School Transport costs and Social Exclusion

Gingham_Ribbon

tomstickland wrote: »

£78 a month isn't much though in the grand scheme of things.

Tom, it is for those of us who have to account for every penny to make ends meet.

Fly_Baby

bertiebots wrote: »

If you saw the dross they feed as an excuse for home cooked food at my dds & ds2 school you may think otherwise:eek:(apart from the cost). I am a sahm with the time to cook very healthy home made food ,so sandwiches for lunch doesnt mean they are missing out on anything for us;).

Ladies, I give up this battle.

I don't like sandwiches for lunch myself - I feel hungry again in 2 hrs - so prefer for my son to have a substantial meal in the middle of the day, too. And it's a good way to make him eat his vegetables.

Please don't pick on the word "substantial".

Fifer

tomstickland wrote: »

£78 a month isn't much though in the grand scheme of things.

I'd imagine it is to a lot of people who are attracted to this site and these forums.

fluffymuffy

tomstickland wrote: »

£78 a month isn't much though in the grand scheme of things.

It's the principle of the thing.

OK I'm a bit of a militant, but there's something decidedly dodgy about a system that funds delinquents and religious types but not gifted and talented. And it is our council tax money.

silvercar

The grammar school education is worth something to you. You and most other families who send children there, are giving your children an education much better suited to their needs than sending them to the local school. Otherwise you would just send to the local school. So you are getting more than most other parents are getting, you are getting an education for your daughter directly suited to her needs; most families have to manage with their child fitting into the local schools as best they can.

So please don't claim you are not getting anything. You are getting your daughter a free education that most people would have to pay private school fees to get.

Gingham_Ribbon

Did you read the OP? The girl has NO science work to do at school until she leaves there. She's not going to the other school to get some sort of private, tailored programme. She's going there to get an education the local comp refuses to provide, because she has a specific educational need (which by the way is against everything the government claim in their 'every child matters' bumph.) Every child matters as long as they're not different in any way, then tough !!!!.

tomstickland

How far away is the school? My parent's had naff all money when I was young. They'd have found a bike somewhere and told me to ride if they couldn't afford £78 a month.

mrcow

Gingham_Ribbon wrote: »

Did you read the OP? The girl has NO science work to do at school until she leaves there. She's not going to the other school to get some sort of private, tailored programme. She's going there to get an education the local comp refuses to provide, because she has a specific educational need (which by the way is against everything the government claim in their 'every child matters' bumph.) Every child matters as long as they're not different in any way, then tough !!!!.

This is what I don't get.

How can a school turn around and say that they are unable to teach a child a compulsory subject to an effective level for that pupil (which is what they are supposed to be doing)? Surely to goodness it's not out of the realms of the teachers' capabilities to teach the child to a level that suits them. Grammar school level science is hardly setting the world alight. They'll only be teaching the kids with an aim towards A* GCSE.

Is the school saying that they don't actually have the capability to teach their sciences to a good A*-C level?

If that's the case OP then you are well shot. I'm genuinely shocked. I'm assuming that this is just a normal comp school we're talking about here?

Or am I getting my pants in a twist over nothing? Is your girl studying at an A-Level type level now?

Zziggi

fluffymuffy wrote: »

No. We qualify for them. We don't get them.

You get free school meals round here by applying at the school itself and taking proof of income into the school office. I wonder how many other parents are not prepared to go through that humiliation? I mentioned this to the Head of Admissions this morning when she asked if we "qualified for free school meals" - she readily accepts that the take up is low because of the way it is administered.

Youngest DD is wearing the uniform that the older DD grew out of. To claim for the new grammar school uniform we'd need to apply at the grammar school office for a form and take in proof of earnings. Hardly.

You need £78 a month for transport. You chose to not claim around £40 a month school meals. It may be humiliating to claim free school meals but we all make sacrifices for out kids. Claim free school meals and then there's only £38 a month to find.

silvercar

Grammar school level science is hardly setting the world alight. They'll only be teaching the kids with an aim towards A* GCSE.

Most teaching at grammar schools these days is to prepare students for studying the subject at A level, it goes beyond what is necessary to get an A*.