Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) cover boost for academies

Ever since the Department for Education (DfE) introduced the Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) as an alternative to commercial insurance for Academy Trusts, the number of Trusts utilising the service has been increasing.

In a recent report issued by the DfE it was confirmed that there were 4,157 academies and 2.0 million pupils covered by the RPA at 31 August 2017.

The DfE have now announced that the level of cover will be enhanced from 1 September 2018 – at no extra cost – to include the following:

• Overseas travel – including winter sports
• Cultural assets – including a free valuation service

As mentioned above, this will be at no extra cost, and the RPA will remain at the current level of £20 per pupil per year. The cost will continue to be deducted on a monthly basis from Academy Trusts’ General Annual Grant (GAG) entitlement.

These extra levels of enhancement will be welcomed by schools, particularly secondary schools who regularly undertake overseas travel for trips, as this should help to reduce costs.

Unfortunately, certain areas are still not covered, such as motor vehicles and works of art, so Trusts will need to ensure they have adequate additional cover for these areas.

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