How contribution works
How We Decide What a Family Contributes
Nobody pays more than our standard rate, and nobody is turned away because they can’t pay. Every family’s contribution is looked at individually, by a real person on our team, never by a system alone.
What we look at
National deprivation statistics for a family’s area, an existing referral, or a benefit already received can mean we’re able to confirm things quickly, so there’s no need to ask twice. But statistics never tell the whole story, so we always have a conversation too, and may ask for a little supporting evidence where it helps us understand a family’s circumstances properly, nothing more than what’s genuinely needed. Nothing is decided by numbers alone, and a real person always makes the final decision together with the family.
What a family contributes
Once we’ve talked it through, we agree a minimum a family contributes. A family is always welcome to pay more than that if they choose to, and many do, which helps fund a place for someone else. Nobody is asked to prove they’re struggling in a public or difficult way, and it’s always a private, one-to-one conversation.
If things change
A family’s circumstances don’t stay fixed, and neither does our support. Families can come back to us at any time to talk through a change. Where an application involves anyone connected to our own staff or trustees, an extra layer of independent review applies, so the process stays fair for everyone.
This page reflects our internal Community Education Fund eligibility process (reference SOP-CEN-001).