income and the issue and collection of debtors’ invoices (known as credit income).

3.5 Schools will be collection income relating to both School Fund and the BAFS account. In determining whether income is due to the BAFS or Private Fund the following rules should be applied:-

All income and expenditure relating to a particular activity should be processed by either the BAFS account or the School Fund; it is not permissible, for example, to charge the expenditure for the school photocopier to the BAFS account yet credit the income for the sale of private copies to the School Fund.

All lettings income must be paid into the BAFS account.

Income must be paid wholly and intact into either the BAFS Account or School Fund. In other words income due to the BAFS Account must not be paid, initially, into the Voluntary Fund, for subsequent transfer to the BAFS account (and Vice-versa).

Donations, but not loans, can be made from the School Fund to the BAFS account. Donations and loans cannot be made from the BAFS account to the Voluntary Fund.

4.Scale of Charges

Hire of Premises:

Evenings:

Sports Hall - £18 per hour

Gym - £15 per hour

ICT Classrooms - £20 per hour

Other (standard sized) classrooms - £10 per hour

Main Hall - £20 per hour

Other facilities – by arrangement

Days (during school holidays)

Sports Hall - £45 per

Gym - £45 per

ICT Classrooms - £50 per day

Other (standard sized) classrooms - £20 per day

Main Hall - £50 per day

Other facilities – by arrangement

Private Photocopying:

Mono 6 pence per page

Colour 12 pence per page

Private telephone calls are to be discouraged but a fee equivalent to the cost of the call charge will be made.

Examination fees to external candidates will include:

The cost of the examination from the awarding body, plus

the cost of any additional invigilation / support in the examination , plus

any other associated costs e.g. photocopying, postage etc, plus

an administration fee of £30.

Sale of Surplus Equipment:

Surplus equipment will be identified by the responsible Manager (Member of the Senior Leadership Team) and, in conjunction with the School Business Manager, a fee will be agreed based upon the condition of the equipment and its market value.

A schedule of all surplus equipment sales (identifying the nature of the equipment, fees charges and purchaser) will be presented to the Governing Body Annually.

5.Charging for School Activities

Education ‘during school hours’ is free and no formal charges are made except for the following:

• the ingredients or materials for use in practical subjects if parents have indicated that they wish to own the finished product

Remission of these charges is available for children of families in receipt of Free School Meals. TheGovernors may also consider other cases of particular hardship as requested on an individual basis.

No student will be excluded from any ‘school hours’ activity because of parents’ unwillingness or inability to pay.

None of the above precludes the school from asking parents for a voluntary contribution towards the funding of a particular activity. A letter will always be sent informing parents of the details of an activity, and the fact that no child would be excluded because of parents’ inability to pay, but would also point out that the activity might not take place, if the voluntary contributions were insufficient to largely cover the cost.

Charges may also be made for activities taking place wholly or mainly outside school hours.

For Technology Projects, teachers will

• Identify projects and produce example costings at the start of each Key Stage.
• Identify those students on free school meals at the start of each Key Stage
• Produce an estimated cost for free school meals students at the start of each Key Stage for SLT to make a decision about how to allocate funding (department capitation or other source)
• Money collected will be paid into the office weekly with a clear indication of which subject area the money has originated from.
• At the start of a student’s key stage three rotation teachers will produce a letter giving details of the project, cost and details of the schools charging policy. Parents will be asked for a contribution at the start of the project – and money will be collected at the start of the project.
• At the end of a project students who have paid are able to take projects home. Those students who have not paid (except FSM) will have projects recycled where possible.
• A similar process will operate for Key stage Four
• As students will choose projects, a costing will be produced by the student with teacher support and checking.
• The teacher in discussion with the student will make decisions about how the materials for the project will be sourced.
• The teacher will set a floor budget for FSM students and those students unwilling to pay and this will be discussed with Line management before the start of the project.
• Clear and detailed records of this process will be kept to maintain accountability.

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