Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice they are giving to school headteachers and governors who are notifying parents that they need to make voluntary financial contributions to help offset higher operational and employment costs and real-terms reductions in public funding.

The Department has published advice for head teachers to help ensure their charging policies comply with the law. The advice accurately reflects the terms of the Education Act 1996.

The ‘Charging for School Activities’ advice states schools can ask for voluntary contributions for the benefit of the school or any school activities. When schools request voluntary contributions they should not pressurise parents into paying and must make clear to parents there is no obligation to make any contribution.

The advice also states that no child should be excluded from an activity simply because their parents are unwilling or unable to pay.

The core schools budget has been protected in real terms since 2010, with school funding at its highest level on record at more than £40bn in 2016-17.

The Government continues to provide support for schools to help them use their funding in the most cost effective ways, including improving the way they buy goods and services, so‎ they get the best possible value.