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Voluntary contribution towards school trips

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Comments

  • Nicki
    Nicki Posts: 8,166 Forumite
    I don't care whether other schools are flouting the rules and parents aren't challenging this, but the Department of Education has a very clear rule on this, which is as I set out above. Links here

    http://www.education.gov.uk/popularquestions/childrenandfamilies/parenting/a005627/i-have-received-a-letter-from-my-childs-school-asking-for-contributions-towards-a-school-trip-do-i-have-to-pay

    As I said, if you can pay some or all of it, you should because otherwise there is a risk the trip will be cancelled for all the children, but your child can't be made to stay in school and miss a curriculum based trip simply because you did not pay a contribution towards it.
  • carolan78
    carolan78 Posts: 993 Forumite
    I don't have any direct advice for you OP, but I'd like to point out that it is perfectly possible for a family NOT to be able to simply find £5 or £10 in the budget. When my son was young, we had a couple of years where my husband couldn't get a job due to disability and the hangover from the last recession and we were absolutely on a shoestring. The only reason my son was able to go on school trips- or have decent school shoes even- was that my parents were able to help out with those things. So let's not assume this is just the OP being bad with money or unwilling to sacrifice for her kids please.

    We have literally lived hand to mouth for the last few months so I know what having no cash means. I would be lucky to have 10p left over once everything was paid out. I could however manage to slice a £1 a week from my measly food budget to get the £6 together for my daughters school trip, it just meant I had something like beans on toast a couple of times for tea.

    There's many struggling out there right now and my view on it is these types of trips will be cancelled if too few parents pay. I would hate that because I think it's good for the class both as a moral boost (reward for good behaviour/work) and more often than not the trips are educational and linked to a topic they have been covering in school.
  • POPPYOSCAR
    POPPYOSCAR Posts: 14,902 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    gingin wrote: »
    Yes. Other than one residential trip, I have never had a school trip cost more than £10.

    The worst one I had was when my daughter went to Belgium for the day. The trip was £68 and then I had to get her a passport which cost around £60 with photos and fees, and then spending money.So total cost was around £145.

    One of the coaches got lost, they had hardly any time actually at the place they went to, so all in all a waste of money in the end.The only thing she really enjoyed was buying chocolates!!
  • gingin_2
    gingin_2 Posts: 2,992 Forumite
    POPPYOSCAR wrote: »
    The only thing she really enjoyed was buying chocolates!!

    That's certainly my highlight on a trip to Belgium :)
  • Wicked_witch
    Wicked_witch Posts: 722 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture
    edited 25 June 2012 at 7:04PM
    carolan78 wrote: »
    We have literally lived hand to mouth for the last few months so I know what having no cash means. I would be lucky to have 10p left over once everything was paid out. I could however manage to slice a £1 a week from my measly food budget to get the £6 together for my daughters school trip, it just meant I had something like beans on toast a couple of times for tea.

    There's many struggling out there right now and my view on it is these types of trips will be cancelled if too few parents pay. I would hate that because I think it's good for the class both as a moral boost (reward for good behaviour/work) and more often than not the trips are educational and linked to a topic they have been covering in school.

    I'm sorry to hear that and hope things get much better for you soon. The only trouble is, do you get six weeks notice of trips? If so, that's very good- I never got more than maybe 2.

    However, posters saying 'it's only £x' or 'not much to find really' don't sound helpful. The thread isn't about OP's budget or management, it's about a little girl being shamed in front of her peers* for coming from a low income family and the school not addressing this problem. I wouldn't like OP to feel she was just being criticised for being short of money and that is how some of the posts come over.

    *Edit: just re read and the teacher said it in front of DD- no mention of her class. Still unacceptable.
  • POPPYOSCAR
    POPPYOSCAR Posts: 14,902 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I'm sorry to hear that and hope things get much better for you soon. The only trouble is, do you get six weeks notice of trips? If so, that's very good- I never got more than maybe 2.

    However, posters saying 'it's only £x' or 'not much to find really' don't sound helpful. The thread isn't about OP's budget or management, it's about a little girl being shamed in front of her peers for coming from a low income family and the school not addressing this problem. I wouldn't like OP to feel she was just being criticised for being short of money and that is how some of the posts come over.



    I agree.

    It is disgraceful that this happens.

    My objection is the wording 'voluntary', just say you do not pay you do not go. Do not embarrass people by demanding payment.

    A friend of mine had this happen to her over swimming lessons, she had three children all in school,got no money from her ex and was going through a particularly tough time financially.

    She was asked three times to pay the 'voluntary' contribution, even after telling them that she could not pay it this time but hopefully would be able to pay the next one. She did not pay and the child went swimming.
  • gingin_2
    gingin_2 Posts: 2,992 Forumite

    However, posters saying 'it's only £x' or 'not much to find really' don't sound helpful.

    I am only saying this because it's the second time you've said the same thing but previous posts can tell you enough to get a picture of things and if the OP had enough money to consider going to the Next sale, or to ask what babygrows to buy earlier on today then you do begin to wonder whether there might be somewhere in the budget for them to find the money for the trip. And if there was the money then the daughter might not have had to go through being told she coudn't go (which I agree is unfair regardless).
  • jellyhead
    jellyhead Posts: 21,555 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I too think it's awful that the teacher talked to you about it while your child was listening :( That would not happen in the school my children attend, and I hope you made the head aware of it.

    Teachers might call a parent to ask them to bring in a signed permission slip for a trip here, but the money would not be mentioned unless it was in confidence.
    52% tight
  • Wicked_witch
    Wicked_witch Posts: 722 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture
    Wouldn't occur to me to go through people's previous posts to check up on them tbh. I'll bear it in mind for next time.
  • Do you qualify for free school meals?? I thought school got a pupil premium for children on free school meals and the money from that should help to pay for school trips for those children??
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