Visit Planning

3.6 Charging for Educational Visits and Activities

Version v3 · Last updated 30 August 2026

Overview

All state-maintained schools must follow the law on charging for school activities (Education Act 1996). Proper application of charges ensures fairness, transparency, and compliance, and helps parents understand costs before committing.

Key Principle

Schools must not charge for education that takes place during school hours or for activities that are part of the National Curriculum, a public examination syllabus, or religious education. This includes associated transport and staffing costs.

What Schools Cannot Charge For

You should not request payment for:

Lessons or activities during school hours
Curriculum-related visits, even if they partly occur outside school hours
Transport linked to curriculum activities or visits
Supply teachers covering for staff on residential visits

Exception:: Board and lodging on residential visits may be charged, unless parents receive qualifying benefits (similar to Free School Meals).

Optional Extras

You may charge for optional extras, such as:

Activities that take place entirely outside school hours and are not part of the curriculum
Residential board and lodging (where no remission applies)
Extended day services, e.g. breakfast clubs, after-school clubs, activity clubs

Charges must reflect the actual cost per pupil and cannot subsidise other pupils.

Voluntary Contributions

For activities during school time, you may request voluntary contributions.

Contributions must be genuinely voluntary
No pupil may be excluded or treated differently if parents do not contribute
Parents should be informed if an activity may be cancelled due to insufficient contributions

Voluntary contributions may also be used to support pupils whose families cannot afford to pay.

Staff Responsibilities

When planning a visit or activity, you must:

Check whether it is curriculum-related
Confirm whether it takes place in school time
Consult the school’s charging and remissions policy
Provide parents with clear, written information about costs, contributions and any associated terms and conditions.

If in doubt, you should seek guidance from senior leaders before communicating with parents.