Department For Education
Join the RPA
Schools which are classified as public sector schools can join the RPA using your DfE sign in account to join.
Get help using or creating a DfE sign in account for the RPA.
Joining information for converter academies and church schools
Converter academies will be signed up automatically but you can opt out if you want to.
If a church organisation allows your school to occupy their property then under the rules those trustees:
- are covered for losses and liabilities they may incur through you occupying their property
- can make claims on your behalf for those losses and liabilities
- can have those claims paid directly to them
- can use the complaints and arbitration procedures about those claims
Get help using or creating a DfE sign in account for the RPA
Follow the steps in this section. Each step also includes a video tutorial.
Stage 1: Create a DfE sign in account if you do not have one
Go to create a DfE Sign-in account and enter your name and your work email address.
Check your emails, copy the code weve sent you and paste this into the box on the verification page.
Create a memorable password.
Use DfE sign in help if you have any problems creating a DfE sign in account.
You can also watch a video tutorial.
Stage 2: Request access to the RPA
Request access to your organisation and the RPA form.
Ask your approver to approve your access to the RPA and the online collection service.
You can view who your organisations approvers are after youve added your organisation to your DfE sign in account. Theres more information on what approvers need to do in stage 3.
You can also watch a video tutorial.
Stage 3: Give access to the RPA form (for approvers)
Add the RPA to the online collections service.
Go to the manage users page and add a role to each users account.
Choose add services from the right-hand list - if a user already has access to the online collections service, choose this on the users page and add role RPA.
Choose the services, roles and forms you want the user to have access to and save your changes.
You can also watch a video tutorial.
Cost
The RPA costs for academies:
- 21 per pupil, per year
- 21 per place, per year for special and alternative provision academies, special schools and pupil referral units
The RPA costs for local authority maintained schools:
- 23 per pupil, per year
- 23 per place, per year for special and alternative provision academies, special schools and pupil referral units
Academies
For academies, this covers you for the current academic year (1 September 2022 to 31 August 2023). The cost for the next academic year (1 September 2023 to 31 August 2024) will increase to 23.
Local authority maintained schools
For local authority maintained schools, this covers you for the current financial year 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.
What RPA covers
This table summarises what RPA covers.
You should also read the membership rules for full details of your cover.
| Type of risk | Limit |
|---|---|
| Material damage | Reinstatement value of the property |
| Business interruption | 10 million any one loss |
| Employers liability | Unlimited |
| Third party liability | Unlimited |
| Governors liability | 10 million any one loss and any one membership year |
| Professional indemnity | Unlimited |
| Employee and third party dishonesty | 500,000 |
| Money | Various, including cash on premises or in transit 5,000 |
| Personal accident | Death and capital benefits 100,000 |
| United Kingdom travel | Baggage and money 2,000 per person. Cancellation 1,000 per person. |
| Overseas travel including winter sports | Includes: baggage 2,000 in total per person (inner limits apply), money 750 per person, medical expenses 10,000,000, cancellation 4,000 per person. Check the full details of your cover for more information. |
| Legal expenses | 100,000 any one loss and any one membership year |
| Cultural assets | 10,000 on any one cultural asset or 250,000 any one multiple loss |
| Cyber cover | 250,000 any one loss and any one membership year. Where a member is part of a group network with other RPA members the maximum aggregate liability shall be 750,000 in any one membership year for the group network. Cover applies from 1 April 2022 to 2023 membership year for local authority maintained schools and from 1 September 2022 to 2023 membership year for academies. |
Full details of your cover
These membership rules detail the full cover and provision of the RPA: