This policy came into operation on 1st April, 1992. The Board of Governors are required to determine and keep under review a Charges and Remissions Policy in respect of the charges it proposes to make for any Optional Extra or Board and Lodging (Article 131 Paragraph (1) Education Reform (N.I.) Order 1989).

An optional extra is an activity or provision organized or arranged by a Board or the school in which pupils participate voluntarily on the basis of parents willingness and ability to meet the associated costs. An optional extra is with two exceptions (Public Examinations and Music Tuition) all education or transport which is provided by the Board of Governors wholly or mainly outside school hours and which is not specifically required to meet the Board of Governors statutory duty to deliver any component of the Northern Ireland Curriculum or an approved public examination. There is no obligation on school authorities to provide optional extras.

Where the Board of Governors has decided to provide an optional extra the charge on the parents of participating pupils will be based on the full per capita cost. The Board of Governors may decide to subsidise part of the cost of the activity out of school funds.

OPTIONAL EXTRAS

1. Tuition in the playing of a Music Instrument
This will normally be provided through the N.E.E.L.B. Music Service and will be provided free of charge during school hours within the financial resources available. If provided by any other service or outside school hours charges will be made which will include a proportion of the cost of the teacher giving the tuition. These charges will not be remitted.

2. Educational Activities
Charges will be made in respect of all activities which take place wholly or more than 50% outside school hours when the child's participation has been agreed in advance by the parent. The charge will include the cost of travel, entrance fees, materials, books and equipment and, where appropriate, board and lodgings, tuition fees and insurance cover. There will be no remission of these charges.

3. Transport
A charge will be made when a pupil makes use of transport, other than transport provided by the Education and Library Board to attend an activity. This charge will be based on the full economic cost. There will be no remission of this charge.

Public Examination Entries There will be no charge for entering any approved public examination if the school has prepared the pupil for that examination. Charges will be made in respect of a pupil's entry for any examination for which he or she has not been prepared by the school or for the second resit of a GCSE/GCE 'A' level module examination. There will be no remission of these charges. (The school will pass on to parents any charge which may arise as the result of a parent's request to have a pupil's examination result scrutinized. There will be no remission of this charge).

Practical Subjects
Charges will be made for ingredients and materials needed for courses in practical subjects provided by the school where parents indicate, in advance and in writing, a wish to receive the finished product - as an alternative the parents may provide the ingredients and/or materials. There will be no remission of charges.

BOARD AND LODGING

Where a school activity involves pupils spending a night or nights away from home, a charge for board and lodgings will be made. Where such a residential trip is considered an "Optional Extra", this charge will not be remitted.

Where a residential trip is inside school hours or is outside school hours but must be provided free under Article 128 Paragraphs 2 & 4, parents in receipt of Income Support or Family Credit are entitled to have these charges remitted when they declare and give evidence of their circumstances. Such parents may make a voluntary contribution towards the cost of the residential trip.

GENERAL

(a) This policy will operate for the financial year April 2002 to March 2003 and will be subject to monitoring and review.

(b) This charging and remissions policy only relates to charges which may be made by the school or N.E.E.L.B. and does not relate to any educational activity where charges are levied by a third party.

(c) No charge made in respect of individual pupils will exceed the actual cost of providing the optional extra to that pupil. Charges will not include an element of subsidy for any pupils whose parents are unable to pay the full charge.

(d) The school reserves the right to cancel any activity arranged under the terms of this "Charges and Remissions Policy".

(e) The Reform Order permits the school to ask all pupils to make a voluntary contribution to defray the costs of any educational activity.