Booking policy
Maintained schools (revised 2009) (top)
Hampshire and Portsmouth maintained schools have a free entitlement to use the Centre with pupils of statutory school age. Southampton City Council withdrew their funding in April 2007. As a result, Southampton schools may still use the Centre but the full cost of the visit must be met by the school.
Schools are entitled to one day free of charge during each academic year for every 125 pupils on the school roll. A summary of a school's free entitlement is given below.
- Up to 125 pupils on roll - 1 day
- 126 to 250 pupils on roll - 2 days
- 251 to 375 pupils on roll - 3 days
- 376 to 500 pupils on roll - 4 days
- 501 to 625 pupils on roll - 5 days
- 626 to 750 pupils on roll - 6 days
Bookings for free entitlement visits are taken on a first come first served basis. Free entitlement visits can be made on all days, but group size restrictions apply. Schools can book their free entitlement up to one academic year in advance eg. you can make a booking for summer term 2011 in summer term 2010
Schools are advised to book early to avoid disappointment. After the closing dates (* see below) available dates can still be booked as free entitlement days, however, the dates are also available to other schools (subject to fees).
A day is any booking between 9 am and 4 pm. If a school chooses to make a shorter day visit, this will still count as a day's free entitlement.
Schools will be charged for any significant use of consumable items. This cost will be confirmed by Sparsholt Schools' Centre at the time of booking.
The maximum group size for each day is dependent upon the activity, age and needs of the pupils. Schools should refer to current Primary and Secondary programmes or contact Sparsholt Schools' Centre for further details. Group sizes will be confirmed by the Schools' Centre at the time of booking.
On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 2 Sparsholt teachers are available allowing the Centre to accommodate up to 40 or 50 pupils, operating as 2 separate working groups.
On Mondays and Fridays, 1 Sparsholt teacher is available allowing the Centre to accommodate a single group of up to 20 pupils (depending upon age and programme). A larger group can be accommodated providing the school meets the cost of the extra teaching staff required. From April 2010 this will be £180 per teacher or £60 per teaching assistant (note: our teaching assistant may be used for some KS1/KS2 groups subject to risk assessment and availability).
Bookings in addition to your school's free entitlement. A school may bring more pupils than its free entitlement allows, providing the school meets the full staffing costs for the day e.g. £180 per teacher/day (subject to risk assessment and availability). These bookings will be confirmed after the free entitlement closing dates* below:
- Bookings for the Autumn Term must be made before the end of June
- Bookings for the Spring Term must be made before the end of November
- Bookings for the Summer Term must be made before the end of March
Fees for independent schools (top)
The schools programme is provided by Hampshire County Council and Portsmouth City Authority for maintained schools in these areas. Independent schools may use the facility, however, a fee will be charged which reflects the true cost to the Authorities, including a figure to cover central administration.
Fees for Independent Schools from 1st April 2010:
- Group rate: £500 per day - maximum of 20 pupils
- Group rate: £600 per day - maximum of 40 pupils
A full day fee will be charged unless the course finishes before 1.00 pm. Half day courses will be charged at half the above rates.
Charging Policy (top)
The following day fees apply to Hampshire and Portsmouth maintained schools from 1st April 2010:
- Bookings made as part of entitlement - FREE
- Additional day or additional supply teacher - £180
- Applied Science groups - £60*
- Sparsholt teaching assistant - £60
The following day fees apply to Southampton maintained schools from 1st September 2009:
- Primary school groups - £300
- Secondary school groups - £450
- Applied Science groups - £505*
For Applied Science programmes, £60* of the fee is payable to Sparsholt College for College staff teaching time and resources.
Schools will be charged for any significant use of consumable items. This cost will be confirmed by Sparsholt Schools' Centre at the time of booking.
Cancellation Policy (top)
Schools and Colleges that cancel their booking within 10 working days of the course will incur a cancellation charge that reflects the full cost of the course. The amount charged reflects the true cost to the Authorities, including a figure to cover central administration (a working day refers to week days, term time only and, therefore, does not include school holidays or weekends). The current charges are:
- Free entitlement day cancelled within 10 working days - £500 cancellation fee
- Fee-paying day cancelled within 10 working days - £500 cancellation fee
Bookings (top)
Booking enquiries can be made at any time and written confirmation will be given. Please note that a cancellation charge exists for all bookings, including those for free entitlement (see charging and cancellation policies).
