Voluntary contribution towards school trips

jellyhead

gingin wrote: »

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).

Ouch!

OP is pregnant so she will need babygrows. She is asking about where to get good quality at a reasonable price because she can't afford to splash the cash. The Next half price sale is a good option for people on a budget, usually working out cheaper than buying cheap and therefore needing to buy twice because of the quality.

OP if you read this, try looking for bundles of Next clothes on ebay, that's what I used to do. Also, I found sainsburys babygrows to be much better than Asda.

Wicked_witch

Yeah, I just looked through the posts (sorry emweaver, not something I have or will make a habit of!) and I don't see how needing clothes for a new baby and £5 being too dear for a sleepsuit suggests she has extra cash to play with!

Anyway, as I'm now in the position of putting my nose into someone else's finances, I'll check out of the thread.

suejb2

My D.S had his school trip last week and my D.D is going on hers tomorrow,both letters asked for a voluntary contribution which I paid £8 and £7 each.in the letter it mentioned they had received funding to pay for the coaches not from the P.T.A this time but a special educational fund.I know there were 3 children who couldn't or wouldn't pay and they still went.Other schools in the same area charge £20+ for school trips and aren't worded as voluntary.

milliebear00001

Just to be quite clear, the school in question is breaking the law by telling a parent their child will be excluded from a trip in school time unless they pay a contribution.

Just tell them you know the law, even if they apparently don't; the rules state you don't have to pay; you cannot pay; and you won't be paying.

gingin_2

jellyhead wrote: »

Ouch!

OP is pregnant so she will need babygrows. She is asking about where to get good quality at a reasonable price because she can't afford to splash the cash. The Next half price sale is a good option for people on a budget, usually working out cheaper than buying cheap and therefore needing to buy twice because of the quality.

OP if you read this, try looking for bundles of Next clothes on ebay, that's what I used to do. Also, I found sainsburys babygrows to be much better than Asda.

Perhaps but I would say the child's school trip should take priority over items for a baby that is not born, especially if that child is distressed over not being able to go.

carolan78

The op has just been to DLP too and I know there is no way on earth I could even save for a trip there. They must have had spending money, surly a little bit out of that fund would have stopped this situation.

BTW I'm not stalking the op I know her but on this occasion I don't think things are as financially as dire as described and I know if I can find the money in my budget she could have done with a bit of shuffling about. Especially if DH had been called into school a previous time about the same thing. I would never ever want to put my DD or DS in that position again.

emweaver

azzabazza wrote: »

I think this is shocking. If you don't get a suitable response this time I think you require to escalate to the authority.

MX5huggy wrote: »

Why did you not wait for her to be finished with the other parent?

When I go to the doctors I am very rarely seen at the appointment time, I have to wait for them to become free.

Because we were told to come back in the morning.

emweaver

FBaby wrote: »

Are you saying that she already had two trips at least this year and this yet another one? What are we talking about, a £4 contribution or £20?

If we are talking large sums, I can sympathise, but a few pounds, surely there are things you can sacrifice to contribute towards the school trip. I can understand the frustration of the teachers when parents constantly refuse to contribute, the school gets lower, and children whose parents are paying risk to miss on a trip because others can't save £1 a week. It happened to my DD is year 2. It was only £5 contribution, we'd been made aware weeks in advance, and yet a number of parents refused to pay, hence the trip cancelled for everyone. I was a single working mum with less disposable income at the end of the month than I would have got on benefits. It really angried me that my DD had to miss out because some parents didn't prioritised a valuable day trip (or just took it for granted that once again, it would be paid for by the school).

As I said DH is on the sick, SSP covers only our rent but if you also read we haven't even been paid he was due to get paid Friday and thanks to Natwest we did not get paid and still haven't.

emweaver

carolan78 wrote: »

The op has just been to DLP too and I know there is no way on earth I could even save for a trip there. They must have had spending money, surly a little bit out of that fund would have stopped this situation.

BTW I'm not stalking the op I know her but on this occasion I don't think things are as financially as dire as described and I know if I can find the money in my budget she could have done with a bit of shuffling about. Especially if DH had been called into school a previous time about the same thing. I would never ever want to put my DD or DS in that position again.

Yes so you know me so you should know that I did not pay for the holiday and yes I saved hard for the spending money BUT we didn't know we would come home to no money thanks to Natwest and also was not even told about the trip as it was announced whilst DD was not at school.

emweaver

Either way what I choose to spend my money on and why I have none to pay tomorrow is not the point my point is they said it was voluntary yet are forcing parents to pay. The letter only stated if not enough parents paid the trip would be cancelled not each child who did not pay would be left out.