General Chat

At my daughters school you are under no obligation to pay for any school trips but it's a case of if not enough pay then the whole thing is cancelled.
Even if you don't pay.........as long as sufficient contributions are made then your child can still go.
Not sure how I feel about this to be honest. Not only does she have to get a Tudor costume sorted for the trip but the cost of the trip itself is £20.
NOW half of me hates the idea of a little one sitting alone or having to blend into another class because funds are low at home. HOWEVER surely it shouldn't be up to other parents to cough up? Using the money from non uniform day to cover it is surely more fair or am I being a bit tight here?
I'm going to pay the £20. (Bang goes my printer cartridges for another week lololol) however I just wondered if this is a nationwide thing or just something that happens at my daughters school? xx

No it's a nationwide thing. My kids schools did it years ago. It changed while they were at school. I think there was some legal thing which stopped schools asking for payment per person and had to rely on donations instead.

Muffy it happens everywhere. The schools can't insist on payment if the trip is educational so have to ask for the money as voluntary donations. There will be some who won't be able to pay but there will also be some who will refuse to pay even if they could afford it.

Where on earth are they taking the class that it costs that much?

It happens at our school too..................they aren't allowed to charge, so ask for voluntary contributions.

Almost everyone pays and those who genuinly can't afford it speak to the headteacher and it gets paid for some other way.

Same here and theres always some that dont pay despite the fact that they are not that badly off

It's a big old house somewhere that does Tudor role play days for kids. It will be a great day out for them. No question of that......just seems a bit steep when a trip to London to the King Tut exhibition was the same price !! xx

mine ask for a contribution wich we always pay even if were on a tight week but they tend to do funraisers every few weeks to cover things like school trips

i do sumtyms think they expect far to much fromt he parents

however from workign in a school i no they do have a tight buget

Stray I do agree about the schools budget......that's the reason I am just paying up and shutting up lolololol

Thing is if a kids parents really can't afford it I'd happily chip in to help.
I just know some of the parents will refuse to make any sacrifice to pay, as they know that muppets like me will have it covered and that's what I object to really. xx

yep i totally agree but its them parents that make the price higher as they have to cover it another way

shame on them i say

Is it Kentwell they are going to? My son went in about 1994 ish - I made him the outfit, and he enjoyed himself.

A few years on, a neighbour asked if I still had the outfit as her son was going, but she had forgotten to make the things, I loaned him the hat, waistcoat etc and only got the waistcoat back, no apology or explanation. I did ask where the hat was and they seemed surprised I was bothered, oh he must have lost it they said! Bl***y cheek, when they realised I was cross they bought some chocolate to say sorry, I wanted the hat, I had taken a while to make it and it was pretty good if I do say so myself!
Hope your daughter has a great time.

If I couldn't really afford the whole amount, I used to offer half or as much as I could pay, every little helps. Then I was lucky enough to find a charity in Norwich which had been set up in 1700 and something so my son was able to go on trips without feeling we hadn't contributed, as the charity used to pay for him, also helped with his uniform too.
Lizx

Personally I think £20 is a bit steep for a school trip. If its educational then surely it should be paid for out of an educational fund.
I just hope all the kids behave and they get the value for money. If its anything like the school trips we had I cant say we ever learned anything from them.

Muffy I couldn't agree with your comments more.

I pay for my grandaughters trips, and if people genuinely cannot pay I dont have a problem with that. (I have even paid for her friend to go). However, there are a lot that could pay and wont pay. This seems to be something that these parents are quite proud of.

Cx

Thanks everyone for your comments. I'm glad it's not just me!!!!. Money was handed in this morning so it's just the Tudor costume to sort now *sighs loudly* lol.

Yes Liz it's Kentwell Hall. Looks like it's going to be a fantastic day.......I'm trying to get myself on the trip as an extra pair of hands as it's something I'd find very interesting too lol xx

Although I can understand your feeling, I'm glad you decided to pay.

If memory serves me correctly, schools can only ask for a voluntary donation if the majority of the time spent on a trip falls within school hours, ie a school day trip would have be voluntary, a weekend camp could be pay or you can't go.

It sounds as though they will have a fantastic day although I don't envy you have to find a costume.

Muffy same at grandchildren's school, if they just sent the letters out, then ask parents to contact head of school if they were finding difficult to pay, then ask if they could pay half, its not really fare to just let a few pay, or when school sets the date of trip, ask parents to take money in weekly, thats what we did years ago, all the children got to go.there is parents that wont pay even if it was £2 those are the ones stuck in pubs betting offices bingo smoking things like that there kids dont come first they do, see it all to much where i live, i see little children with the tattiest clothes and there mothers well dress make up thats taking them to school.

never under stood why they charged so much , its a difficult one maby if they lowered the price we could all afford there have been occasions wher i have refused due to cost, but a teacher called out mnat and asked why she hadnt payed, id just given up work cause of illness gawd did i go nuts

muffy do you want me to ask in our local fancy dress place for you, i would need age etc xxxx

I would have to Puss are they allowed to do that in todays time seems

I thought it would be, Muffy. Hope you can go. I can't remember why I couldn't do that one, I used to help on lots even taking the little boy I childminded along with me sometimes. At the age of 3 before he started part time nursery, he came with us to Sandringham, and altho I took his buggy on the coach I didn't bother to unload it at the other end, my son and lots of his friends carried him on their shoulders some of the time, more for fun than cos he was tired, bless 'em, and we had a great day out, he learned with the older children.
Have fun with the costume.
Lizx

its the same in my school, voluntary contributions are requested. I've never known a trip not to go ahead due to lack off support either.

I know there are parents in genuine financial difficulty, who cannot afford any contribution to trips, But I bet there are a small minority who wont pay anyway, and never contribute to anything just because they have a choice not to, not because they are in any financial difficulty.....that makes me mad !

I resent paying for these peoples children to take part, not the ones in financial difficulty I may add :o))

I must admit it is guilt that forces you to pay really, and really these trips and extras should be paid from fundraisers rather from parents pockets all the time.


Try looking on Ebay for your Tudor costume.

I got one for Connie, its a long deep red velour dress with flared sleeves, & cris cross ribbon over the chest. Wasn't really cheap but it was worth it for her to look as nice as the others who always have money spending parents forking out to make their child look the best.

Our Tudor day came just weeks after our Victorian day...school seems a money pit doesnt it ?

Oh and we had to pay £7 towards Henry V111 visiting the school for the day for activities (believe me..he really looked the part and had a real big belly ).