School constantly asking for money

[Blurry29]

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

I disagree, exotic. That might not happen in your school, but it does happen in some. Kids do get constantly reminded for their 'contribution'. Mind you, I am talking about secondary, not primary.

Ahh yes, of course, the PTA demand money and then use it to buy fox pelts to decorate our lounging room next to the staff room in the school. Any left over money is used to buy chocolates and lip gloss.

You don't have to pay for PTA events. We put them on because the kids enjoy them and the money goes back into the school. The PTA give up their OWN TIME to run these events, you miserable bunch of moaners!

I am a recent pta joiner so I may be wrong, but it very much seems to me that the pta raise money and it is their money and the head then asks them for money for specific projects or to fund raise for particular things. It genuinely seems that the pta can choose where the money goes at our school.

craftynclothy I'll sell you one for a fiver straight from my bin

I don't mind the PTA asking for money, as that is pretty much always voluntary, but I DO object to being asked for money towards craft, tech, day trips (to places that have FREE entry), swimming, science days, puppet shows etc, etc. The reminder letters that make you feel guilty if you can't afford to pay out that sort of money. The clause that states if you have a oroblem please come to see us in confidence - sorry but p* off. I don't want to discuss my personal financial situation with you and don't see why I should. The cost of school camps is ridiculous, imo, and as virtually everyone gets to go it's a really big issue for those few who are struggling to pay for them. Even if they don't go on the camps they are expected to fork out large sums of money for the "curriculum enrichment week", which involves a day trip to Alton Towers, a martial arts day, a fun run and a trip to a medieval site. Last year it cost me £120 for my child NOT to go on camp! but they still wouldn't allow us to keep them home from school during that week, which would have enabled us to have a family holiday. rant over

Scone I hear you, I can't believe how little I have to fork out here compared to when my DC were at school in the "lucky country". And they seem to be getting a better standard if teaching too, though their school in Oz was particularly crap.

it never ends does it, in the last 3 weeks ive had
50p mufti
£5 school trip 2miles away
£5 forrest school trip
£20 swimming-i havent paid this yet and told school it wont get paid till after easter as i just do not have the money now, they seemed ok with that.
some money for a class sale
£1 a strip tickets for a raffle of eggs
£2 school disco
Theres also been 3 different pta events totalling £15 (of which i did not attend!)

I dont begrudge any of it however, but as a lp of 3 i wonder how many others actually do pay and who doesnt, as i struggle but still manage it.

What i really really hate is the growing trend of advertising in the bookbags, most of which deliberately avoids telling you the cost-you have to ring up to find out!! which of course the children see and sometimes get told about in detail so they get excited about and want to go eg-

a wacky science course that ran for 6wks that cost £70
a martial arts course that is ongoing which costs £40 a month

pinkappleby - it should be a joint decision.

At our school, ideas are discussed and we try to choose something that will benefit the whole school, or maybe some years one time, and then the rest next year.

Thing is, the PTA is made up of parents AND teachers, so any PTA decision is being made by the school AND the PTA, IYSWIM?

People don't realise how lucky they are soverylucky.

I'm the office lady who sends out the reminders about the 'voluntary contribution'. If enough parents don't pay the trip cannot go ahead. However some years are better at paying than others. So in theory you could have the situation that for example the year 5 trips always went ahead because they paid; whilst year 2 never went on any trips because not enough parents contributed. So sorry for the nagging reminders.
By the way please come and speak to us if you are skint; we do try and be discreet and stagger payments if that would help.

Doesn't sound like an excessive amount to me OP - but I accept I may be out of touch and over privileged

I hate it when people moan about the PTA but can't be arsed to join it. A woman today was moaning on and on today about buying a £1 ticket whilst going on about her holiday and smoking.

I have yet to know a moaner do anything positive themselves.

schools are really strapped for cash thanks to swingeing local authority budget cuts. I'm a governor and do make sure every time we send a letter to parents that we say 'thank you' for both donations of money and of time - thanking people who go on class trips or hear children reading or bake cakes or just attend school fairs and buy stuff.

But I know it gets a bit much when you have a whole load of fundraising stuff and trips and special events coming all at the same time.

edam, what did the local authority used to pay for that it doesn't pay for now, and that isn't now included in the school's own budgets?

My DS's school is fundraising for a particular scheme but that would never have been paid for the local authority anyway.

Schools - and not just local academies - seem to have little or no connection with local authority finances where I live (N England), other than SLAs for some services eg recycling collections, and I assumed it was the same nationally.

I'm a teacher. Parents expect trips for their kids. There is no money in school budgets for this. Seriously, where do you think the money is going to come from? To the people who don't understand being asked to contribute for a trip to a "free" venue. Yes, the venue may well be free, but the bus sure as hell ain't. Phone a few local bus companies and get quotes for a 33 seater coach...then try not to faint at the price. I do agree that charity begins at home, and in this case I mean the school. Unless school funds are healthy then primarily fundraising should be diverted towards the school. In most schools I've taught in the funds are going on basic stuff. If you want to get angry at anyone, I'd suggest governments for not ring-funding education spending.

Back in 2005, the CAB produced a report titled 'The Cost of a Free Education.' The report was endorsed by the NUT and the Child Poverty Action Group, amongst others. It begins:

"For many years there has been a widespread
concern about the costs faced by parents when
sending their children to school. This briefing
highlights these concerns, draws attention to a
range of studies and presents a number of
recommendations. Every child in England has the right to a free
state education. School has the potential to
provide all children with opportunities to learn,
make friends and participate in activities
regardless of family income. At this key point
intervention is possible to shield children from the
effects of living in poverty ? but when families are
asked for money to pay for uniforms, activities,
school trips and classroom materials, meeting
these costs may cause hardship. All children should
be able to participate fully in school life, but not
having the money to buy the correct uniform,
participate in extra-curricular activities or go on
school trips may leave them unable to fulfil their
full potential, mark them out as being ?poor?, and
lead to them becoming isolated within school."

It's pretty grim that 7 years later this is still a massive issue.

At dd's school we are asked to pay an activity fee along with school donation and this covers all trips for the year.

On top of this we've had $120 camping
Please donate to, work at and buy at school fair
School book fair (and the books are around $25 each)
Netball fees $75
Plus requests to bring $2 to buy this or bring an easter egg to raffle or whatver.

I try to be organised and to support every activity because ultimately the children will have more resources and opportunities. I put a small amount aside each week and by beginning of year, when most costs arise, there is enough to cover them all. And my rationale is that I am paying roughly $7 a week to support a very good education.

Just to add, the pupil premium goes up to £600 this year per pupil eligible for free school meals, and which is paid directly to schools where the pupil is in mianstream education. Schools have discretion how to use this money.

Schools also have the discretion not to have complicated, expensive uniforms. I find it a bit bewildering to read that two secondary schools in my area have responded to crappy Ofsteds by planning to introduce blazer-based uniforms. I think the Ofsted gradings were predicated on attendance and standards. Quite how threatening to send kids home for not having the correct expensive uniform is going to improve attendance figures and learning achievements, is obviously going over my head. The current uniforms are perfectly fine and smart. Seems like a massive red herring to me.

Our school have asked for

£25 swimming x two terms - £50
second child now swimming - £25.00
swimming badges £1.80 each
School trip - £19.80
Choir trip - £18.80
School trip - £10.00
Second school trip - £15.00
Theatre trip - £35.00
Residential trip - £230
Second child school trip to zoo £13.80

There have also been numerous requests for a couple of pounds here and there - this is over the past six months.

At Christmas we are expected to pay around £6 per child for their own designed cards and around £35 for school photos.

No, it's not a private school, its a local primary. I'm not moaning about the
PTA or anything else, but school is simply not free.

We are also kinship carers who receive no financial assistance. I know a lot of parents at school are having to add the costs to their overdrafts and the school has been tackled about it.

Having said that, at my friend's school numerous parents objected to the cost of the residential (same one) and instead the children went to York, overnight stay, fab time for £100 less. Perhaps parent power is the answer, but I still think people are proud and also embarassed to say anything. I feel I may be judged as somehow lacking due to our status.

So do you think schools should not offer trips and other experiences to their pupils?

"At Christmas we are expected to pay around £6 per child for their own designed cards and around £35 for school photos."

No, you are not expected. These things are offers. You can buy or not as you wish.

Our school is not too bad on costs (but that's because their trips are low-end - eg trip to supermarket to fit in with project on food ) but I do have to rant about the obsession with cash. All school clubs are cash only. All in separate envelopes. Ticket for school quiz night - cash only. Would be ok if it was £2 each but it was per table at £15 per person so £90 in cash. Snack money (nursery) - cash only. School dinners - cheque or cash six times a year.

With 2 DCs, 2 after school clubs each and half termly payments for school dinners, oh and then the "voluntary" governors' fund and random trips over the course of 7 years in the school I will be making many hundreds of individual cash payments to the school and would dearly love to do it by direct debit. The school dinners at least. I only keep a cheque book these days because I need it for the school.

I always wonder if this would be a way for schools to save money in the long run - it must cost a fortune to administer all this cash - traipsing back and forwards to the bank to pay in cash and cheques. I'm guessing there's a reason why it has to be done like this but schools are becoming the outlier on this.

What do people think the PTA money goes towards? Lining the pockets of the PTA members? Though I agree requests/events need to be spaced out throughout the year. Also note PTA and general school requests for money are separate and different.

Recently we have funded or funded jointly with school budget:

-IT equipment
-books
-new software for library
-new maths scheme
-new maths website
-playground equipment
-renovation to playground area
-equipment for new classrooms
-additional classroom budget for teachers

These things are not just magicked up by the fairies.