Schools charging & people on benefits!

Indie_Kid

shellsuit wrote: »

Then there are the bags and scarfs and PE kits that have to be bought in the same shop because they HAVE to have logos and names on everything and only that shop does it.

Talk about going OTT! (the school; not you)

When I was at secondary school, the only logo'ed pieces of uniform we needed were the jumper and tie. Things like shirts, trousers, PE kit, etc. had to be in certain colours; but could be brought anywhere.

Oldernotwiser

kezlou wrote: »

child tax credits are there to feed, clothes and keep a roof over a child's head - not for school trips etc

Surely keeping a roof over a child's head is the parents' job, not the state's?

Doesn't school uniform count as clothes?

If people didn't get CB and CTC I would agree with the OP but when you're given money to pay for these things it's hard to sympathise.

poppy-glos

£30 odd quid voluntary contribution asked for last week by teacher so child could swim (in school time for half a term) last week (now clarified by head does not have to be paid, but his letter still states swimming in school time would not happen if parents did not subsidise... not sure how they'd meet the national curriculum for ks2 if all parents didn't pay up) (swimming in south glos free, and 24 weeks a year rather than the 6-8 weeks the children get at our school)

£1 to go to pjjama drama (national reading week) at school on tuesday, not in school time, but children in class are going so daughter wants to go to, so again would be 'left out' if i don't pay. (friend in south glos's son is going to one at his school and it's free)

£2'sh take a bottle or chocolate (for the tobola at school fete ) into school to 'pay' (unclear if this is a voluntary contribution) for non uniform dressing up as a book character next week in national reading week. Daughter wants to dress up, do i have to pay up with bottle or choc, do i have the cheek not to send a bottle or choc? if she does not wear her uniform, she will defo be treated differnetly when they take the class photo of all in their dressing up clothes!!

i'm going to make a point of recording what the letters say each time i'm asked to send something in, and query it with the school when i have the energy to challenge them again

Bennifred

At our school (secondary, comprehensive) any educational day trips which a parent in cannot afford is paid for by school so that the student doesn't miss out. The same applies to uniform. There is a critical mass for the trips, though - if a certain number can't/won't contribute then the trip won't run.

However, there are loads of parents, both working or not, who cannot afford the language exchanges, ski trips, sports tours, etc etc and they and their children just have to accept that as part of life. There tend to be limited places on those types of trips anyway. Most children have to learn at some point that there isn't a bottomless pit of money, and certain choices have to be made. It's not a bad lesson to learn.........

uolypool

I can remember some years ago when all my children were in the joined infants and junior school there was a trip to see a panto just before they broke up for Xmas with a payment of £9 per child,I had not long before seperated with their dad and was devistated as I knew I couldn't pay for all of them to go.I approached the head teacher and explained the situation to him and I was told that if I could make a payment for just one of them then they would pay for the others to go as I had always made payments requested volentury or not.What I dislike is when you get the same parents time and time again use the discretionary fund at the school but they wear the latest fashions top of the range mobiles and trainers ,smoke and drink and things like that .Also to help combate the high costs of the secondary school clothing a few parents opened an "op" shop which sells used uniforms at a cheaper price, i managed to get my son a new rugby top when his went missing:mad: after pe for £6 and they cost just over £20 to buy brand new was a great help

kingfisherblue

skcollobcat10, some people end up on benefits through no fault of their own. I was married for sixteen years when my ex decided to leave and start a new family elsewhere. I had worked most of my life, but had to give up to become my son's carer - he was born with complex needs and his care needs are substantial both day and night. As a result of my ex leaving, I had to apply for Income Support.

I save all year round, even if it is only a few pence here and there, to be able to pay for school trips, uniform, etc. My ex avoided the CSA for four years, but now that he is paying arrears, I am saving what I can for the expenses that come with having a house and children.

Also, schools are asking for increasing amounts of money. When my daughter (now age 19) was at primary school, we had the occasional request - about two trips a year, one non-uniform day, and something for the Christmas Fayre. At my youngest son's school, however, we have several trips to pay for, workshops held in the school, a visiting artist who must be making a fortune from the school as she is there almost as often as the kids. Then there is the insistance that the uniform has to have the school logo - and prices have increased every year. Add on the non-uniform days (one every half term) and the requests for bottles for the tombola (I find lemonade is perfectly acceptable!), and it all adds up.

To make matters worse, the school has in the past requested that every child pays £10 towards the school roof - which I refused to do, as they had just had the visiting artist in almost every day for a half term. I also contacted the local education Authority about this, who had never heard anything like it before. Funnily enough, this request was not repeated after a grandparent wrote to the local press to complain.

The school has also asked for a 'voluntary' levy of £10 per child, per year, which can be paid in monthly installments. The children - not the parents - are asked by the headteacher why it hasn't been paid. This is asked in assembly, in front of all the other children. I have informed the head that she is not to ask my son, she must take up anything like that with me, or I will make an official complaint.

I do not let my son take in money for the 'Coppers jar', which I believe is for a charity which helps schools in Africa - I send in enough money for other things!

Although I agree that there are many !!!!less people out there, please don't judge everyone to be the same. Also consider that whilst some schools ask for a very limited amount of contributions, others are excessive in their requests.

DaisyFlower

poppy-glos wrote: »

£30 odd quid voluntary contribution asked for last week by teacher so child could swim (in school time for half a term) last week (now clarified by head does not have to be paid, but his letter still states swimming in school time would not happen if parents did not subsidise... not sure how they'd meet the national curriculum for ks2 if all parents didn't pay up) (swimming in south glos free, and 24 weeks a year rather than the 6-8 weeks the children get at our school)

£1 to go to pjjama drama (national reading week) at school on tuesday, not in school time, but children in class are going so daughter wants to go to, so again would be 'left out' if i don't pay. (friend in south glos's son is going to one at his school and it's free)

£2'sh take a bottle or chocolate (for the tobola at school fete ) into school to 'pay' (unclear if this is a voluntary contribution) for non uniform dressing up as a book character next week in national reading week. Daughter wants to dress up, do i have to pay up with bottle or choc, do i have the cheek not to send a bottle or choc? if she does not wear her uniform, she will defo be treated differnetly when they take the class photo of all in their dressing up clothes!!

i'm going to make a point of recording what the letters say each time i'm asked to send something in, and query it with the school when i have the energy to challenge them again

I'm sorry but your post simply depresses me, how can you think so little of the school and PTA.

If all parents were like you and refused to pay/make donations then what sort of school would it be? The PTA fund lots of extras for the children, so whilst your happy for your child to have these you're not happy to help with the fundraising which allows the PTA to do this.

As for keeping a record to challenge them again, I pity your children.

Why bother having children if you dont agree with the costs incurred in having them?

SingleSue

skcollobcat10 wrote: »

Surely you can get help for hospital appointments and travel arrangements to the hospital? If not, I would ask about them, I am sure you would be eligble.

Where is your kids father, doesn't he pay maintenance for his children that you could put aside for trip for school etc?

As I discovered....yes I can, thought it was only fuel costs but have since found out it can include parking too which can sometimes work out more than the fuel!

The kids father is up north, he pays a small amount of maintenance (put it this way, with the new rules of lone parents keeping all the maintenance money, it made a difference of a few pounds a week to me) and that was hard enough to get him to pay...it doesn't help he is on minimum wage (he was a 45k+ earner when we were together!)

There is no help for clothes, shoes, uniform etc from him...hell he doesn't even really want to see them either! (He wouldn't win awards for father of the year :rotfl:)

The boys miss out on nothing, they have all the official uniform, they are fed, watered and housed....but their special needs and the additional costs that brings, takes any excess which does cause a headache when a letter from the school arrives about trips.

But they still don't miss out, I find a way.

As I have put on another thread, they don't go on the bigger trips where they stay over, not because of cost but because of their disabilities...so it's no biggie in that respect really.

As Kingfisher says, the demands do come thick and fast and with more than one child (which I hasten to add, were all born during my marriage and when we could afford them - we were actually together 20 years), it can, at times, seem like you are constantly paying out for trips, dress down, charity days etc. It is not just a once or twice a year trip.

nottslass_2

skcollobcat10 wrote: »

If they cannot afford the uniforms, they should have thought about that when the children were being conceived instead of not taking the necessary precautions and not thinking about the consequences.

They should have been responsible and instead of expecting the state to pay for their mistakes gained qualifications and got good jobs so that they could provide for their children/child in the future.

A child is a lifelong commitment.

What a pathetic load of twaddle! Has it not occurred to you that peoples circumstances can change ?

And as for suggesting that everyone should gain qualifications to get a good job,its not always as simple as that,some people just don't have the academic ability or opportunity to become more qualified. In any case ,if there weren't people willing to work in minimum wage jobs the whole country would be up the creek "without a paddle"

This thread was not about getting the state to pay for "peoples mistakes" its about the frequent demands for money, that many people find hard to budget for.

Can I politely suggest you return to your "Ivory Tower" and stop making assumptions about the many hard working parents who don't have a money tree growing at the bottom of the garden.

merlin68

My daughter had to go on the school trip in school time, it wasn't a choice. My other daughters school uniform costs about £200 and you can only get it from the school.