Charging entrance to Nativity Play?

mollypoppy

Never come across this before. We are being charged £5 entrance fee per person to see our children in a nativity play is this normal?

I have a friend with kids in another local school where there are no charges any opinions? I know they have to fundraise but ballot tickets and bring food for after event surely £5 is taking the biscuit.

There are plenty of other ways to raise money knowing this from working in the fundraising industry for charities and other schools etc.

Artytarty

It sucks! Would you tell us which School this is please?
I can understand maybe having a discreet charity collection where you can give what you can if you so wish but I'd be very annoyed at the situation you describe!

caz2703

It's amazing the ways that schools try to raise money. I know of a school that are holding a bric-a-brac sale to help orphaned kids. Now I have absolutley no problem with this as we recently made 3 shoeboxes for the Xmas appeal but what they are asking is for the parents to send the kids in with a plastic bag and money to buy stuff. Any sale like this is normally held at the weekend so parents can supervise.

Charging for a nativity play is shocking in my book especially as it's your kids performing in it for free. Perhaps you could get the wee one an Equity card and demand a performance fee if the school are going to use your kids to make money for them.

happymummy24-7

our school does too.....but my issue isnt with the £3 each they charge us to get in,it the fact that we are only allowed a max of 3 tickets per family and the nail in the coffin-no primary school age children or babies allowed in to watch their brothers or sisters :mad: i find this totally unaccaptable as it goes against everything christmas stands for really....one christmas i had just given birth to my daughter on the 19th of dec and my two other daughters where taking part in the nativity and really wanted me there so i took along their 3day old sister who would have slept through anyway,only to be turned away by the principle who would not make an exception...i was furious and was forced to have my dad walk her around the school grounds for an hour in the night cold air just so i could watch the girls (i was feeding her myself so he couldnt go too far incase she needed fed and at 3 days old we hadnt got her onto an emergency bottle!!)
i do not agree with charging for this particular event as the school try to squeeze every single penny out of us during the year as it is
!

Tired_Mom

I really do not agree with charging for this type of event at school. It is every parents right to see their child in the school play and at this time of year esepcially funds are very tight for a lot of families. Do they make it compulsary or are they requesting a voluntary donation of £5? If they wish to fund raise they could sell drinks and cakes (donated by parents) in the interval or afterwards.

With regards to limiting tickets and not allowing young children this is a common thing. I am a governor at the school my DD is at so have a lot of involvement with the school. We are a very large school and tickets are limited to 2 per family. Everyone would love to be able to invite grandparents, aunts uncles etc but that would mean that some parents wouldn't even get to see their children because of lack of seats. By allowing 2 tickets per family and doing two performances per year group it means all parents get a chance to see them. We each go to one of them so DD has someone in the audience at both. The reason for not allowing siblings is also due to space but the main reason is the disturbance they "may" cause. Thye have to have one rule and cannot be selective so state no children under 11. this can cause obvious problems I have been in the same boat as you when DS was in infants. I have also been at a show though where little ones in the audience were making it impossible to hear the children on the stage or completely putting a child off on stage by announcing very loudly they need the loo and then everyone having to move to allow them out. It really is a difficult one but I think you will find a lot of schools have the same rule.

X

toontron

Ours is £5 a ticket plus £15 for the DVD. This year both Toonies are in Key Stage II which means they are in the same play, last year DD was in Key Stage I so we had to cough up twice! As it is, the play this year is so lame, plus both of their years have been cut from the better parts that the Toonies are threatening to throw mystery illness on the days of the play. Last year's Nativity play was bizarre, it included disco dancing sheep, told DD it was the best laugh I have had for ages and that I had really enjoyed it - she looked very cross when she told me it wasn't a comedy:o

FleetFanatic

I'm amazed they even have "nativity plays" these days.

One of my biggest gripes that a lot of schools don't - for fear of upsetting the ethnics.

And no, this isn't a racist comment - I just don't understand why they like to teach my children about Diwali, etc.,
yet when it comes to our Christmas traditions, it's a no-no.

Sambucus_Nigra

happymummy24-7 wrote: »

our school does too.....but my issue isnt with the £3 each they charge us to get in,it the fact that we are only allowed a max of 3 tickets per family and the nail in the coffin-no primary school age children or babies allowed in to watch their brothers or sisters :mad: i find this totally unaccaptable as it goes against everything christmas stands for really....one christmas i had just given birth to my daughter on the 19th of dec and my two other daughters where taking part in the nativity and really wanted me there so i took along their 3day old sister who would have slept through anyway,only to be turned away by the principle who would not make an exception...i was furious and was forced to have my dad walk her around the school grounds for an hour in the night cold air just so i could watch the girls (i was feeding her myself so he couldnt go too far incase she needed fed and at 3 days old we hadnt got her onto an emergency bottle!!)
i do not agree with charging for this particular event as the school try to squeeze every single penny out of us during the year as it is
!

The irony of turning a 3 day baby out in the cold and going in to watch a play about a baby that was turned out in the cold......

skintbint_2

just wanted to say i think this is disgusting, how many families are struggling just now? the most they should be doing is a silver collection and if people can afford more great, bit of emotional blackmail if you ask me!

miserly_mum

My two youngest sons Primary School also sell tickets to watch their Xmas concerts @ £3 each. Its bad enough to have to pay to watch my own children but it REALLY pi**es me off that they have "£3 Voluntary Donation" printed on the ticket. No money no ticket so it's hardly voluntary.

They also have junior and senior concerts and as I have one son in P1 and one in P7 it ends up costing us £12 plus the cost of the costumes.

richardvc

I am playing devil's advocate here but don't you think watching your children in their nativity is worth £5 ? The money goes to the school.........

BTW, this not my thoughts or opinion before anyone has a go.