Planning guide

Charging for school trips: what schools in England can and cannot ask for

A plain-English summary of the DfE rules on charging for trips in England, including voluntary contributions, the 50% rule and board and lodging on residentials.

The legal starting point

The rules on charging for school activities in England come from the Education Act 1996. The Department for Education explains them in its departmental advice, Charging for school activities, which applies to maintained schools and, through their funding agreements, to academies. Independent schools are not covered.

This guide summarises the main points. It is not legal advice, so always check the current DfE document and your own school's charging and remissions policy.

You need a charging policy

DfE's guidance says no charges can be made unless the governing body or local authority has drawn up a charging policy. The school also needs a remissions policy setting out when charges will be reduced or waived. Before you write to parents, check that your trip is in line with both.

Trips during school hours

Schools cannot charge for education provided during school hours. For an educational visit in school hours, that includes the cost of the activity itself and the transport. Schools also cannot charge for transport provided in connection with an educational visit.

To decide whether an activity counts as being in school hours, the guidance uses a 50% rule. If 50% or more of the time spent on the activity, including travel during school hours, falls within school hours, it is treated as taking place during school hours. The midday break does not count as school hours.

Voluntary contributions

Schools can ask parents for a voluntary contribution towards a trip in school hours. The guidance is clear about how this must work.

The request must make clear there is no obligation to contribute.
No child should be excluded from an activity because their parents are unwilling or unable to pay.
Pupils whose parents do not contribute must be treated the same as everyone else.
If the trip cannot go ahead without contributions and not enough are raised, the guidance says it must be cancelled. Make this clear to parents at the outset.

Trips outside school hours

Activities that take place mainly outside school hours and are not part of the national curriculum, a prescribed exam syllabus or religious education can be charged for as optional extras. Parents must have chosen for their child to take part. The charge must not be more than the actual cost, shared equally between the pupils taking part, and it cannot be used to subsidise pupils whose parents cannot pay.

If an activity outside school hours is part of the national curriculum, an exam syllabus or religious education, the education and the travel cannot be charged for.

Residential trips: board and lodging

Residential trips follow the same principles, with one important difference. Schools can charge for board and lodging, but the charge must not exceed the actual cost.

For a residential that takes place largely in school time, the school cannot charge for the education or the travel. Parents who can show they receive certain benefits are exempt from paying the cost of board and lodging where the trip includes education that cannot be charged for. The qualifying benefits are listed in the DfE guidance; they include Universal Credit in prescribed circumstances, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance and the guarantee element of Pension Credit, among others. Check the current list before you write to families.

For residentials, the 50% test is applied using school sessions and half days rather than hours. The guidance explains how to count these if your trip runs over a weekend.

Pupil premium and keeping trips fair

Schools receive pupil premium funding for disadvantaged pupils, and headteachers and governors decide how to use it. Many schools use part of it to help with the cost of trips. Beyond what the law requires, a clear approach to hardship, such as instalments or a confidential way for families to ask for help, means fewer pupils miss out.

When you write to parents, use plain language. Say what the trip is for, what is being asked, whether it is voluntary, and who to contact in confidence if cost is a worry.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

The DfE guidance applies to schools in England. The other UK nations have their own rules on charging. If you work outside England, check your local authority's charging policy and the guidance from your own education department.

Questions

Can a school make parents pay for a trip during the school day?

No. Schools in England cannot charge for education or transport for trips in school hours. They can ask for a voluntary contribution, but no child can be left out because their parents do not pay.

Can we cancel a trip if not enough parents contribute?

Yes. DfE guidance says that if not enough voluntary contributions are raised to fund a visit, it must be cancelled. Tell parents this when you ask.

Can we charge for a residential?

You can charge for board and lodging, at no more than the actual cost. For residentials largely in school time, families receiving certain benefits are exempt from that charge, and the education and travel cannot be charged for.

Sources and further reading

This guide is general information for UK schools, not legal advice. Always follow your employer's and local authority's policies. Last reviewed October 2026.