Swimming lesson contributions

[FloydWasACat]

My son currently has swimming lessons outside of school which we pay for. He is going to be having swimming lessons with the school from next week for one term.
He has a bus pass already so we do not have to give him the fare each time but we have also been asked for contributions towards the payment of the school lessons.
Would you pay the extra contribution considering that the lessons are part of the curriculum? I am really not sure, we have just had to fork out £300 for a school residential trip in September to ensure he can go so I can't really afford to give too much extra.
Am I being a skin-flint by just contributing £3 each week for the duration?

How do you propose school pays for it? We charge at our school or we'd have to make a TA redundant.

Teacher here!
Primary?
The school receive the largest budget for any subject for PE, with the intention of every child having access to swimming lessons.
I would not be contributing.

We must be very lucky. I'm actually shocked that you have been asked to contribute.
Maybe I'm naive.
Our DC go swimming with the school for a full term and we don't pay anything.
If it's in the curriculum then no.
School trips as special one offs then yes - we are asked for a contribution, but weekly swimming lessons then no.

Our PTA pays for swimming transport. Before it did that, parents were asked for a contribution.

My dc school don’t charge for swimming lessons and they get a coach there and back too. It’s funded by a special pot of money that is just for PE. I fully understand the pressures of school budgets (both myself and dh are teachers) but I don’t think school should be charging for swimming lessons.

Lifeoverhaul the school gets funded lessons and they go by bus to the pool, parents are asked to pay for transport which is fair I think

You're invited to make a voluntary contribution, so if you don't want to pay then don't. The school will be obliged to fund swimming as part of the curriculum anyway. Bear in mind that when money is tight schools sometimes can't provide swimming for as many children as they want to, so concentrate on the year groups that have to have it included in their curriculum. School budgets are dire, so in a lot of them any help they can get can add up to making a significant difference.

Schools are given Sports Premium funding, but it often pays for things like sports coaches to come in, to lead lessons and train staff so that they can take over in future and expand PE activities. Every school has to report on how this money is spent on their website.
I'm involved in several schools and two are going to end this year in a deficit situation, in spite of cutting everything to the bone.

The Sports Premium funding is not allowed to be used for National Curriculum swimming requirements unless it is paying for top up lessons or for coaching school staff.

Most contributions asked for are towards transport.

Schools are really struggling. Staff costs usually represent 80-90% if not more of funding received. Everything else a school has to pay for has to come out of the balance. It is a nightmare.

I think £3 a week is a pretty good deal. I was expected to make a voluntary contribution of more than that over 15 years ago.

fifthtimelucky that's not what they are asking for each week, that is what I can afford what with paying for weekly private lessons already, £300 (just had to pass this) on a trip which won't be until September and his weekly bus pass. I think they would like a lot more.

At my DDs school swimming is free- but they do it by walking the 1.5miles to the pool. Parents drop them there at the beginning of school, then they walk back after the lesson. Half a term in years 4,5&6.