Terms and conditions
Eligibility
A subsidy will be available to state schools from UK Parliamentary constituencies making an Education Service visit to Parliament. It is not available for visits arranged directly through Members of Parliament.
A state school is defined as one listed as such on the Edubase database for England, the NGfL Cymru database for Wales, Scottish Schools Online, or the Northern Ireland Government Department of Education institutions database.
An Education Service visit to Parliament must be booked through the UK Parliament's Education Service in accordance with its terms and conditions. Visits which are eligible for a subsidy remain subject to those terms and conditions at all times. The visit must follow the standard programme provided for an educational workshop or session.
An eligible school may make one claim per financial year (1 April – 31 March).
Eligibility for a subsidy does not confer any additional rights or priority.
Travel costs
Eligible schools may apply for a subsidy on the reasonable actual travel costs (eg, train or coach fare) incurred by the group that visits. Actual travel costs are the amount of money paid, after any applicable discounts, refunds or other reductions.
The Education Service visit to Parliament must be the primary purpose of the trip. While schools may choose to take part in other activities during the trip, travel costs which relate to those activities must not be included in any claim for a Subsidy.
Travel costs do not include refreshments, accommodation or anything other than a payment for the sole purpose of travelling.
Travel costs do not include individual journeys to reach the group at the start of the trip or at any other point.
Level of subsidy
The level of subsidy will be determined by the School Visit Assistance Band into which the school falls. This decision will be made by Parliament’s Education Service, whose decision will be final.
The level of subsidy in each band is as follows:
- Band B: up to 50% of receipted travel costs, with a maximum claim of £800.
- Band C: up to 75% of receipted travel costs, with a maximum claim of £1600.
Applying for a subsidy
Upon booking an Education Service visit, eligible schools will receive confirmation of their booking and a subsidy application form.
The school should complete and return the application form to confirm details of their school and their booking and to estimate their travel costs.
After the visit has taken place, the school should complete and return the subsidy claim form together with all necessary receipts.
Payment of a subsidy will only be made after the trip has taken place and after the scheme administrator has received:
- a properly completed claim form from the school
- receipts for actual travel costs from the school
- confirmation from the Education Service that the trip occurred
Schools must submit receipts within thirty days of the visit. It is the school’s responsibility to claim the subsidy and to provide all necessary receipts. The Education Service accepts no responsibility to remind schools of this requirement.
If the Education Service cancels a confirmed booking after costs have been incurred with a travel provider and the school is unable to obtain a refund, the school may claim a subsidy for those costs. No subsidy will be paid for a visit cancelled for any other reason.