School seem to think we have a money tree at the bottom of the garden!

ViolaLass

Some of you really need to learn to say 'no'. How hard can it be?

supersuzie50

I think some people's comments are very harsh. Some parents have very limited budgets - fact. Most of the extras are not essentials. Non-uniform days cause so many problems. It has nothing about creativity as the parents compete by hiring costumes. Parents should be allowed to support the charities they want to - not made to support school charities. Parents have many reasons for supporting different charities. They should not be made to feel guilty. All these events reduce the time for education in school. School should be for learning. Is the real reason, the teachers want fun all the time and seen to be good by supporting charities? Do they live in the real world? Many families are really struggling - schools should accept the facts.

victory

VfM4meplse wrote: »

It may seem extortionate, but don't forget that includes the cost of [STRIKE] subsidising the teachers in attendence [/STRIKE] ensuring you children are "supervised" during the trip.

My OH always says this:rotfl::rotfl: it was £850 for 8 days in USA working out at £106.25p a day:eek: he never went:D

As far as the hard boiled eggs go it is fun to be arty, my son and I do it all the time, we are making easter pom poms and they were in the morrisons bargain basket for 49p with the wool and the cut out pieces of card.

Lunch packed lunch here much cheaper than school dinners and he does not have to queue and wait for it.

Sports relief it has always been the same as well as tag day and some others for £1, making costumes always charity shops have old clothes that can be cut up and google is agreat help for ideas, last time he had to go as a roman so we bought a white sheet, made a the reef around the head, had some sandals great fun:D

misfire

What gets me is the sponsorship where 'If you raise XYZ pounds you get' my sons primary school always did these, last one was like £15 was a cap, £30 was a tshirt and £50 was a football - so all the kids wanted to raise £50 in sponsorship - my son was very upset he didn't get enough sponsorship for a branded item (yep a football from sports direct was not an acceptable alternative!). I am all for giving to charities of my choice -but this kind of bribery is wrong on so many levels.

and.... Comic relief type things where you pay £1 to have funky hair ... so comic relief gets £1 and superdrug/boots/wilco etc.. get £5 for colored hair spray!

and don't get me started on the end of year 6 trip..£349 but don't worry that included a coach that was part funded by the school. When we had to pay for this I was off work, we paid in smaller installments - and they sent me a really snotty letter saying 'everyone pay x amount but you - and you owe Y amount' this was only on my letter but it was done in a really rude way - they knew why I was behind with the payments (I had been off work and in hospital for 6 weeks - we were paying for a childminder so dh could still work) they knew when I was returning to work and that I would catch up then - but that obviously wasn't good enough, so much for compassion. So we broke the bank for this trip and my son hated every minute of it.

mrcow

I don't get the moaning either.

Newsflash - it's all optional. You don't have to join in with any of it. None of what you've mentioned is compulsory expenditure. If you can't afford it and your kids aged 10 and 7 don't understand that, perhaps it's time you had a talk with them.

happy35

I used to moan about the constant asking for money, had a discussion about this with a friend who is on the PTA who thought I was miserable.

I suggested asking parents to make a donation to the school each term on the understanding that they wouldn't keep going out with rubbish reasons for donations.

I would have quite happily donated rather than have to buy the raffle tickets, bake a cake or donate for the tombola etc and then have to shell out to buy more rubbish at the school fayre.

I know writing this I do sound miserable but I'm not honest, I just get sick of the constant letters.

POPPYOSCAR

Spendless wrote: »

:eek: Never heard of such a thing. I suppose I don't know kids of the right age. :cool: Dare I ask how much?

Yes I was surprised when the letter and forms came in the post.

It is on monday 2nd April.

I have just looked for the letter but I think my daughter might have it. They can choose up to 4 subjects and it costs £4.(I cannot remember if it is £4 per subject or £4 in total).Not a lot of money in the big scheme of things, I know.

My daughter questioned why they had to pay when it is for their GCSEs but then perhaps she just does not want to have to go to school on a day off!!

I just hope that no child misses out because the parent/s have not paid.


They are also doing a lot of work after school at the moment as well, staying until about 4.30 to 5.00pm. I seem to have letters coming in almost everyday, some by email, some by post and some my daughter brings home.It is a job keeping up with it all sometimes!

I did not have all this when my son did his GCSEs.

plumpmouse

meritaten wrote: »

Well Yes actually! we ARE supposed to have free education for our children.
and I dont really agree that it adds value to a childs school experience - I believe it takes time out of a childs day that could be better spent by actually LEARNING! and yes I know you will say that they are learning - but compared to my childhood when all these activities were unknown - school results have not improved THAT much on levels of literacy and numeracy - I would argue they are worse!
It may well be fun for the children - but it isnt fun for parents who are struggling on low wages and are expected to shell out £000s per term - that is no exaggeration as my DD also kept track of the £1s and 50ps and in her kids school it came to £70 odd pound in a six week period. that was for ONE child! if you have two or more in school that adds up to a heck of a lot over the school year!

You quote above was in response to free school meals and after school club. Do you really believe that this should be included in free education?

When i was at school in the 80's low income families could claim free school dinners and there was not should thing as after school care.

If people don't like paying for school dinner send packed lunches for a cheap alternative.

After school care isn't provided by schools usually but by business akin to using a childminder - do people expect them to work for free?

They shouldn't be part of free education at all imho

I personally never used to mind the £1 here and there for own clothes days but did used to hate the constant fancy dress days. Usually informed of them at very short notice too.

I loved the fayres and as people have said these things are voluntary and you only need spend what you can. The money raised is usually put back into school to help improve their education. If you can't afford a lot use it as a valuable lesson regarding money.
t
We are overseas now but my sons house team won a school trip recent. He took about £2 with him and soon realised he couldn't have everything he wanted for that amount and bought what he thought was best value.

With regards to school trip and parents paying teachers costs why don't you suggest the kids going on their own next time! My husband used to take year 6 kids on a trip to London. Believe me he didn't enjoy the trips and probably would have prefered not to be responsible for so many children day and night.

Sorry for all the mistakes I am typing on my phone and I'm still not good at it!

anniemf2508

my daughter has just changed secondary school and i like their attitude to trips etc. They give you a list of trips at the start of the year with costs, so if you choose to let them go you can budget better for this rather than panicking when you get the letter asking for money.
Also my daughters year are going to Thorpe park in the summer, so all of the classes in her year have been fund-raising at school so it cuts the price parents have got to pay (her class have done a wet sponge thrown at the teachers, lollipop sale and are planning a cake bake).

As for the mufty days where they have to dress up, you just have to be more imaginative with what you've already got....everyone always has an old piece of clothing they could work with.

Mupette

Doesn't get any better for senior school (or what ever it's called now)

thank god my son is now 6th form.

You have the expensive trips that will 'enhance' their learning etc.. only a few grand - naff off

The school uniform that can only be purchased in the city's very expensive shop, and not available in school shop as they never have anything in stock, no asda/tesco cheap clothes, as its all embroidered on (school logo) when a stick on badge would of saved a few hundred pounds each year. The PE kit that has different tops, and quite frankly never got used, as half the sports were never played.

and then there is the enrichment fund, for helping the poorer parent, yes i am one of the poorer parents and got naff all help.
No discounts for uniform (our parents got the funding for uniforms)

And the good behavior trips. Your son/daughter has achiveved the higest score/did the best/ so we are giving them a day trip/weekend away as a reward.....a £50 here £100 there... sorry who is rewarding them? my blinkin purse not the school. They just organise it and the teachers that volunteer to go with them choose the activities because its them that want to do it, ask the children what they want, oh no too dangerous, yet a weekend rock climbing and diving into water in the middle of winter isn't.

And now 6th form, still buying the pens/pencils (thank god for the stock pile around the house) but now i have to buy the exercise books, as 6th form doesn't supply them.