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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To wonder how many more letters the school will send that require me to pay out money

28 replies

cuteboots · 22/01/2013 13:41

School Lunches for the fortnight, a project they are doing in class, a trip to visit a place of religious worship, an after school club, a trip thats taking place in June . I know I may have to say no to some of these but does anyone else feel like you are just paying out money all the time ?

OP posts:

Convert · 22/01/2013 13:44

Yes. My breaking point was when they asked DS to make a 60 cm tall scarecrow. He was 5 so obviously that involved me not only providing materials but helping him make it. They had the fucking cheek to ask for a 50p entry fund for the bastard thing.
Fucking wankbadgers.

Original poster

cuteboots · 22/01/2013 13:50

Seriously they have been back for just a short time and its relentless. Im sure in my day you didnt have to pay for models made during school hours ? Is this just a sign of the times?

OP posts:

piprabbit · 22/01/2013 13:53

Many.
Many, many, many, many, many.
Many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many.

WilsonFrickett · 22/01/2013 13:55

One hundred million and twenty seven. That's how many. Plus emails and newsletters.

scaevola · 22/01/2013 14:04

I feel your pain! They all seen to descend in the first couple of weeks of term, don't they. Always.

seeker · 22/01/2013 14:05

Yep. Bastards. Thinking of interesting things for your children to do and not paying for them out of their own pockets. How very dare they.

catinthesnow · 22/01/2013 14:05

Why can't they just charge eg £30 or £50 at the beginning of term and tick it off daily?

Convert · 22/01/2013 14:10

I don't really mind for trips etc but more of their crimes have been...

Sending home a template of a letter to santa for DS to fill in. 20p entry.
Colouring competition. Entry 50p.
Design a Christmas card thing but sent to do at home so I have to not only help DS make his Christmas card but then get fucking fleeced to get 10 printed.

I know the amounts are tiny but it's just the bloody cheek of it!

Pixel · 22/01/2013 15:48

To give them their due, Ds's school does work it so that everyone pays a certain amount at the beginning of term for the 'class fund' and they use that for minor trips out etc (just remembered I haven't paid this term's yet ) which means we aren't constantly being hassled in that way. We can also pay online for swimming and school lunches so we can pay off a lump sum if we so choose. But there are still numerous fund-raising requests, sponsor this, bake that, pay some money to dress up in an outfit that's already cost you time and money even if it was just trawling round the charity shops. There seems to be something every week.

LindyHemming · 22/01/2013 16:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

soverylucky · 22/01/2013 16:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

seeker · 22/01/2013 17:10

As I said. Bastards. Not paying for stuff out of their own pockets.

What do you think they do with the money? Staff holiday fund?

Oh, and you might be able to afford £50 quid all in one go at the beginning of term, but lots of people can't.

jb198 · 22/01/2013 17:26

We had 6 leaflets in the bag on Friday, all adverts for, dance, swim, tennis lessons. Do school get commission?

Ilovesunflowers · 22/01/2013 17:38

My goodness schools can't win. They try to do nice things like trips etc and just get berated for having to ask for a voluntary contribution. They aren't getting a profit you know nor do they want to. I ran out of times my school partially funded many of the things we did. The parents still moaned that they had to pay towards it. We even had a breakfast club that only charged 50p for 1 hour. We still had parents who moaned that it was too expensive. So food and childcare for 1 hours is too expensive at 50p. Go figure. You don't have to do the clubs etc. They are there as options because Ofsted expect a good wrap around care. Do you think the teachers are desperate to still be caring for children at 6pm rather than marking books, planning, assessing, admin etc.

If £30 was asked for at the start of term you'd have parents moan that they couldn't afford it in one go. Schools can't win. Stop moaning and be grateful that they are providing fun activities.

WilsonFrickett · 22/01/2013 17:44

A lot of the activities aren't run by the school or have little to do with school so the 'schools can't win' argument doesn't hold water imo.
Teachers aren't sitting in wrap-around care, it's minimum wage outside agencies that run it.
£6 for a pack of cards with £1 going to the school is a scam, pure and simple.
Often the people that feel under the most pressure to pay for extras are the people who can't afford it. Some are geniunely upset by it, for eg the Somalian Muslims at our last school who were sent a book of raffle tickets (gambling and booze as the prizes, double whammy).

Ilovesunflowers · 22/01/2013 18:01

That's your school Wilson and not my experience as a teacher. The Muslim alcohol thing is a separate issue.

Ilovesunflowers · 22/01/2013 18:02

And those are optional things so moaning doesn't help.

starfishmummy · 22/01/2013 20:03

The ones that annoy me are the " voluntary donation" requests. And ifbyku don't send the payment donation straight away they send a reminder.

starfishmummy · 22/01/2013 20:04

Oops "if you"

CloudsAndTrees · 22/01/2013 20:12

You mean they are asking you to pay for your own child lunches?? And then they have the cheek to ask for money for an after school club? Surely that's what teachers are for isn't it? To pay to feed other people's children and to keep them entertained when school finishes?

And how very dare they want to arrange enjoyable educational trips for your children and then expect you to cover the cost of it? For your own child as well! Scandalous!

DameSaggarmakersbottomknocker · 22/01/2013 20:15

Blimey. If you don't want to pay for something than don't. This 'feel under-pressure' business is bollocks imo.

Just say no.

And re trips - 'payment' has to be asked for as a donation but the bottom line is if enough don't pay then it has to be cancelled, where do you think the extra comes from? They chase the money because they have bills to pay not to buy tea and biscuits for the staff room.

TheSnowFairy · 22/01/2013 20:56

What ^^ said.

Just say no.

portraitoftheartist · 22/01/2013 21:18

Inform the Head formally that, owing to the economic climate, you have been forced to make 30% cuts in your child budget this term and further cuts will follow. As you must prioritise feeding and housing the children, there are no funds available for school so no, repeat no, money will be sent into school for any purpose.
Then drop all begging letters, unread, into the bin.

seeker · 22/01/2013 21:20

They are called "voluntary donations" because the school is not allowed to charge for trips. However the trips have to be paid for. So if people don't pay then the trip can't go ahead. As it will explain on the letter, if you actually bothered to read it.

Why are people so stupid about this?

seeker · 22/01/2013 21:22

"Inform the Head formally that, owing to the economic climate, you have been forced to make 30% cuts in your child budget this term and further cuts will follow. As you must prioritise feeding and housing the children, there are no funds available for school so no, repeat no, money will be sent into school for any purpose.
Then drop all begging letters, unread, into the bin."

"Begging letters"? What do you think the school uses the money for??

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