Annual Membership Fee

It is a condition of CU Membership in England that each local CU centre operates within the geographical boundaries of the Local Education Authority. A Local Education Authority is a clearly identified area, recognised educationally and legally; it also clearly exists within the 'psyche' of the participating children, families, schools and communities. The Local Education Authority has a statutory duty placed upon it as Corporate Parent to promote the educational achievement of the children they look after, potentially the most vulnerable CU participants.

There may be very good reasons, such as economies of scale, why one organisation can manage more than one local CU in England (Higher or Further Education Institution, a charity, another local CU, and others) across two or more Local Education Authority areas. The CU Membership arrangement remains as one per Local Authority area.

Where there is more than one local CU presence, as campuses for example, within a Local Education Authority area, local delivery protocols must be established to ensure that there is fair access to all children and no school/child is disadvantaged due to disparate local membership arrangements.

For every local CU centre an annual CU Membership is payable to the CU (Children's University) Trust. The Membership year runs from 1^st April to 31^st March.

In return, each CU will receive start-up support, access to the members' area of the CU website, Validation Training, E-Passport  Training, fundraising advice, possible access to additional funding, plus access to a range of (inter)national learning partnerships and ongoing mentoring.

The level of fee charged is directly correlated to the number of schools participating in the programme over the year (see table below).

The Membership year runs from 1st April to 31st March and invoices are issued at the end of February. 

For new local CU Centres established during the Membership year, the Membership fee will be payable as follows:

Quality Assurance - QiSS Registration Fee

The Children's University (CU) Trust insists that, as a condition of Membership, all local Children's Universities must quality assure their management structures and planning processes, through the QiSS framework - an organisational quality assurance as part of the CU Trust's due-diligence process.

There is an expectation that within 12 months of starting, all Children's Universities will be recognised by QiSS at Emerged level and that each Children's University must maintain a minimum of Emerged level as a condition of continuing CU Membership.  

CU Trust require each local CU centre to maintain a minimum of Emerged status as a condition of continuing Membership.

• The one-off cost to the local CU will be £300.
• CU Trust provide match funding of £300.
• The QiSS registration fee is in addition to the annual Membership fee. The QiSS registration fee is not chargeable under the same conditions as the Membership Fee and is payable in full.
• CU Trust will offer support in this process and identify a Critical Friend from within the CU Trust network, a fellow CU professional who can support in three broad ways: managing the Recognition process; advising on evidence requirements, process and procedure, helping to present and evidence practice.

For more information about QiSS registration and process please contact Lynne Upton, Director of Learning, on 0161 907 5214 or email Lynne. 

For more information on membership please contact us here.