kids schools with begging bowls at the ready

gabyjane

mrcow wrote: »

I would have saved the £8 on the raffle tickets and the cards too!

Hi yeah see i can justify those by saying the raffle prizes are fab this year..every one is worth winning so thought id'e do my bit!
The cards were designed by the kids individually so dd really wanted hers..they are nice to send out and unique!..its her last year at primary too so doubt she will do anything like this again!

Janepig

wiseways wrote: »

We used to get letters sent printed in red ink demanding the 'voluntary' contribution. We did find a private school for a reasonable rate, although the travelling was far. Eventually it did work out cheaper, since when it came near to the 11 plus exams all the teachers put in extra hours free of charge. Also after school clubs were free and varied. There was no bullying and the standard of teaching was superb.

Are you honestly saying that private school fees work out cheaper than state school "extras"? Because if you are then whatever private school you found must have been extremely cheap indeed :rolleyes:!

I have to say, I would ojbect to having to pay a set amout each year for trips as Rainbow does. I don't mind paying for them as and when (DS has got a visit to see father christmas in the botanical gardens next week, £4.50 for travel, entry and a present from FC which seems pretty reasonable to me) but I would object to paying a set amount every year. But I've got little sympathy for people who give money through "guilt" though - if I didn't want to give for something, then I wouldn't.

Jxx

bestpud

wiseways wrote: »

We used to get letters sent printed in red ink demanding the 'voluntary' contribution. We did find a private school for a reasonable rate, although the travelling was far. Eventually it did work out cheaper, since when it came near to the 11 plus exams all the teachers put in extra hours free of charge. Also after school clubs were free and varied. There was no bullying and the standard of teaching was superb.

There is no such thing as a school without bullying!

Sounds like your child was lucky and didn't come across it. but I can assure you it went on, same as it does in every school!

tandraig

rainbow81 wrote: »

Oh this makes me so cross! I thought education was free! I have to pay a yearly "fee" to cover school trips - £39. They haven't even been anywhere! After school and lunchtime classes are extra.

Tomorrow they are making a fruit salad so I've just bought half of Morrisons market street! PJs day last week. Mufti day next week. Someone is going to ask me for £5 for the teacher's christmas gift soon. Class photo and individual photo - £12 each minimum. They all made the exact same design of Santa with their handprints - £6 for 12 xmas cards in said design. I wouldn't mind but I feel guilted into buying it.

We tend to avoid anything with sponsorship, bring and buy, toy sale, christmas fair, "Social nights", raffles, etc. I just can't afford it. If it's educational I'll pay, if not then I think I'm just being hounded for money I haven't got.

Rah. Sorry, but thank you for letting me get that off my chest

well - if i had to pay a set amount for school trips and there werent any - I would demand a refund!

My grand-daughters school are doing those cards - but as an avid crafter I have helped the gds make cards since they were two!!! when they were told about the scheme apparently they told their mum it was more fun making cards with nanny! they are five now and still love making cards or masks or mermaids or princesses at nannies house.

I think parents should'nt just stump up every time school asks - if you genuinely want to support a charity or school event by all means do so. if not - dont - even if you have to keep the child home - I wouldnt be blackmailed by school - and that is exactly what it felt like!

milliebear00001

You don't have to pay for any extras at all - including school trips in school time. If you don't want to pay, then don't, but be aware that this will simply mean your kids don't get to do as much stuff because the school budget won't stretch that far. If you don't want the cards/raffle tickets/photos etc, then don't buy them - they aren't compulsory!

Mado

milliebear00001 wrote: »

You don't have to pay for any extras at all - including school trips in school time. If you don't want to pay, then don't, but be aware that this will simply mean your kids don't get to do as much stuff because the school budget won't stretch that far. If you don't want the cards/raffle tickets/photos etc, then don't buy them - they aren't compulsory!

:TExactly.

I know that as a parent, it feels like you are always giving money.
But, from the experience at my kids school, I can assure you that without the parents helping out there would simply be no money for school trips and kids always love them.
I am not aware that anyone is made to feel differently if they haven't paid on mufti days, or if they dodn't return the Barnados envelope, and so on and that parents who can't pay are always invited to talk to the head. If the school fund can cover the cost, it will.

I would strongly invite parents who fear their child will be victimised if they don't pay (and genuinely can't pay) to talk to the school.

DeeDee74

:rolleyes: i alway's help out at the school alway's have done and agree it's always the same parent's doing so.
i don't mind though ive met some great mum's doing it and im off on the xmas do with the teacher's this year
but it does annoy me that things are grouped together, it won't just be one thing at a time it's lot's and it's always before xmas that you get the big trip's and lot's of little things that soon add up.

Iheart2poundcoins

I'm a little shocked (well not really shocked as such) that one persons child has to have a paid trip to visit santa. Santa came to the infants school and the girls got a plastic necklace and the boys a pack of cards - all free in my day. Now it's a paid day trip out?
I bet I enjoyed the free Santa just as much.

I think this, in a way, is encouraging kids to always want more - do more - go that extra mile ... at cost! No?

I know I'm probably coming across as a real grump but then I am one haha!
Ah I feel sorry for my little girl when she starts school - she'll probably disown me for grumbling at all the money she'll be asking for!

Janepig

Iheart2poundcoins wrote: »

I'm a little shocked (well not really shocked as such) that one persons child has to have a paid trip to visit santa. Santa came to the infants school and the girls got a plastic necklace and the boys a pack of cards - all free in my day. Now it's a paid day trip out?
I bet I enjoyed the free Santa just as much.

Would that have been me? It doesn't bother me in the slightest. I'm glad DS is going on a trip and its a nice treat for his class. In "my day" we didn't have santa come to the school or otherwise. We had naff all :rolleyes:. Not that it bothered me, what you never had you never miss, but I take no issue at all with a £4.50 trip to the botanical gardens with a visit to santa thrown in. Better than being stuck in the classroom week in, week out.

I'm surprised anyone would be shocked at having a letter home asking if it's okay for the child to go (and asking for £4.50 if they do) - with the option of not sending them if you really object. But it just goes to show that you can't please all of the people all of the time. If I was the school organising it I genuinely wouldn't expect anyone to complain - but I guess that given that people complain at giving £1 for a mufti day then there really is going to be no pleasing some.

Jxx

MrsTinks

I must have had a very dull school time... I don't recall coming home with all these money requests Yes there was a school trip to Greece (but trust me it was educational! And what felt like 50,000 steps up some mountain or other to look at some ruins on day one seemed to squash everyones hopes that it was a "holiday" ) but that was once... There was also a trip to Italy as part of an exchange program - only about 8 pupils in our school had signed up for this and it was definitely volutary and no-one was berated for not joining...
But all these charity things? Cinema Trips? I don't even recall any museum or theatre trips...

I think whatever school my daughter ends up at is going to be in for a big surprise when they start with the begging letters mwarharharhar