To think it’s wrong of the school to do this?

All the information we have is

The office have said only those that have paid will be allowed to go and watch it and those that haven’t will have to stay in the classroom

We don't know what the head or the teachers have said.

It is possible that the office are saying this but actually everyone will be able to go.

Before going to OFSTED, your MP or even the governors maybe check what is actually happening.

If it's supporting the curriculum then any non paying children cannot be excluded from it. The point of voluntary contributions is to cover the cost of the activity with the activity potentially not going ahead if the cost isn't covered and where the school can't afford to cover the difference. Other wise it's not a voluntary contribution it's a pay to attend non curricula activity. Raise this with the school and have them reword it.

Was about to go searching for guidance so thanks for saving me the job :)

That is unlawful. Anything done during the school day must be available to all and they can only ask for voluntary contributions.

I think it’s really important that the parents who can afford to pay are also complaining. The school needs to realise that they are totally and utterly out of order here.

I would complain formally and encourage others to do so.

This is appalling from the school.

It might be worth tipping off the local paper about it, it really isn't fair treatment.

@Jeeekers I wish people wouldn’t t just throw complain to OFSTED out there. The majority of times OFSTED will throw it back and ask if you have followed the complaints policy

Here is the government guidance and it clearly states a child cannot be excluded for simply not paying:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5af99c8ae5274a25e78bbe30/Chargingforrschoolactivities.pdf

With regards Pupil Premium Funding - generally those children in receipt of free school meals get PP funding, however for those families just out of scope in getting FSM these are the parents who struggle to pay for trips.

At the school I work we do use PP funding to pay for trips or to contribute towards trips for those children that receive PP funding, this funding cannot be used for non PP funded kids.

My school is lucky it can at the moment swallow the costs of non payment of trips allowing the trips to go ahead but as budgets get tighter I can see in the future trips being cancelled if not enough money received from parents. It's very sad to think the children will miss out.

Footnote: coach transport since Covid had gotten so expensive and it is this that pushes the trip cost up!!

And also, surely the school shouldn’t be asking for parents to pay for something that’s happening during school hours. If it’s taking place in learning hours then it should be educational and free.

No, don't do this. Follow the school complaints procedure.

Complaint to council & Ofsted school not providing equal access to education.

Nothing shocks me anymore but I wouldn't be supporting it either. Tell your child to sit it out & you'll get them a film/ice-cream at home

Isn’t it a matter of deemed educational it’s voluntary technically.

If it’s for fun it’s pay or don’t go.

So the ice cream part of the event our school
did was fun not educational thus is was paid or don’t get.

swimming coaches the swimming is mandatory so it’s voluntary and everyone goes regardless.

also how does it work for say space limited residential trips. So say a year of 60
children only 35 spaces so there will always be some left behind. Who goes the children whose parents actually pay or do say 10 spaces go to children whose parents won’t/can’t pay.

I fence sit in this as everytime the school pays for a non mandatory experience that takes away from the overall budget of things to improve things for every student. Be that better or more books, upgraded play equipment or even paying to run free clubs for all where every child could Benefit over 10 children getting to go to Scarborough residential for 4 days.

i don’t really understand this with our primary school. We were told with several events during the day (not trips) that you had to pay for your child to access the event - eg £10 for the therapy horses visit before Xmas. But then the same lot of parents (big lash big nails brigade) decide they “don’t want to pay” and their kids get to do it anyway. Feels like a pisstake.

State school, working class/low middle class area.

They shouldn't be charging at all. Schools often have this stuff and it's part of normal activity.
If it's taking place in the school hall and it has capacity for the whole class then what will they do, bar the doors locked shut and cover the windows? It seems a piss take.

It’s either voluntary and means you get to go whether you pay or not OR it’s mandatory to pay to go and if you don’t you miss out.

It can’t be both.

Is it a Private or State school, OP?

Just another person agreeing this isn't allowed during school time. Someone needs to bring the school up to date on this. The rule came in years ago I'm sure!

I suggest you contact the Governors. This is awful. I remember when I was at school in the 80s there were always 1 or 2 children from the poorer part of town who couldn't go on school trips. This is what I think our termly school fund donations or PTA collections should have been used for. I'm sure there'll be some tight arsed twats out there who won't pay so they can get it for free but there are always people who take advantage.

This is actually illegal. They can’t exclude the kids from this. This needs to be challenged even by people who have paid. It says voluntary contribution and if not enough received they need to cancel the trip.

my kid wasn’t sure about going to a theme park and I agreed with Senco that I would give permission and if he didn’t want to go on the day then he didn’t have to and if he went I would pay on day. It was voluntary contribution.

I had phone call from office and explained and they said that’s fine. Had another phone call from different person in office who said he can’t go and I calmly told them the law about voluntary contributions and asked for their name As they needed additional training. It went very quiet.

I did email the school not mentioning names and reminded them of their own policies and the law and copied in CEO as it’s a big MAT

i decided not to pay after on principle of their wrong behaviour. It would have been awful for parents who couldn’t afford it to have that phone call.

That is just horrible. What a horrible ethos for the school. I made a huge complaint when something like this happened at my DDs old school. I work with families in poverty and a child should never miss out on small school day events because their parents can’t afford it - it’s a school play not a bloody skiing trip .

Be extremely surprised if children were excluded. Our school does this but children that don’t pay aren’t excluded it’s just to try and boost school funds so they can have more such experiences at school

I thought the government brought in extra funding last(?) year to stop all core curriculum charges?

Most private schools have all trips and activities factored into the termly bill. They don’t ask for random extras every now and then.