Department For Education
Join the RPA
If your school is classified as a public sector school, you can join the RPA using your DfE Sign-in account.
Converter academies and church schools
If your school is a converter academy, it will have been signed up to the RPA automatically, but you can opt out if you want to.
If your school is a church school and a church organisation allows the school to occupy their property, under RPA membership rules, its 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 with regard to those claims
Create or use a DfE Sign-in account
Follow the steps in this section. Each step also includes a video tutorial.
Step 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 work email address.
Copy the code we have emailed you and paste it into the box on the verification page.
Create a memorable password.
If you need further help, you can watch a video tutorial.
Step 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 about what approvers need to do in step 3.
If you need further help, you can watch a video tutorial.
Step 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.
If you need further help, you can watch a video tutorial.
Annual costs
For academies, the annual costs are:
- 23 per pupil
- 23 per place for special and alternative provision academies, special schools and pupil referral units
This covers the school for the current academic year: 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2024.
For local-authority-maintained schools, the annual costs are:
- 23 per pupil
- 23 per place for special and alternative provision academies, special schools and pupil referral units
This covers the school for the current financial year: 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.
Summary of cover
This table summarises what the RPA covers. You should read the membership rules for full details of your schools cover.
| Type of risk | Limit |
|---|---|
| Material damage | Reinstatement value of the property |
| Business interruption | 10 million for any one loss |
| Employers liability | Unlimited |
| Third-party liability | Unlimited |
| Governors liability | 10 million for any one loss and in 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 million; cancellation, 4,000 per person. |
| Legal expenses | 100,000 for any one loss and in any one membership year |
| Cultural assets | 10,000 for any one cultural asset or 250,000 for any one multiple loss |
| Cyber cover | 250,000 for any one loss and in any one membership year. Where a member is part of a group network with other RPA members, the maximum aggregate liability is 750,000 in any one membership year for the group network. |
Full details of cover
These membership rules detail the full cover and provision of the RPA: