Application fees
- There is no application or registration fee for admission to Chester International School; applications are processed through the school's standard admissions process and there is no charge to apply.
Tuition fees (per year group / per term)
- Chester International School is a state-funded school for ages 14–19. Tuition is free for all students. For Years 10, 11, 12 and 13 this means:
- Tuition per term: GBP 0.
- Tuition per academic year: GBP 0.
Billing schedule and payment terms (when charges apply)
- The school does not charge tuition, but charges will be applied for certain optional or additional items and activities (for example: residential or non-residential trips, some practical subject materials, individual music tuition, some exam fees or post-16 resits). Charges are requested at the time the activity or service is offered and must be paid by the published payment deadline for that activity. Voluntary contributions may be requested for some activities; if insufficient voluntary funding is received an activity may be cancelled.
Boarding fees (if applicable)
- There is no boarding provision at Chester International School; the school operates as a day school. Boarding fees are not applicable.
Other costs and typical items parents should expect to pay
- School meals: There are per-item / per-meal charges for catering. Example tariffs (effective 01 Jan 2026) include: Main Meal GBP 2.10; Meal Deal GBP 2.40; Jacket Potato with one filling GBP 1.60; Pasta pots and a range of grab-and-go items priced from around GBP 0.50–GBP 2.40. Meal prices are published in the school's lunch tariff documents. Parents who prefer to provide packed lunches are welcome to do so.
- Trips, visits and enrichment: Parents may be asked to pay for the full cost of activities that take place wholly or mainly outside normal school hours; costs and deadlines will be set when the activity is offered. Discounts or support may be available under the school's charging policy for eligible students (for example those in receipt of pupil premium or qualifying 16–19 bursary funding).
- Examination and assessment charges: The school may charge for examination entry in specified circumstances (for example post-16 resits or if a student does not sit an examination without good reason). Fees for external exam entries or resits may include an administration charge where appropriate.
- Practical subject materials: Parents may be asked to provide or pay for ingredients, materials or kit for practical subjects (e.g., Technology, Art) when the finished product is taken home.
- Uniform and PE kit: The school operates under the Trust's uniform policy and a uniform specification / list is published by the Trust. Parents are responsible for purchasing required uniform and PE kit; specific items and suppliers are set out in the Trust/uniform documents. (Uniform item prices are set by suppliers and are not listed as a single school tuition charge.)
Refund information
- Refunds follow the Trust's Returns & Refunds procedures. Full refunds are made in specified cases (for example faulty goods returned within the stated period or cancellation of an activity by the Trust for specified reasons). Partial refunds may be made where a parent withdraws a student before the payment deadline and funds remain; refunds will be adjusted to reflect costs already committed or recoverable. The policy states that balances on a child's cashless catering account will be repaid on request. Requests for refunds must be made in writing to the Finance team and discretionary refunds may be considered by senior staff within published procedures.
Fee payment options and practical notes on paying
- School meal and catering transactions are managed via the school's catering / cashless account arrangements (the Returns & Refunds policy refers to cashless catering account balances). For any chargeable activity (trips, music tuition, exam fees, uniform purchases or other items sold by the Trust) payments are collected through the school/Trust finance arrangements and must be made by the published deadline. Parents should follow the payment instructions issued with each charge request or communication from the school's finance team.
Summary (parent-focused)
- There is no application fee and no tuition fee for any year group (Years 10–13): tuition is free because the school is state-funded.
- Day-to-day payable items you are most likely to encounter are: meal purchases, optional trips/visits, subject materials for practical courses, individual music tuition (where applicable), and certain examination or resit fees. Charges, deadlines and refund rules are set out in the Trust's charging and returns/refunds policies.
