£800 'hidden cost' of sending a child to a state school - your experiences?

I was going to say - nowhere near, but if you are counting lunch, then obviously that's going to be over £400, that you pay out, but then I wouldn't count that as a "hidden cost" - feeding your dc is a pretty expected part of parenting, surely ?

Gawd, uniforms hidden extras? Come on!
£4000 in school run petrol here plus all the usual things

I'm another one whose dc go to school in a poor area. Their primary school predominantly took dcs from the local council estates (where we lived) and school uniform was cheap - nothing to stop us buying from Asda etc. School trips were only to a rural-ish field centre, and subsidised for those on benefits, which I found affordable. No expectations to buy extra school equipment, and no extra-curricular activities which demanded lots of expense. I think I would spend about an extra £50-100 on school costs per child annually.

DSIL always moans about the extra costs that her dc's school demands, but it is a better area, has lots of fund-raising activities and very wealthy families who are able to donate huge prizes for raffles. But on the flip side the dc tend to be better behaved, with naicer families and high league table stats, so despite all the grumbling she would rather pay all these so-called hidden extras than send her dc to a school full of council estate kids.

Is that a state school Laundry? That seems an awful lot. Although as a governor on the finance committee at a high school I know that all schools are suffering badly from the cuts. We still don't ask the parents to contribute.

I have found that demands for money come to a virtual full stop at high school. No trips and no PTA fund raising.

I haven't seen if there's a breakdown of how the £800 has been arrived at and I agree with others that the sorts of costs given as examples in the OP can hardly be described as hidden.

To me a hidden cost is something you don't realise you're paying, everyone with a child at school knows how much they are spending on uniform etc. I find it hard to see how hidden costs could come to anything like £800

£800 seems conservative to me. Given DC start school in the year they are 4 turning 5 and have to stay in education until they're 18 as things stand currently, £800 across 14 years is £57 a year. I could not clothe my children in school uniform for £57 a year, let alone trips etc. I'm not complaining though, children get so much out of trips - I can vividly remember school trips from my own schooldays.

I've been flabbergasted by the constant requests for cash and DD only started reception in September. All parents are encouraged to donate £110 per child per year to help meet the shortfall in funding from the council and then there is £20 per year so they can do activities such as cooking in their lessons and £25 per year towards school trips.
Uniform I had factored in and obviously don't mind as I would have to clothe DD anyway but am annoyed at having to buy logo'd cardigans at £16 a pop, an extra set of wellies, waterproof trousers & coat and tracksuit for her to keep at school (somehow, the coat she walks to school in and wears at playtime isn't sufficient for when they do outdoor lessons and this tracksuit is different to what she has for PE).
We've been to a few PTA events as want to support the school but everything is so over priced. At the new parents welcome evening, you had to buy a £5 ticket which included a drink but subsequent glasses of wine were £4 each. I know they need to make a profit but it seems excessive.

I think that's quite cheap. Ds had a residential at the start of the year which was £300. Two years ago he should have gone on one that was £190. We also get begging letters for "parental contributions" each year which amount to about £120 /year. And so it goes on ......

Or, I guess, it might reduce the wear and tear but that makes no difference to the longevity of children's clothes.

Reading this thread I really love my dcs school.

At least one school trip every half term - 6-8 school trips a year. Total cost for all trips usually under £20 per child. They have a coach.

Music lessons currently behind offered after school free.

After school clubs are free. Because dc do them 3 days a week that is more then 3 hours per week childcare I do not have to pay for.

Generic school uniform fine. No rules on shoes or coats. PE kit shorts and a t-shirt. Second hand school uniform is sold for pence at school fairs or given out from lost property at the end of the year.

I don't buy school pictures or cards. I do get Mother's Day cards and special occasion cards and small gifts brought home. Each year each child gets a Christmas present from the PTA.

I buy school dinners, have no issue with that cost.

"But they're not really hidden costs are they? I mean everyone knows they will have to pay for Sch dinners and school uniform."

Exactly. Surely everyone knows that having children isn't a cheap option. The more you have the more it costs.

I don't think school uniform reduces the wear and tear on other clothes. My children have clothes to see them through a week and they keep these clothes until they grow out of them. Wear and tear isn't so much the issue as growth.

Not at primary but reckon will easily be that at secondary.

£25!! Direct them to Cauliflower Cards. 12 for £5.50 with £1 going to the school. Are yours edged with 9ct gold?

My dd stated nursery 4 wks ago. Faith school with uniform. Does 2hrs approx every day.

I've had a total figure of 12 letters asking for donations of money, items and pta requests all of which say optional but very obviously are not. The dearest one being £25 for Xmas cards of a drawing she did all of which benefit the school.

It's a decent school in a decent area but really, 12 letters in 4 wks?!

For all those really struggling with trips and activities and enrichment ......

please do not be ashamed to contact your local educational charity

there are THOUSANDS of charities with tens of thousands of pounds available for grants each year
who really struggle to find beneficiaries

use them - get your kids the chances that are available

I was having this discussion over fb the other day. Every other day it seems there is a letter raising money for something or other for the school, school dinners, uniforms, shoes p.e kits all add up (I have 3 children primary school age) it's been a real hard struggle & this is before the trips. I'm dreading next September when the costs dbl again as my eldest starts secondary school. we are already at breaking point & there are times I'm actually jealous & begrudge the parents that don't work & don't have to pay for these things. (At this school the parents on benefits don't pay for after school activities & trip, they also get access to 2nd hand uniform shop which isn't available if you work) I'm already having to say no to clubs the kids want to do now.

DD lost her school cardigan on the first day back this year, and her spare, the second day.

Now she has no cardigan. I don't know what anyone expects me to do about it other than buy one daily which obviously I can't.

You need 4 times the amount in order to go on holiday, even camping in the UK, than you would if you could go out of state term time.

One in 6th form, one at secondary here.
£170 uniform for the younger one (pretty good; her older brother was more like £250)
£650 bus pass for the older one plus £250 'initial contribution to essential curriculum trips'.
Music lessons on top, but let's not count those.
At least he's mostly too busy to eat lunch.

Regardless of whether uniform means you need less non uniform or not, it still isn't a hidden cost. Likewise, school meals. Neither are something that parents had no idea were coming.

football boots, shin guards, football socks
rugby boots, gumshields
trainers, sports bras

even if you HE, kids are an expensive hobby

Secondary school uniform first kitting out cost well over £300 (with replacement and different blazer/jumpers and trousers next year which will be another £150), on top of replacing outgrown and lost items on a yearly basis (circa £25)!

Additional contributions for Art, DT etc....which may amount to another £25 - £40 a year...

Annual (at least) school trips from £400 but more likely £750+ and even the activities week for boys not going costs an extra £60+.

Annual 'voluntary contributions' add another £300....

HOWEVER, would say in some ways primary schools operate more of a constant 'drip, drip...' in terms of monies wanted. Virtually every week there's a call for payment, whether its the 'house' charity, mufti day, contributions for a school trip or school activity, contributions for PTA events, payment for raffle tickets....And there never seems to be any regard for the fact that families are stretched and may not be able to afford even small amounts (X ? number of children). The lead-up to Christmas and the half-term before the summer hols seem to be the worst time...

We have always paid our dues as a family but sometimes I'm tempted to say 'no' - we can't afford it.

Really dislike the way that there's always a caveat to payments for trips etc...which usually reads "if you can't afford to pay please have a word with the Head...". So if you appear to be a middle-class family would they even believe you if you said 'I cannot pay this time.'

You'd have to pay for food and clothes and some of the activities, even if you were home-educating. Unless you didn't want to do any kind of curriculum enrichment.

We live 12 miles from DS1's school, it's not his catchment school, but is in the same County. Bus fare is £547 a year.