To think this is exclusionary?

This thread was clearly grade A bull shit written by an OP that doesn’t understand the remit of a PTA, or the rules and regulations that apply to them. If everyone who bitched out their PTA, lent a hand with fundraisers, state and private schools would be fucking loaded.

That’s bonkers that a PTA event doesn’t raise money for the school. That’s literally what the PTA are for!

It would be better to make it £70/80 and the additional money is actual fundraising.

I'd let them get on with their night out. Concentrate on organising some fundraising initiatives instead. Night at the races theme style events can raise lota of cash and be inclusive

The PTA isn't a club though. It's an organization of the school and a charity.

It seems like they are spending their energy on an expensive event for a few while not doing much about their actual purpose.

If some parents wanted to club together to do a ball that's their business, but it really isn't appropriate for a PTA.

Personally I would describe Bentley, sports cars and £60 tickets as upper not middle class. I have briefly worked in a school like that and none of the staff could afford tickets at that price. Or would have wanted to spend that money socialising with parents! You do sound bitter and it is hard yo accept that not everyone will be able to do everything. But a chat or email to the head mentioning the issues might help. But have some suggestions ready or organise a cheaper night out yourself.

Probably because it is not a moral stance, more of a judgement of use of money and doing so a judgement of the other parents at her school…
I don’t disagree with the all train of thoughts but with her application of it…and she asked what we were thinking about it.

People aren’t outraged but point at the unnecessary faff of it all.

I know of any clubs where they CAN'T do something outside their mission statement though. For example:

• our board games club decide to go for a meal one night instead of board games. Unless their mission statement says they can't do anything other than their primary purpose of playing board games, there's no problem.
• My son's karate club, is still ok to hold a social and games night, even though it's main purpose is to teach karate.

If your DC are eligible for pupil premium, why isn't the PP covering some of the cost of the school residential? What is the PP going on if not stuff like that? Schools have to publish what they spend it on btw, so it should be on their website.

PP is for kids from low income families to be able to have the same opportunities as everyone else, it should be going on the cost of school trips, uniform, music lessons, after school activities, and yes the school disco you seem to be a bit down on.

/Slightly missing the point of the thread

I think that this is an adults only ball so the OP choosing not to attend doesn't mean that her kids are missing out.

I don't know why some people are so outraged about someone taking a moral stance on an issue, even if they wouldn't do this themselves.

What next op? Checking the birthday and Christmas present lists of the whole school and deciding if they're allowed to be bought these gifts?

But the disabled OP says she can afford to go with her kids because she gets additional benefits (her words) but is choosing not to go because she thinks the cost is exclusionary to others. So she is choosing to have her kids miss out as part of her crusade.

You can afford to go but don’t because not everyone can afford to go?? Do you apply this to everything? You don’t go on holiday because not all the parents can afford to go eg? I find this bizarre…

Ooh wait! Are you in Rutshire @DoNOTShakeItOff?

You can try and make it look like it is an injustice more than it is invoking disabilities. The truth is that we all are exactly in the same position. And we all have to learn that we can do only within our means and be happy with it.

But of course, if it sounds better for you to teach that the world is injust because it doesn’t share its good with the ones not born with it or having less privilege so that you can grow disappointment, bitterness, anger and so that they really have no chance at all to find a place that will allow them any share in said wealth. Do that. With your own.

I never said it is pleasant. But disabilities has nothing to do in this but that it makes it worse. It is exactly the same for everyone.

Wait what - Bentleys? At a state primary?

I wouldn't go to a PTA ball even if it was free.

In this case I wouldn't go and wouldn't give it a second thought. Let them get on with it.

Yes, let children of disabled parents learn young that they'll be socially excluded growing up (and better warn them that they'll miss out on all the extra opportunities that those social networks accrue, too!).

I just got side tracked by a Bently being middle class.
But yes - I do think its exclusionary and they should probably increase the price so pupils premium families can go. Although then you have costs of dresses etc on top. I could afford it but I'd still not want to spend 60 quid for a glorified school shindig even if it was to make money which it isn't!

You quite simply, as our school did, have a lower rate or free tickets for those on FSM, and contributions to trips etc. are voluntary. You also create an atmosphere where someone who can't afford e.g. a uniform or breakfast feels welcome to talk to the school office and is offered secondhand uniform, food bank vouchers and is not expected to pay for trips etc.. It's not difficult, but it sounds as if OP's school has decided instead to make it hard for parents who can't afford expensive extras.

I think the very fact that so many comments here assume the price of the tickets must go towards fundraising for the school shows how very reasonable your point is, OP.

If the extortionate price was in fact raising money for school trips or equipment, there would be an argument for it, but only if there were reduced tickets as well. As it stands, it's shocking and upsetting behaviour.

Presumably, the cost of a work event is calculated taking into account the means of the employees, though, rather than set at a price some employers can't afford.

You are coming across as a bit bitter and jealous to be honest.
If the expensive event was the ONLY thing The PTA did you might have a point but would you rather they only do the cheaper events?
The point of a PTA should be to raise funds for school so if they are doing that then be grateful and as I always said to people who complained about anything our PTA did - if you have another idea than feel free to come along to the next meeting with a suggestion and an action plan and let us know how we can help you to make it happen!

Because if you couldn't tell from my post, these women acted like they were so above the rest of us mere mortals who dared to not be well off or shockingly rented a home rather than owned it outright.

They literally swanned about making it very obvious they looked down on us.

So when that happened, yeah, it did feel amusing because the head was the worst one of all of them and used to be so sneering about things at school and in the playground.

Trust me when I say these women were horrible. One of them lost her shit with me when my DD got a higher SATs grade then her son, demanding to know who I got to tutor her. Purely because the school had previously held a meeting on the SATS and I had voiced that to my mind they weren't testing the children, they wanted to gauge the quality of teaching and wouldn't be putting pressure on DD at that age.

This woman felt that her son did whatever reason deserved a higher grade because she had got him a tutor and we were poor!

So this is a state school with the usual state school funding, but very little money raised by the PTA for any nice extras? Do parents just donate without there being a summer fair?

It does seem pointless that no money is being given raised by the ball - but I'm also curious as to how much you think is affordable for everyone? There will always be parents that can't afford to attend something and have to hear it talked about and see jolly pictures on social media, even if it's just Bingo night.

My dd’s school did this. It didn’t enter my head to get bothered about it. I couldn’t afford it. End of.
life is full of situations like this. Some people have more money than others.