Your Guide to Secondary Education in Leicestershire

Free transport is provided if:

Assisted transport is provided for pupils of compulsory school age. There is a charge of £240 per child per year, with some exceptions: eg for low income families (ie those in receipt of free school meals or receiving maximum working tax credit – proof of low income will be required each year); and for children of compulsory school age, families only pay for a maximum of two children. The following general conditions apply:

For voluntary aided school students above compulsory school age (e.g. 6th formers), if they meet the conditions above they receive assisted transport, at a cost to the parent of £240 per year (cost may increase with inflation).

Please note that assisted transport is not an automatic entitlement to students above compulsory school age attending an aided school for the first time.

Assisted transport is provided at a cost of approximately £240 per year (cost may increase with inflation) if:

Please note that the student must be in the 16+, 17+ or 18+ year group when the course is begun to qualify for assisted transport and that differences between courses of the same title and qualification cannot be considered.

Notes:

NB (1): Special legal provisions from September 2008 for low income families, ie those in receipt of free school meals or receiving maximum working tax credit:

Please note that if a family is identified as low income one year this may not be the case in any following years, so free transport entitlement cannot be guaranteed for subsequent years, and proof of low income will be required year-on-year.

NB (2): The above description of home - school/college transport is a summary, it does not apply to pupils/students attending special schools, units or colleges. A full version of the authority’s transport policy is available from the Allocations Section, County Hall, Tel: 0116 305 6684. If you are not certain of transport entitlement for your child, do not assume that he/she will receive free transport; if in doubt please contact the Allocations Section.

 

Children whose parents receive the following support benefits are entitled to receive free school lunches:

Young people who receive Income Support or Income Based Job Seekers Allowance in their own right are also entitled to receive free school lunches.

For help and advice contact Student Finance, Free School Lunches Section, County Hall, Glenfield or telephone 0116 305 6588.

 

The school governors decide what to recommend as school dress. This is stated in each school brochure or prospectus. It is the opinion of the County Council that pupils should not be excluded for failing to wear school uniform.

There is no clothing allowance scheme.

 

In the final year of compulsory education your son/daughter may be entered for GCSE examinations or other accredited courses leading to accreditation approved by NCVQ (National Council for Vocational Qualifications).

If he/she remains at school after 16 it is likely that he/she may be entered for a further range of public examinations, including A-levels and/or GNVQs (General National Vocational Qualifications).

The school will normally pay all entry fees for public examinations, except when:

Assistance towards the cost of field studies is provided when this is a compulsory part of a GCSE or A-level course.

 

Schools encourage parents to contribute to their children’s education in many ways.

Schools often welcome help in the classroom or on visits.

Occasionally special activities are organised which cannot take place unless parents make a voluntary payment.

The school is able to give limited help towards the cost of certain activities, so that children whose parents have financial difficulties are not left out.

 

The school Governors decide on what you might be asked to pay for and how payments can be made. This information and the County Council policy will be explained by the School.

You will find details of this in the school’s brochure or prospectus.