Are you required to pay to see your childs school/class performances?

[Rivanshine]

AIBU to feel aggravated that we have to BUY tickets every blimmin' time our daughters school put on a play or dance performance?

Our girls are in years 4 & 2 and they go to a C of E voluntary-aided primary school. All the rehearsals and performances are done in school time and are orchestrated purely by the teaching staff so it's not an extra-curricular activity organised by an independent dance or theatre school for example.

In our case we have to double up on the tickets as well because they split the performances into morning & afternoon sessions and our girls are always in separate ones! Of course, we go to both. How could we not?

It's really been an eye-opener as to how much and how frequently this school asks for money nowadays. So much so that this Friday (Children in Need day) they've had to go low-key (by their own admission!) because they were getting complaints about the constant donation 'requests' for this, that & the other recently and I agree.

We're not in a middle or upper class area and the school is clearly not a private or independent one so quite why they think it's reasonable to force us parents to find all these extra sums of money to pay for whatever they want, whenever they want it is mind-boggling to me!

We're never consulted about any of the fund-raising ideas beforehand (or school trips either, and they chose really pricey ones to go to!) - we're just told what to do, how much we have to give and where the money's going to!!!!

Thing is though they've got you over a barrel because if you don't stump up the money your child is excluded from the activity and who wants to do that to their child? Exactly. Us neither! :(

Anyone else in this situation too?

[user1477282676]

It's normal. It's to raise more funds for those little extras which make a school great. I know it's not "right" but that's how it is.

[Rivanshine]

See, I don't mind a bit of fund-raising here and there for the nice extras - perfectly reasonable - but to charge us every time (or else we can't go) to see our kids in their plays or presentations is a bit much in my humble opinion. It's all done in school-time after all so why should we have to pay to see what they've been doing at school?

One of the parents joked last week that we'll be charged to see the kids work & the teachers at the next parent's evening.......to cover the 'overtime' of the staff and the hating & lights being left on for longer! LOL :D

[AmeliaJack]

We have never had to pay to see a a school performance.

[NoMudNoLotus]

I think it is appalling !!

[Moomoomango]

Y a n b u - we don't pay to see the school play but the pta has paid £890 to put it on. Every bloody week is a new fundraising activity, multiple mufti days which I have to supply multiple random outfits for which ends up costing a bomb - and for the privilege I have to spend out more money on supplying a bottle to go towards Christmas tombola.

I get that they are low on funds but having a Christmas jumper day ends up costing me about 10-15 quid and the school ends up with a £3.50 bottle of wine. It's not cost efficient at all.

Cake days - I have to buy all the ingredients make cakes and then spend more money on other children's cakes.

I get it's fun but every bloody week it's a pita.

[Foslady]

It's usually to cover licensing fees (if a bought in play such as most Christmas ones are) and materials used (photocopying, art materials etc), and any extra would go towards such as new stage fund (raised over numerous plays) or a charity donation. Saying that it was usuaya pound per ticket and you were limited on numbers.

[Foslady]

And I do feel your pain though - we have just been asked to start a dd for £10/month followed by 'we can't afford text books for the new gcse coursework- here's a list......'. Lone mum on tax credits here now having to find cash for that......

[gamerwidow]

We don't have to pay for our school shows. However I would say if you want a say on the fundraising activities you need to join the PTA. I don't know any schools who poll the parents on what fundraising activities they do.

[dementedpixie]

Yes we pay to see shows. Sounds normal to me and is a way of raising funds for the school

[mudandmayhem01]

My DDs school play is £8 a ticket, she is in y8 though

[Headofthehive55]

The fund raising is a bit of a thing these days. However I've never thought the stuff that has been purchased really is vital or even very necessary to my child's enjoyment of school.
Mine don't like dressing up, so we don't. So I don't pay the charge.
I really don't think it's on that you have to pay for performances. And your children should not miss out because you can't pay for trips if everyone's going.

[needsahalo]

.to cover the 'overtime' of the staff

No over time payments. But it is very much overtime,

[DoctorDonnaNoble]

Yup, it's to cover costs. You have to pay performance rights to put on a show and even though schools get reduced rates it's still expensive. Props, set and costumes also cost money.
I was thrilled a few years ago to put on the first profit making play (achieved by it being Shakespeare and put of copyright). The money went into the performances pot and was eaten up by the music department and the musical (very expensive to put on). Teachers used to get free tickets at our school. They don't any more.

[AuntieStella]

Not at ours.

[Sohardtochooseausername]

I can't help myself here but to point out that if there weren't so many cuts to public services and people paid higher taxes schools would be in a much better state and parents wouldn't have to fundraise.

[AuntieStella]

I can remember the amount of fundraising that went on when I was at primary school.

That was in the 1960s and 1970s.

I don't think there ever was a golden age when schools did not fundraise from parents.

[AmberEars]

We don't pay at my DC's school.

Obviously there are lots of other fundraising activities which I am very happy to support, but I would be a bit uncomfortable about this idea due to its 'non-optional' nature.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeG0es]

We pay for our shows at Christmas but the money goes to charity. However the school does have costs to cover (licence, props, scenery etc). It also deters people from booking places and not using them (space is at a premium so they run each show twice). All fundraising is optional, if you want a say, talk to the PTA.

[Rivanshine]

These 'shows' though are often just the children dancing around in the costumes we've already provided from home.......in the middle of the hall for 5 minutes (not even on a stage) to a disjointed CD soundtrack - often with the sounds of the school kitchen clambering & banging about in the background! I would understand the practicality of donating towards a full-scale production at the end of the year. But I'm talking about being charged every few weeks to see our kids twiddle around to 'Grease' or 'The Jungle Book' or some other such seemingly unrelated musical to their standard curriculum. Apparently, it's all classed as P.E. nowadays. So why the actual 'eff should we have to pay extra to see a glorified P.E. lesson that we've already paid for through our PAYE taxation system anyway??? Just a thought....... ;)

[miwelaisjacydo]

We charge 2 a ticket as its a great money spinner. Also nobody gets paid overtime for Christmas play or indeed anything else for that matter.
We have to hold fund raisers to fund extras like buses to competitions or activities. Now with budget constraints fundraisers will pay for things like craft equipment.
We have a very active friends of the school.
You technically don't have to pay for trips. Your child wouldn't be excluded.

[ThereYouAre]

I lost interest when I reached the snide part about teachers' 'overtime'. Zzzzzzzz

[SheldonCRules]

Most people don't even cover their own costs through tax let alone theirs children's costs.

Schools have really tight budgets, if they want extras for the children then they have to fundraise. Do you really want a school that does nothing fun?

Children cost money, it shouldn't be a huge surprise or begrudged.

[JustSpeakSense]

Perhaps this is the only way the school can raise some money?

Is there an active PTA arranging fundraising events?

[Sixisthemagicnumber]

I have always paid to see school performances. It was about £3 a ticket at state primary school and I presume that helped to cover the cost of costumes (we also had to supply some clothing items) and the performance rights. At another school it was £10 a ticket as they hired the local theatre for performance night.
Both schools charged a tenner for the DVD of the performances.
I tried not to be annoyed about the cost as I know it costs the school money to put on shows, it gives the children an opportunity to perform and any extra money goes into school funds.
Now those bring a bottle days to wear your own clothes really get on my nerves, I would rather just donate £2.

[Rivanshine]

I'm so sorry for sounding so cynical here because, of course, we all want our children to enjoy school and each get the education they deserve and part of that is through us as parents being charitable with our time and efforts.......let alone any money. The part I dislike nowadays is that it seems to have all been made compulsory because of the cuts in funding from the government over the years etc. But to actively exclude any child, and/or their parents, from a school-wide activity because they might be unable to pay a fee (however small) at the time of asking is cruel. The schools claim that 'this sort of thing' doesn't happen but my daughters can vouch that it does - and more often than not.......to the more vulnerable children in their classes :(