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AIBU?

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Original poster

The amount of money requested from school especially in December is insane!

82 replies

Notchangingnameagain · 19/12/2023 10:38

Just that really....

This month, on the online payment app, secondary school have asked for:

£5.00 School Disco - Whole School
£1.00 Team Building - Whole School
£1.00 Non Uniform/Christmas Jumper - Whole School
£120.00 Trip in July - Plus Spending Money
£7.50 Textbook
£6.50 Textbook
£43.00 Trip in January - Plus Spending Money
£163.00 Trip in February - Plus Spending Money
£4.00 Christmas Lunch - Whole School
£10.00 Secret Santa
£45.00 Trip in January - Plus Spening Money

£406.00.

I have two children in the school so it is actually higher than that for me if I said yes to everything.

I know none of the above is compulsory and some things can be paid in instalments, but it is a lot of money and it is a lot to say no too if you can't afford any of it regardless of an instalment plan.

OP posts:
listsandbudgets · 19/12/2023 13:34

DS's school have asked for £4 this month - £3 for "cupboard" ingredient for food and nutrition lessons and £1 for a charity non uniform day - both optional.

Your school have certainly asked for a lot especially if you're paying it all twice

Original poster
Notchangingnameagain · 19/12/2023 13:32

They are also required to have their own physical copy of the literature they are reading.

OP posts:
Original poster
Notchangingnameagain · 19/12/2023 13:31

@Whiskerson @shepherdsangeldelight The school expect the students to each have their own physical copy of the textbook.

OP posts:
Original poster
Notchangingnameagain · 19/12/2023 13:30

@SausageCasseroles What do you mean? Which trip have I agreed too? These are new requests this month? I am only "surprised" school is asking for this much money in December.

OP posts:
shepherdsangeldelight · 19/12/2023 13:29

Whiskerson · 19/12/2023 13:23

Why do you have to pay for textbooks? Is this something that has changed since my day? Surely textbooks should be provided?

Textbooks are mostly online now. So from that perspective, they are provided.

If you want your own physical copy, or you want to make notes on your English Lit set books, or have revision guides, then you'll have to buy your own.

Whiskerson · 19/12/2023 13:23

Why do you have to pay for textbooks? Is this something that has changed since my day? Surely textbooks should be provided?

SausageCasseroles · 19/12/2023 13:21

Well you knew how much it would be when you agreed tk the trip surely?

At secondary we let them do 1 trip a year and they choose. We don't do the ski trip as its expensive. But only a select group do. We do a main trip in the lower years and a topic related one later on.

It seems to be a surprise to you that you need to pay for trips you've agreed to do?!

greenacrylicpaint · 19/12/2023 13:17

I think yabu
school is expensive, especially at secondary and school trips are a valuable part of education.
however, I thinks schools could do better at offering more cost effective activities.

ichundich · 19/12/2023 13:16

Notchangingnameagain · 19/12/2023 13:03

@Perhapsanorhertimewouldbebetter Yes, as I have said quite a few times. Some is optional. Regardless of it being optional or not, regardless of whether help is availble or not, I think it is a lot of money to be asked for in December.

So you have 2 options (in future): Save money throughout the year or not let your kids go on all the trips. If my kids went to everything their school offers, I'd be bankrupt. Also raffle tickets, PTA sales - you don't have to give any money to them. Re. school photos - who buys them in this day and age when you can take as many (decent) photos as you want on your phone?

Lindy2 · 19/12/2023 13:16

That's a lot of trips.

Our school seems to be the opposite. My year 8 has done no trips at all since she started Secondary School.

My year 11 did 1 trip in year 7 (then Covid hit for 2 years) and has just done 2 GCSE linked trips this term.

I don't want to be paying a fortune but 1 or 2 trips a year would be nice. Everything is classroom learning.

Original poster
Notchangingnameagain · 19/12/2023 13:13

@SausageCasseroles Yes, my point is not about it being optional, my point is it is a lot of money to ask for.

OP posts:
Original poster
Notchangingnameagain · 19/12/2023 13:12

@SausageCasseroles Most are doing the trips. One trip not enough uptake at the moment. So either the trip will be opened up to other year groups or price will increase to cover the lower numbers.

OP posts:
Original poster
Notchangingnameagain · 19/12/2023 13:09

@Ivyy 2 each at the moment. Year 7 camping is their "compulsory" get to know you trip, which has been moved to the end rather than start of Year 7.

OP posts:
SausageCasseroles · 19/12/2023 13:08

Ah just seen you've said it's optional.

Well there you have it.

SausageCasseroles · 19/12/2023 13:08

There's no way we'd have agreed to all those trips!

How many are going on them? Is it optional in the sense that most kids aren't doing all 4 trips ...?

Original poster
Notchangingnameagain · 19/12/2023 13:08

@tomatoontoast Good point actually for any future textbooks. Its just annoying as you get reminders of things you have not yet paid for on the app and by email. So I could just email the office I suppose and say I have bought it elsewhere so they take it off the account.

OP posts:
Perhapsanorhertimewouldbebetter · 19/12/2023 13:07

Notchangingnameagain · 19/12/2023 13:03

@Perhapsanorhertimewouldbebetter Yes, as I have said quite a few times. Some is optional. Regardless of it being optional or not, regardless of whether help is availble or not, I think it is a lot of money to be asked for in December.

The fee for an optional trip is being asked for, as it's optional you can just choose not to send your child and/or ask if there is any help paying for it.

Ivyy · 19/12/2023 13:06

^ Have more trips at GCSE stage I mean!

Ivyy · 19/12/2023 13:04

@Notchangingnameagain just curious, are these trips for older dc at GCSE level?

Dd in year 8 has only ever been offered one trip and it was last year, years 7-9 combined were offered a trip to Thorpe Park at the end of the summer term. It was limited spaces, so for 3 year groups, 8 forms of at least 30 kids in each year, only a handful of places. Names were drawn randomly though no idea how they do that. Some kids got a place but because none of their friends did they changed their minds about going. Being on a trip with your mates is the most fun part on that kind of trip! No other trips offered and we're in a fairly affluent area I'd say, it's like the school can't be bothered.

has more trips as they get to that stage and they're mostly educational related to what they're studying.

Original poster
Notchangingnameagain · 19/12/2023 13:03

@Perhapsanorhertimewouldbebetter Yes, as I have said quite a few times. Some is optional. Regardless of it being optional or not, regardless of whether help is availble or not, I think it is a lot of money to be asked for in December.

OP posts:
Perhapsanorhertimewouldbebetter · 19/12/2023 12:59

@Broomknobsandbedsticks it's not embarrassing in the slightest to not give money every time the school asks for it, do the things that are important to you/you can afford and leave the rest. There is no rule that says anyone has to do any of these things! It's up to you how you spend whatever money you have after essential bills. 😃

Cincinnatus · 19/12/2023 12:58

And to top it off we were asked to make a £20 monthly donation per child! I lolled.

Perhapsanorhertimewouldbebetter · 19/12/2023 12:57

@Notchangingnameagain so basically a lot of these things are optional, which means you can 'opt out' if need be.

shepherdsangeldelight · 19/12/2023 12:24

ChilledToTheBone · 19/12/2023 11:08

You'd ignore the jumper day. Let your dc go to school in uniform when all their friends are in xmas jumpers. I couldn't let my dc stand out like a sore thumb

I assume your DC are primary aged? At secondary school there will be fewer students wearing jumpers than not.

Broomknobsandbedsticks · 19/12/2023 12:15

Yep. Between my DC in the last few weeks we’ve had:
Children in Need
Christmas Jumper Day
PTA raffle
school disco
tuck shop
end of term trips
school photos
donations to the hamper
tickets for said hamper
donations for staff doing movember/charity swims etc
trips / kit / secret Santa / raffle tickets with the dc outside-of-school sports teams
work secret Santa
teacher gifts
donation to table top toy sale (and encouragement to come and spend at it)
shoe box appeal
Christmas cake for charity cake off

Now I know some if not all of these things are compulsory but I find declining embarrassing. Saying that, I always make sure to budget for all the inevitable outgoings in December as they will crop up year after year without fail

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