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Original poster

School constantly asking for money

135 replies

Blurry29 · 27/03/2012 18:15

I'll admit this is a moan....

I always pay up. I always volunteer to help class when a trip is on but.....

In the last week school have asked for;

£2 science visit (held at school)
£2 another science visit (held at school)
50p easter egg hunt
All kids to take money in for cakes
£13.50 zoo trip

It seems to be getting more and more each week. It doesn't help that all the kids are informed of these events at assembly so of course get excited etc

Isn't that alot to ask for in one week??

X

OP posts:
Scholes34 · 27/03/2012 23:45

. . . and I made the bun.

HappyMummyOfOne · 28/03/2012 07:53

"To all those moaning about the PTA, just remember that you are the PTA and if you're not happy take a more active role and you'll find you can influence how they do things. Any money they collect is spent on your children and their school."

Well said , I get sick of the moaning re the PTA yet parents are very happy that there children get x, y and z from us.

Schools cant do right for doing wrong, they do fun things and parents moan that they need to pay yet would moan if nothing special outside desk work was ever done. School creates some wonderful memories with friends there.

Children have always come with costs, its not new and if you have several then surely you make that choice knowing financially the situation.

Chopstheduck · 28/03/2012 08:02

I feel a bit sorry for the PTA at our Junior school. It seems the school dictate to them what the money goes on, and they have had to raise a fortune to repair a pool that only gets used 6 weeks a year and they now want them to raise money to put a roof on it.

It does get expensive though, I just pay what I want to now. DD started high school last September, and with trips, the bill would be over £1k now just for her if I agreed to everything. Residentials, trips, workshops, books, materials, etc. That's without the school shop only uniform which cost over £200. As it is, I think I've paid for one MUFTI day and one school day trip.

marriedinwhite · 28/03/2012 08:27

I'm with those who think that the additional costs are for things that enrich the childrens' lives. Mine are older now but I will admit that in the primary days there did sometimes seem to be something every week. In reception we had to pay 50p a week for extras. That was about 13 years ago for us - it never really bothered me but I remember one lady who said it was a struggle to find an extra 50p but that the teacher had said not to worry - just give it when you can. There was also an understanding that no child would ever be excluded from a trip if the parents couldn't pay and there were lots of free after school clubs that the teachers organised.

I'm sure that overall the basics were never more than £2 - £3 a week. Perhaps it would be sensible to allow perhaps a few pounds a week towards school stuff to ease the load when things come together.

It's part of having children and something I think that parents need to factor into the budget. And, don't moan about the pta - if you think you can do it better - become a fully active member and start contributing some time if you don't have any money!!

exoticfruits · 28/03/2012 08:34

I agree with marriedinwhite-get on the PTA and do extra fund raising so that some of these things can be paid out of funds. They are all extras and I liked my DCs to have them all, they are the very things that make education exciting. The money has to come from somewhere and the school doesn't have it!!

Shanghaidiva · 28/03/2012 08:41

I support most things at school - eg make a cake for pta stall and then buy some slices of other cakes, but the gallery idea sound like a real rip off.
I chaired our pta for 2 years and we tried to offer items that very useful and good value - eg book bags printed with extracts from the school mural which was painted by the kids, made colouring books by photoshoping pictures of the kids and their friends and turning them into black and white colouring sheets, school calendar that includes photos of all children (we are a small school).

AwkwardMary · 28/03/2012 08:42

I just cannot understand this moaning about money for children's activities and education...do you all realise that if there were NO schools, you would be shelling out for various things anyway? Life isn't free you know! I am sure there is support for those with low incomes.

bochead · 28/03/2012 08:50

Primary schools make a tiidy profit from the sale of logo'd uniform items.

Schools don't always spend funds raised wisely. My last pta spent £5k that the pta raised towards the literacy fund (kids din't have reading books to take home) on a "literacy consultant" who organised a couple of expensive pajama parties where she read a few stories at £800 an appearance! Us Mums were furious as we'd worked so hard to raise the funds to buy BOOKS, specifically graded early readers, as the school still had none after the consultant had swanned off with her fee. So unfair to those families with limted funds.

School 2 used pta funds for a wonderful annual seaside trio that the whole school goes on and everyone looks forward to as the highlight of the summer term. PTA funds help those familes who are really struggling have at least one nice day out each year. Lots of coaches are hired so whole families can tag along at just a fiver per adult. They also buy really useful school equipment etc.

Current school has a very active pta which pays for extra staff training for things like dyslexia, buys equipment, subsidises a hug variety of after school clubs from science & chess to art club. All kids have the opportunity to learn an instrument by borrowing on the pta has purchased. Oh, and they buy books as a supplement not to try and replace the HT's budgetry miismanagement so the library is well stocked with interesting titles. Fundraising is done by various means and there aren't too many sponsored events that make you feel awful if you aren't flush.

My experience of 3 different primaries is that the HT influences the approach to fundraising and what the money gets spent on quite signficantly.

happyinherts · 28/03/2012 08:53

Do you know why some people are moaning?

It's because having two, three or four children in schools asking for maybe £10 each a week for bits and pieces is a serious amount of money, and it's not fair to say that poorer children (on fsm) get things free. Think of the working poor, going further and further backwards every year. Schools are asking for more and more - £1 mufti days = £3 for a 3 child family, school disco, plus drinks, it all adds up. It's not that people don't always want to pay, it's because they can't. And don't always want to admit it to school office

bigjoeent · 28/03/2012 08:58

I have one child at a primary school, just before Christmas it felt that I was being asked for something, money, cakes etc every other day and it felt like a lot especially at Christmas when there is so much to do and spend. However I agree with everyone saying if you don't agree with the PTA, join it and put your ideas in. I support the PTA as much as I can, I have 2 other children under 2 so time is short but I still managed to help, spending hours setting up and manning stalls at the school easter fair. It raised a lot of money, thanks in part to the weather and people always wanting bacon sandwiches and cakes. My main gripe is that it always falls on the same 20 parents to put these things on and actually raise the cash. We / they have families to so some help would be appreciated.

exoticfruits · 28/03/2012 09:09

You can't just sit back and moan. There are only 3 answers.

  1. The school does nothing but basic teaching in school (not something that I want for my DCs)
  2. The parents pay.
  3. They raise the money elsewhere-and someone has to do it and therefore the moaners need to get stuck in and not expect 'they' do it for them.
Newtothisstuff · 28/03/2012 09:39

I was having this moan at my DH this morning DD's ask for money at least every 2 days. By text message too they drive me crazy I get about 3 a day.
It's always £1 for this and 50p for that usually charity things which some I dont mind. But she's only 5 and has just started a new school. It was sports relief on friday and she was asked to bring in £1 and do a mile walk. Being new she refused so she paid her £1 and they wouldn't give her a sticker she was distraught.. Almost asked for the bloody £1 back.. This week it's donating Easter eggs for the hunt (she's not allowed to go to), paying £1 for a decorate an egg competition, £1 for something else I can't remember too lol bloody schools Sad

seeker · 28/03/2012 09:53

Well, if the school is asking for £10 a week, then something is definitely going wrong, and I would query it.

But none of this stuff is compulsory. We do non uniform days- 420 kids in the school, usually about 250 quid comes in. That 's fine. Nobody checks. But everyone benefits from the money. Cake stall- bakes something if you can. If not, a plate of Tesco value fairy cakes. Book fair- don't buy a book.

But the money goes to stuff for the kids. The way people talk it's as if they are paying for the Head's Holiday in The Maldives!

porcamiseria · 28/03/2012 10:13

but its pounds and pennies mainly. I agree zoo is expensive but zoos are costly!

I find there are some VERY stingy attitudes about this, I mean £50p- come one

That said I was a teensy bit annoyed about the £3 sports relief red socks!

in fact anything charity gets my goat, cos I think they spend the money on website wank and prime time TV adverts.............

GladysLeap · 28/03/2012 10:39

The school my eldest 4 went to was like this. £1 here 50p there over and over. I have been pleasantly surprised by my 5 yo's school. It is in a deprived area and they never ask for money. When they want to fund raise they ask for cakes and everyone brings them in (then there's a feeding frenzy at the gate Grin ). We had to buy photos from the nativity because there are children who can't be photographed, but the photos were 50p each. Yet the children don't miss out on special experiences.

seeker · 28/03/2012 11:11

WHAT DO YOU THINK tHEY ARE COLLECTING THE MONEY FOR?????

I apologise for shouting, but really!

Chopstheduck · 28/03/2012 11:20

Seeker, look at the pyjama party thing, our 8k or whatever so they can use the pool for 6 weeks a year. It's all well and good when the kids DO see real benefits from it, but they don't always.

SconeInSixtySeconds · 28/03/2012 11:22

I was really involved in the PTA (for my sins) back in the UK. My major focus was on getting money from non-parents to spread the load, but that's really hard work and labour intensive.

It does work (ie we put out a sponsored Christmas fair booklet with advertising - that in itself raised 400 pounds) but did anyone really appreciate that it meant the equivalent of 5pounds per pupil at the school? did they diddly.

willbeskinny · 28/03/2012 13:03

I agree with all the money raising when it's for our childrens benefit, but (and I may out the school here) my DS school has just put up all these metal statue things in the entrance of the school. They have things above them saying what the kids want to be when they grow up. All very nice, but I'd rather the money parents raise went towards books and other equipment rather than some statues that just look nice.

seeker · 28/03/2012 13:11

So if you don't want money spent on statues, then don't contribute to statues. Simple.

familyj · 28/03/2012 13:12

I just think the whole volountary contribution thing is a laugh. We are never told it voluntary and you are chased if you don't pay on time. I have even been chased when I haven't paid as ds was off sick. This was £10 for a trip to the cinema.

seeker · 28/03/2012 13:15

It's voluntary because the school is not allowed to make it compulsory. However, if not enough people pay then the trip can't go ahead.

familyj · 28/03/2012 13:32

seeker So is it ok for school to send a letter stating that "the cost of trip will be XX"
Than chase you for non payment.
On one occassion this was done by phone to a parent where they said words to the effect of "we wouldn't want your childd to miss out" It wasn't even a trip but it was one of these visiting theme days at £8 per head.

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 28/03/2012 13:37

They chase you for non payment because they genuinely don't want your child to miss out. They don't want your child to miss out because your child may be upset about not going, and because it will be harder for them to give work to do related to the trip after it happens. If you don't want your child to go, you have the option of taking them out of school that day, or if you want to be really difficult, you can send your child in knowing that he or she will have to sit with another class. But the majority of children shouldn't be prevented from having trips offered to them because of he minority whose parents can't/won't pay.

LineRunner · 28/03/2012 13:40

I just got stung for £16 today so that DD can 'volunteer' for something.