Letting school premises
School buildings and grounds are increasingly regarded as community assets so they can be utilised more often. We've given governing bodies the responsibility of letting school premises and setting the charges.
What's required
Governing bodies must have the following documents:
- a lettings policy - setting out priorities of use, delegated authorities and the process to be followed
- a scale of fees and charges - including the basis of different levels of charges, cancellation charges and any deposit requirements
- a hire agreement - the legal agreement between the school and the hirer
These documents should be reviewed annually.
Our role
Our role is limited, but includes:
- checking that costs incurred by letting school premise to outside users aren't subsidised from delegated funds and that all costs are covered by the charges levied
- helping governing bodies create a comprehensive lettings policy
- assisting in the setting of realistic charges by identifying the elements or factors that can be considered in drawing up fair and reasonable charges
We've produced guidance for governing bodies (PDF, 293kb), which includes a sample lettings policy and conditions of hire. We encourage schools to review their current documentation taking into account this guidance. However, schools aren't required to adopt these templates.
Page last updated: 12 September 2017
