At Cotham School we value the impact of experiences beyond the classroom and aim to offer all students the opportunity to take part in curricular and enrichment activities and visits. However, due to the high demand for places on some trips it is necessary for the school to have a system of allocating places; where demand is higher than the number of places available a draw will take place to select the students who will be offered a place. A reserve list of students who have not been offered a place will be held; if a place subsequently becomes available a further draw will be held to allocate the place to a student on the reserve list.

In line with school and DfE policy, the school may ask parents for voluntary contributions towards the cost of curricular trips, but if the trip cannot be fully funded then it will have to be cancelled. 

Enrichment trips will be charged at a level to cover costs to the school; however, parents in receipt of certain benefits are able to receive additional funding support by contacting the trip leader (see below).

Pupil Premium – financial support

Many trips and visits already include a subsidised cost for students who are eligible for Pupil Premium. The reduced cost will be shared in a letter, or can be confirmed by the trip leader if your child is eligible.

If required, parents of students who are eligible for Pupil Premium are encouraged to request additional financial support from the Trip Leader and Learning Coordinator; all requests will be considered on an individual basis, within the constraints of the funds that are available at that time. 

To apply for financial support, parents are required to contact the member of staff who is leading the trip by email which will be on the trip information letter. The trip leader and SLT link for Pupil Premium will assess all requests and will make the final decision on whether the request should be approved, taking into account attendance, classwork, behaviour and any previous financial support that might have been granted during the academic year.

WisePay

To further support all parents, the school is able to offer a scheme through the on-line payment system WISEPAY to enable parents to make regular payments. These can accumulate over time, and can be transferred to any event that they wish their child to participate in. Parents can request a refund of any unallocated funds held at any time by contacting the finance office. Parents that choose to take up this option must be aware that no interest is payable on any funds held.

Pay it Forward

The school runs a successful programme whereby parents can ‘Pay it Forward’ and contribute more than the cost of a trip to help support other students to have access to opportunities and resources. If you are able to support this initiative, please contact the school, or follow guidance on the trip letter and webpage here.