A leading sixth-form college was today accused of flouting government rules by apparently charging a one-off £250 fee as a condition of students being offered a place.
St Dominic’s Sixth Form, a Roman Catholic state college in Harrow, north-west London, requested a payment in offer letters sent out to prospective students on Wednesday.
The letter suggests that failure to meet a series of conditions “may result in this offer being withdrawn”.
It states: “If you wish to accept this offer, you are requested to pay £250 to the Governors Fund by Friday 26th April 2019, which can be paid in instalments.”
Government guidelines warn that state-funded schools cannot request financial contributions without explicitly saying any payment is voluntary. The letter, seen by the Evening Standard, contains no such reference.
The Department for Education is in discussions with the school about the wording.
A parent whose 16-year-old son was offered a place if the conditions were met told the Standard he was “flabbergasted” at the request.
“My 16-year-old son told my wife and I that it was not a request but a condition,” he said. “He forwarded us the email, we read it and we were incredulous because it’s a quite blatant condition.” He added: “Five months before he’s due to go to this school, regardless if he gets the grades, they’re saying, bung us this £250. I was just flabbergasted, quite shocked and quite angry.”
The 54-year-old father, from Harrow, said that while he and his wife were “lucky enough” to be able to support the school, they were concerned about other parents.
“We know a lot of schools are struggling, we already support his existing school, but we know a lot of other parents can’t.
“They’re in Harrow, which is a mixed area [financially], and there are parents who are not Catholic but who would want to send their children there because of the ethos of the school.
“I think they’re particularly vulnerable to this kind of nonsense because they might not tick the box of saying yes, I go to church every Sunday, and they might feel inclined to pay it to be in the school’s good books.”
The request comes amid a growing trend of schools asking for money from parents to help towards costs.
The college, which was attended by author Conn Iggulden, was rated outstanding by Ofsted.
The Evening Standard has contacted the school for comment. One of the school’s governors and former headteacher Neville Ransley declined to comment.
