Secondary school costs for various things - are dc excluded if we don’t pay?

[AnEventfulday]

Since starting we’ve had added to the account amounts for art, DT, and ‘general’ and been told these are to cover payments across the year varying amounts from £6 to £20.

If those aren’t paid do the children get excluded ? Is this in all schools now ?

I've had about £50 of payments to make. It's not great but I just pay, it's less often than primary school used to ask...

We never got asked at primary due to being FSM/PP so this is a shock and it’s quite a lot !

They are or should be voluntary contributions - we have the same - Art/DT. It is made clear they are voluntary. (School budgets being very tight and those departments tend to be resource heavy.)
If you can’t pay then your DC won’t be excluded and if you are FSM/PP then they won’t expect it either, but suspect they will just ask everyone as it’s easier than sending to everyone and if you are PP for example due to a parent in the armed forces, you may choose to pay.

They shouldn't be excluded, if the requests are for things that are required for learning. If you can't pay or can't pay the full amount then you should contact the school and ask for a discussion about it.

Are you certain that you don't still qualify for FSM/PP?

State schools are forbidden from making charges for education (and things like compulsory geography field trips must be funded by the school). And they must not pressure parents into paying (one request and one reminder is fair enough, but you shouldn't be chased).

Also pupils cannot be excluded from activities and whole-class trips because of inability to pay, and if the school - or in many cases the PTA - cannot make up the difference then the trip must be cancelled. (Obviously that does not apply to things like ski-trips which do not have enough places for everyone and so are first-come first-served)

Parents however need to understand that when schools talk about "voluntary contribution" it doesn't mean "only pay if you feel like it". Except for cases of hardship, you are expected to pay.

PP shouldn't need to pay - double check this.

Our school say that you need to pay to allow the kids to bring the stuff home - but I honestly can't see them standing there with a checklist "no, Louise Brown, you can't take that fruit salad home as your parents didnt pay" so suspect it's an empty threat. But I've never heard of a kid being excluded from class work because their parents didn't contribute.

We had to buy an arts kit, it lasted the whole 3 years of KS3 and was £25. The school bought everything in bulk and passed the costs on. It was heavily subsidises for FSM to £2.50

Voluntary contribution was £50/year per family. They really rely on the funds but accept that some won't pay.

School trips - if it is during lessons I think you have to pay but again, if you are FSM then our school only charged 10%. DD had several trips to London as part of her drama and Sociology classes (GCSE years) and they were maybe £15 each.
I can't remember the team building camping one but I know that there were girls who didn't go.

Trips over holidays like ski, music trip, history/politics/geography etc are full cost as they aren't part of the compulsory eduction.