General Chat

We always seem to get letters for trips, events etc asking for money. Have just paid for a big trip for laddo, tiddler just had to pay for trip, Now they have installed bike sheds and if laddo wants to ride his bike to school has to do a course that will cost £15, course runs May and June, he leaves in July. School is on a main road so wouldnt be happpy him riding to school anyway. Just seems they are asking for money the whole time now

yes they do its always fruit money sponsor money m,oney for trips money for people visiting the school money for charitys lol i dont mind tho because if we didnt pay the children wouldnt get the experiences ours school does a lot more with the kids than when i was there and they enjoy it so i supose its worth it stray xxx

My son's school is just as bad It seems like every week they want money for something

All donations are voluntary - you cannot be made to pay anything - although schools are run on a very tight budget & I think that everyone should do their part by contributing something to help their kids. In our school we sometimes have theatre visits as special treats & it helps if a small donation is made to cover costs. We had a parent whose last child left primary school last year who deliberately didn't pay the required amount for the school trip to Europe - she stood at the school gates BOASTING that she thought that the school should pay for her child to go as she was on benefits!! She could've given up smoking & used that money to fund her child's trip!! Ails x

Ails yes I agree if you are able to pay towards it and I have only once told them I cant pay , and I know as am on the pTA we ask for things for events but we make sure its not at a time when they are asked for other school events as well. Just seems more of it now

Ours was like that, too. I remember in the first year (don't know why I remember this) that we went on three trips, costing a total of £30. And the next year, when my sister was at the same school, of course the prices went up. We had a whole school trip to Lightwater Valley near Ripon for one day right at the end of summer term. Everyone could go except those who had had more than five lunchtime detentions or one after school detention. And that was £14 per head. I had a friend who was one of ten children - there were never more than three siblings at the school at once - but unsurprisingly she never went. It would have cost her parents about £50, I reckon, including making them lunch etc. I often wondered exactly how much was in the school fund account. Plus, each September, we did a sponsored walk and those who collected the most money were praised (not fair on the kids whose parents/relatives/neighbours couldn't afford it) and each Christmas, every pupil (there were about 1000 of is - the school was bursting at the seams) was issued with two books of ten raffle tickets (total value - £10) and we were expected to sell them all. I didn't, with the raffle tickets. My parents bought one book each from my sister and I, and sent the other two back.

Dawn - you're lucky you have a PTA for fundraising!! Our Boss won't have one & we really need the money!!!! I DO totally agree with you, however. Ails x

A lot of our school trips dont actually say voluntary contributions but the swimming does. I have known them put children who dont pay into another class. I pay for the trips but do only give a contribution towardssome wear what you like days and swimming as i have triplets and a singleton and my triplets have been going swimming every week since last October. They are good though as my triplets are going to PGL in yr 6 in Sept and i have been able to pay a bit every week, with no pressure if i cant pay one week. I certainly dont remember my parents having to pay out so much when i was in primary school Star

As far as school trips go, A lot of the contributions are spent on coaches. It's not uncommon at the school i've been in for the coach company to charge £600 for the journey. Pat

Dawn nope not just you am afraid, we're really struggling currently, esp as twins are due to go to high school in Sept. In our experience once at high school it gets worse. We're also struggling with the amount of outings/camps etc the cubs/scouts and rangers are due to complete this yr. Of course this is our choice to send the kids to these, but i feel it's character building, so will find the money from somewhere. Ails In our school only the compulsory trips are voluntary donations, so all trips to educational places like museums are voluntary. But for example when in year six they always go on a holiday for four nights. The cost this yr was £230 per child..... if you don't pay your child doesn't go. The problem is this yr for the first yr ever those who don't go are not doing fun things. In the past those left behind went to Asda and pizza hut etc and saw behind the scenes as well as the local police station. This yr they've got to do lessons as normal. I feel they are losing out twice. I couldn't afford it, but i asked and received a discount because i ahd twins but my M-I-L still helped us out. We was lucky, not everyone has some one who can help them

Ails when we moved here 5 years ago there as no PTA and they started it the next year, the last head wouldnt let us do a lot but have a new one now who is letting us do loads new things and even letting us go for charity status. We dont just raise funds though, nursery have a trip that is over two days and ther ewerent enough volunteers so we have provided helpers so we do give back as well as ask for money Pat I know coaches are a lot as we had one a few yesrs ago for one year to the theatre and the coach company had to be changed and the cost went up, the PTA covered the shortfall as thye would have to cancel it otherwise.

Star I aslo paid for my twins residential trip in installments. did make life easier esp when they wanted over £300!!!!!!!

laddos trip to france is £250 thankfully that could be paid weekly which I did as £10 a week you can save on the food bill but if you suddenly have to find a hefty payment is harder. Yes cubs is our choice and he wants to go on a weeklong camp with that as is 100 years scouting, he has had to pay that himself as cant justify all the money on him and not the other two although they have done a lot of fundraising so isnt so bad now. I did ave one year where I didnt have the money for a trip and laddo came home and told me he had to have the money in the next day, the reason it hadnt gone in was didnt have it so I sent it in but a lot of itwas in coppers, when I said couldnt afford next one a few weeks later they didnt ask a 2nd time for it

Yes Dawnie, Loads all the time, college, junior, and senior, Caz xxx

My kids last school overstepped the mark a bit, considering it was a low-income area. Their new school is amazing, I dont know how they do it. Free Judo, football, art, crafts, swimming, music, pc lessons for girls, games, ALL after school and totally free. If they ever want to raise funds for the school, I'll be so happy to help, it'd be a pleasure. There is a trip in Nov costing £140 but you can pay in £5 installments, and it lasts 4 days.

Dawn like us you get there one way or another LOL

I can remember feeling the same when mine were at school and that was quite some years ago Janet

From the e xperience of the grandchildren it does seem worse at secondary school or whatever they call it now! Then they have the 'educational' trips - ours have been variously to Prague, germany, Rumania and other places all in the name of education/ GCSE courses, none of this is cheap and you feel if they don't go their exams will suffer. Ann Glos

Ann we had one like that recently. Dau came home with letter on the friday wanting the money by....... friday. But they'd wait until Monday... oh how generous of them!!! This trip was £20 and to the Globe theatre in London, but the letter was worded, in such a way ' it is essential for the yr 10 girls to enable them to complete their course work' that we felt we had no choice.

Shelli, blackmail really, they know you don't want to deprive your children. But there has to be a limit, these foreign 'holidays' run into hundreds. Ann glos