To think families on free school dinners should not be expected to make voluntary contributions to school outings

[reallytired]

I think that schools should use the pupil prenium for children on free school dinners to pay the costs of a child who is entitled to free school dinners to pay for school outing costs.

I think they should get rid of voluntary contributions. It is wrong the current system where someone on 50K can refuse to pay for the cost of an outing, but their child still gets to go, but someone on a low income will struggle to find the money.

We need a fairer system for funding outings.

A lot of working low income families are now worse off than those living on benefits.
I know a lot of people won't agree with this,but it's true.
YABU

Wrt primary school especially: As Soupdragon says - tell the school your circumstances - they aren't psychic.

Secondary school - more expensive trips, and more social/a lottery - it's more contentious. i have few views on those.

Wrt paying out of fundraising - that's not going to be entirely fair, either. some schools have wealthier parents in their catchment than others and will find it far easier to raise £20K a year than others.

You know, don't let this turn into a poor-on-benefits versus a working-poor thing.

If you are struggling to meet the cost of a trip, and not going on that trip will have social implications/learning implications for your child (ie. if everyone else is going/if there's going to be work based on that trip later) just make the situation clear to the school. they can and will deal with it.

Exactly TSC, me neither.

Weekly apyments every time. Someone is genuinely the Benefit Claimant For Life Bad Egg stereotype might notbohter but it would help everyone else who si decent but redudnant / ill / a carer / having a bad week becuase fridge broke etc

When dp was self-employed, making the grand total of 1p a week as the business was shit and floundering, we didn't get free dinners. Now we are on income support we get more money and we get free dinners.

The system is flawed. We were spending £25 a week on school dinners and the 1p DP earnt was not covering that at all.
We have always voluntarily covered the cost of trips, usually they are pretty cheap. The only one she missed out on was a trip to China at £650 for a week. she was upset about it but she knows money is tight whatever our working status has been

Debs we are in a similar place- Dh is making more than a penny but less than JSa would pay; it's going up for us (gradiually) so in these climes the opposite of being worthy of abadonment (we think he will make NMW in the next tax year) but were I not getting carer's (not soemthing I can honestly say I want to have to need IYSWIM) then we'd be much worse off than on JSa alone.

Which does nt mean JSA ? other related benefits is very much at all, just that there is more than one way way to struggle.

i totally agree im on a low income i have to pay school dinners pay for school bus and all her school trips and im struggling.

reallytired I sympathise with what you say; but if its voluntary they dont have to pay.

I agree with the second comings view.

Were we TSC? I certainly posted something then LMAO

Maypole, schools are not allowed to charge more than the cost per head per child, ie what you pay DOES NOT cover people who don't pay, the shortfall must come from school funds/ PTA etc. in England in primary schools anyway. If you contribute the voluntary amount it does not cover any other child or teacher.

The PTA at our school subsidise most of the trips. We all work hard to make sure we raise as much for the pot as we can. I dont begrudge working hard to pay for those who cant afford to pay.

At DC's primary school trips nearly didn't go ahead because they didn't have enough paying.
My DD has had to give up music lessons because we can't afford them anymore, but if she had free school meals she would get free music lessons. Not sure why we should subsidise something for others that we can't afford to do ourselves.

Ring the school and ask what help is available for your kids if you are on FSM because they have funds for this. A child could get a free £1,000 ski trip if on FSM whereas someone on WTC wouldn't be able to afford for there child to go.

'their' not there

adamschic - am i understanding this correctly???? My son's school can't afford to provide english lessons after school for him so that he can pass his english but they are probably paying for children to go skiing and maybe the trip to New York that the school organises?

dreaming our school does NOT do this

And whilst the LEA wants mys everely autistic son to attend aMS comp unsupported (as if!) I cannot support that they do

I'm sure we had a really similar thread a couple of weeks ago.

we did fluffy

Tis an annual event

Not sure about all areas but yes in my kids school once a child is in year 3 they get the opportunity to learn a musical instrument if they want. There were a few children in my DSs class who really wanted to do it and their parents wanted them to also but they just couldn't afford it, but then there were 2 kids who had parents on IS so they got it free. Even one mum said ''doubt she'll stick with it as she doesn't seem that interested but if its free she might as well'' I really think that is totally unfair.

I do think that the benefit system is good in the fact that it stops people from living in poverty but it should be there for a short term solution not for people to live on for decades. Things need to change in this country as we do have people on benefits better off than those who work, and it does discourage a few from ever wanting to work.

Makes working class seem higher up in status now doesn't it!!!

And how is that funded...?

Out of the school's budget (ie taxes). We do pay more than the UK but we get a heck of lot back. Result is that overall, people with children are better off here. Can you imagine: a place where working parents get paid sick leave ... for the their kids.

kladdkaka - speak for yourself...think we pay more in tax than we get back, or at least so far. And it will get even worse as the younger 2 will have to pay for their uni education