Help/Advice Needed On Costings For Secondary School??

Savvy_Sue

pavlov's dog has written such a lot of good sense, but perhaps especially about the school trips. Not all children will go on all trips: my eldest never managed the German trip because only some of them could go and he wasn't 'lucky' enough to get on it. TBH I was a bit miffed that it wasn't organised so that all who wanted to COULD go - the French trips were open to all, but not German, and eldest was in a 'German' year.

Also worth going for a mosey round the school and asking some of these questions: DO they all wear all the PE kit etc? Our school is very good at telling us that although the boys MAY wear the school sweatshirt, none of them ever do! (They have to wear blazers!)

mountainofdebt

my son's school ALL children are issued with those credit card thingies and those who have to pay for their school meals top it up using a machine outside the canteen, which is operational throughout the day.

I guess that the cards of those children who have free school meals are topped up automatically with a set amount each day.

This way its not obvious which children are on free meals and those who aren't.

As a matter of interest by paying for his meals this way I'm able to phone the school and get a printout of all his purchases, so I know EXACTLY what he's eating.....yes Big Brother is alive and well!

pavlovs_dog

Savvy_Sue wrote:

pavlov's dog has written such a lot of good sense

may i quote your endorsement in my sig? :rotfl:

its so nice to be appreciated for a change :rotfl: :beer:

D&DD

Hi PP have just read through your thread as I have 2nd boy going up this year :eek: I can't add any more tips really as Pavlovs dog wrote two such wonderful posts which just about covered everything up til leaving home and getting married :rotfl: Well done Pavlov :T Just wanted to wish your DD happiness in her new school and say well done

pavlovs_dog

such praise!

is the room shrinking or is that my head swelling :rotfl:

Katgoddess

I went to a catholic girls school where I had to wear a kilt and yellow blouse. :eek: Obviously we could only get these from the official school suppilers.

There were things on the school list that we brought but never used such as a purse belt and science apron (not a lab coat like normal scientists).

Things like school blazers, jumpers, PE skirts everyone got from the school suppliers for the first year so we all looked the same. But once we started to grow out of them got from elsewhere. We had to wear a yellow artex t shirt for PE with our initials embroidered on as well but again as we got older we wore plain polo t shirts instead. The teachers knew our names by then. Also the special school running shorts was replaced with cycling shorts or umbro shorts.

You might find that it will be an expensive first year, but all the grey parts of the uniform you can get from elsewhere eventually. Your daughter will want a short skirt from New Look to wear.

I never went on many school trips just a couple of Retreats when I was older, and never felt deprived. Went on all the day outings though. I had to do a complusory field trip for a level geography but the local council will refund you the transport costs. They do that for all the students.

I know the school you mean. A boy from my primary school went there along with his sister. Both musically talented. One is now a quantity surveyor and the other is a classical singer according to their friends reunited profiles.

Congratulations.

Savvy_Sue

mountainofdebt wrote:

As a matter of interest by paying for his meals this way I'm able to phone the school and get a printout of all his purchases, so I know EXACTLY what he's eating.....yes Big Brother is alive and well!

I think most secondary schools are going for those credit card things these days, aren't they? I'm supposed to be able to get a printout of what they eat, but only if THEY ask for it, and will they? Will they heck! What I want to know is, if my middle one's not buying lunch (and he doesn't know why he isn't buying lunch! ), why does he keep needing his card topping up? Snacks? Who needs snacks? I'm going to get tough with him next week ...

pavlovs_dog wrote:

may i quote your endorsement in my sig? :rotfl:

If you think it will help ...

pavlovs_dog wrote:

its so nice to be appreciated for a change :rotfl: :beer:

I didn't realise you felt unappreciated!

Mind you, it tends to come with old age ... :rotfl:

diamond57

Congratulations to your dd, and don't worry. I would suggest speaking to the head of year or school and checking what is essential also hopefully the second hand shop would have been able to direct you to the essentials. Also, with regard to school trips our dd's school (which is private so that may make a difference) puts purchases from the school shop and trips on the account which you get at the end of term to pay by the start of the next term - so potentially roughly 3 months interest free at least and allows us time to save, children do not have to remember payments and school office not handling chasing little amounts all parents have to do is sign a permission slip for it to be added and child to attend.

Don't be embarassed about asking for help, most schools will be more than willing to assist if possible because they want the best for the children and when parents pay it more than covers the cost of a trip as it pays for accompanying adults and a bit over (in case any child does not go that all the fixed costs, including coaches, are covered).

mountainofdebt

I simply phone the school, ask for one and they sent it to me by post.

1st time I did this, my son had the shock of his life - and it made very interesting reading!

Not so valid now as he has a packed lunch, which he seems to prefer.

mummysaver

Hi PP - please don't worry about it all, my ds is the eldest, and therefore when he started his middle school he had all the correct stuff, all bought at huge expense, though not as expensive as your list :eek: By the time dd1 got there the following year I had accumulated various hand me downs ready for her from ds and girls already at the school. Many of the things on lists become redundant after the first week or so - like the dictionaries that are just too heavy to lug about for my children.

By the time dd3 and dd4 arrive they'll probably be in very darned jumpers and looking well and truley like second hand roses! But I think every school has its fair share of people who can and can't afford everything, or people who simply refuse to pay out for it all. I think that most children learn to cope, and as long as your daughter is not dressed differently and has most of the right equipment she will fit right in.

As for school trips, we've just paid £165.00 for ds (he's away at the mo), and £130 for dd2, and have now had an invoice for dd1 for £140. I noticed that it said on the bottom that payment was by voluntary contribution, so I sent it back in saying I'd love dd1 to go, but wasn't making the voluntary contribution this time! Will wait to see what happens, I don't doubt that I'll end up paying eventually! School trips are expensive, so it is worth finding out how many there are and how much they will cost, and not just big trips, all the little ones too! At a previous school we used to pay so much per month to cover the trips for the year, made budgeting easier.

Please don't worry, I'm sure that in six months time when everyone has lost all the new stuff their parents bought them, and all uniforms are worn in, everyone will look the same.

And congratulations to your daughter - she sounds great!