Did you have to pay for revision guides?

Spendless

Son started yr 9 today and promptly came home with a letter asking for money (£8) for the loan of 3 revision guides and workbooks for him to do Triple Science. The guides are to be returned in a clean condition at the end of yr 11 or you will be charged £2.75 for each.

Is this usual? Do you get similar requests for guides for other subjects. It's a bill I wasn't expecting, so would rather know if this will be the case with other subjects he studies.

Willowx

We were given the optional choice of buying revision guides at a discounted price through the school if we wished, but that was more taking advantage of their bulk buying power, rather than compulsory(and also to keep).

Alikay

Yes, we bought them through school which came up a bit cheaper than retail price. There was unfortunately a policy amongst the kids to have a ceremonial burning of the things at the post-GCSE BBQ's they all went to, so no moneysaving passing-down to younger siblings either

Dunroamin

Do schools actually encourage the use of revision guides these days?

Spendless

Does this happen in every subject :eek: or just science?. I need to know if I need to keep watering my money tree in the garden. :rotfl:

System

I bought them for my son too.

Alikay

For my children it was individual sciences, Maths and a poetry one which was compulsory I think as it had the poems in rather than school giving out text books or photocopies.

Spendless

Dunroamin wrote: »

Do schools actually encourage the use of revision guides these days?

I had no idea until today, having never been warned by parents of older kids. Son is my eldest, I left school 30 years ago and only remember having to have my own copy of Richard III For O'level English Lit.

Letter states.' students will need to use these guides for homework which may involve reading, answering questions, note taking and find them an important element in preparing for tests and exams' The science dept has used these resources for years and found them to be an effective learning tool'.

Spendless

Alikay wrote: »

Yes, we bought them through school which came up a bit cheaper than retail price. There was unfortunately a policy amongst the kids to have a ceremonial burning of the things at the post-GCSE BBQ's they all went to, so no moneysaving passing-down to younger siblings either

Yes, well I think the chances of them being in a clean state after 3 years is errmmmm not very likely with son. He now has science most days, dread to think what they'll look like in a year!

Hadn't thought about ceremonial burning. He did that this summer with his Art work (now dropped subject). Unlikely youngest will study triple science though, I think.

Out of interest, how much did people pay?

bluenoseam

Alikay wrote: »

Yes, we bought them through school which came up a bit cheaper than retail price. There was unfortunately a policy amongst the kids to have a ceremonial burning of the things at the post-GCSE BBQ's they all went to, so no moneysaving passing-down to younger siblings either

Not a bad idea to be fair - I wouldn't worry too much about the money saving aspect given how the syllabus is capable of changing over time, much as it might sting, some things are worth spending on. I know I felt a certain amount of relief over the ditching of all school materials, no burning involved (all that red pen would have made it mighty purdy!), but several black bin bags.

I do find it odd that they're charging £8 to "rent" them then have the audacity to charge if they're not returned in "clean" order, I could understand if they charged as a purchase & they were voluntarily given back, but not as a borrowing.

Spendless

bluenoseam wrote: »

I do find it odd that they're charging £8 to "rent" them then have the audacity to charge if they're not returned in "clean" order, I could understand if they charged as a purchase & they were voluntarily given back, but not as a borrowing.

I agree with that! I might just as well pay the 'fine' now! The letter states that the retail price is £33. Without knowing what the guides are I've no idea if I can get the same ones cheaper. It's not that I begrudge it, but I would have liked some notice. I thought I'd done with school expenses for this month!