Covid, school trip and money

[Privateandconfidentialplease]

Dc2 is in year 6. The pta are asking for £20 for an end of school get together on the last day of the term in July. They are asking for us to buy a £20 leavers hoodie which the kids won't get until June 14th. The school are asking for £360 for a 4 night residential trip in June.
We have not got a lot of money so I will ask the school if I can pay a reduced amount but I reckon they will say £200 like they did with dc1. I don't want to spend £20 on a hoodie that will only be worn for a month and even then it will be summer and probably too hot to wear the bloody thing. I guess it's just overwhelming that I need to pay for all these things now.
I don't really want dc2 to go on the residential trip. Are they even allowed to have overnight trips by June 14th due to covid? I had thought it wasn't happening this year.
Am I alone in my thoughts here?

None of this sounds like it is compulsory. Does your DC want to go and want the hoodie? Ultimately it's your decision but if you did decide to go ahead then definitely talk to the school to see if there is any help available for the trip. With the hoodie, when I was involved in arranging them for our year 6's we had a fund to help out anyone who couldn't afford it. I'd speak to the PTA if possible and ask if they have something similar.

If you can’t afford the trip or the hoodie please do speak to the school. Most schools have a pot to fund things like this.

Just say no to the residential, it really will not be the biggest deal if they don't go.

I wouldn;t personally want my child on a residential this year, it is all just a bit wonky still.

There is no reason to believe that Residentials won’t go ahead this year. We are certainly planning as if ours is. The difference being that we have chosen a cheaper option this year, and our families have been able to pay in instalments since Oct.

They aren’t compulsory though, and in our school probably 50% attend. I would ask school if they have anything else planned (we are lucky that we have a secure playing field at our school and we have an overnight bonfire/camping party for all Y6 on the last weekend of school that is free to attend)

Does your child want the hoodie? Don't buy it if you don't want it or can't afford it.

Re the school trip, again up to you!

Why would they only wear the hoody for a month? My 13 yo still wears his as do lots of his friends. Starting to get outgrown now though. I agree that I'd prefer them a bit earlier in the term though, however the children generally love them and they are also a keepsake long term.

If you can't afford the residential and your DC wants to go then speak to the school as they may have a pot to help.

Re residential, some schools are planning them and some aren't. I can't see why they can't happen if it's June onwards though, as long as covid restriction lifting stays on track.

We bought the hoodie last September as they are allowed to wear it all year....a very sensible decision bu the school.

We have been asked if we would like to buy a leaver book...photos from their time at school. My daughter joined last year and has been out of school for so much We just didn't send a deposit.

As for the residential - up to you. If you want her to go and can't afford it speak with thw school. I would be surprised of there is a large take up this year....many have worked less and many are still anxious. I'm sure she won't be in school alone of you say no. (Our teachers have always tried to make it just as much fun in school.foe those who can't go).

Round here leavers hoodies are worn consistently for a month, peeled off for washing and remain hoodie of choice for at least the next year.

But your community culture may be different!

My dc got their hoodies towards the end of term, but I bought them big and they wore them for years. I think ds still fits his and he's year 9.

Thanks for the replies.

exLtEveDallas Every child goes on the trip. There are no other trips available. They usually have a bbq at school on the last afternoon of school but that's it.

My dc does want the hoodie. Everyone gets them and dc doesn't want to stand out as the only one to not have one. As a pp commented I will speak to the pta and see if they can help me out with the cost if they have a fund available.

Speak to the school. DD loved her leavers hoodie and end of year party and got a lot of wear out of hoodie, but the school were definitely able to help those in financial need. Hard to say at the moment whether residential trip will actually go ahead & whether some parents would rather their child didn't go due to Covid issues. But it won't be compulsory. Again you could discuss discount or payment options with school.

I see hoodies from last year still being worn. Personally I think they are awful and am glad we never had them, but if they are being worn for a period of time, then not fast fashion and presumably liked.

As for the trip, I don't think the school should assume every child can go. Not only because of cost, but also because a child may have to self-isolate at the time.

Get the hoodie in a big size and they can wear it for ages-my DD still fits in hers years later!

My dc1 didn't wear the hoodie after yr6. Maybe dc2 would. I will check with the pta about the fund. I will also speak to the school about the cost of the trip.
Thank you

None of it is compulsory so don’t do it. I’d not offer to pay less and expect others to pick up the cost. Surely a year 6 trip and hoodie are known expenses.

Do any of your Y6 parents fundraise for the Y6 leavers events? Perhaps you could set something up for just this sort of thing (we've been fundraising since Christmas for our Y6 leavers' events and part of the reason is so that every child can have a hoodie if they want one - although I think your school could look a bit harder - our local supplier does them for £10-15 depending on how many are ordered). You might not be cash-rich at the moment, but do you have some spare time to help fundraise?

The residential is separate and you need to speak to the school. Ours does monthly instalments to spread the cost and I know that some parents get their kids to try and raise some money for it as well (obviously harder in these times).

My experience of teaching U.K. secondary is that y6 hoodies are much loved.

So much so, that we ended up banning KS3 from wearing them on 'mufti' days as a faction of year 9 kids who'd happily mucked in as a year group for 3 years were starting tribal fights based on which feeder primary hoody they were still wearing from year 6 .

Agree about the residential; that's a big expense.

I was part of the leaver's committee and we had budgeted enough to ensure all children got their hoodie and year book. I think we had two families who couldn't pay and they were discreetly talked to and nobody apart from 4 people knew anything about it. As the items were handed out in school the head himself ensured that we all knew the rules.

The hoodie was handed out in May, the hottest Summer for several years but the children loved it. DD is not in Y9 and the thing starts to get really small but she still gets it out every now and then.

I am astonished that the school is planing a residential, we were told that no residentials are currently allowed for this school year. I would double check the regulations. In DD's school the Y6 is a 100% attendance, they absolutely love it but the school also has funds for families who can't afford it. Saying that we get the payment plan mid Y5 to pay/plan/save.