To wonder if schools think we're made of money?

[BoyMeetsWorld]

Don't get me wrong: I like doing my bit for charity. I enjoy the odd spot of craftiness. & I certainly wouldn't want DS1 to go without.

But since starting primary school in Sept, last week - & it's by no means an unusual week for this type of request - we got the following letters / emails / things sent home:

Mon: Request for £17 for school photos, £10 per calendar for school Christmas calendar
Tues: Tray to fill with "circa £10 of toys, sweets etc. for the Christmas Fayre"
Wed:Sponsored Henna-athon (sponsor your child to be henna-d and raise money for Phillipines)
Thur: Request for £ for the set phonics texts
Fri: cooking ingredients to be sent in

There are also constant requests for middle of the day meetings & parent helpers. Are all primaries like this? Things have changed lots since I was at school! :p

Well I get it's a pain but surely all but the cooking ingredients is optional, you don't have to have the school photo, same as you don't have to take part in the sponsored things.

I never buy school photos.

Same with requests for parent helpers, you don't have to. I was always working so could never help out - you'll get to learn the same parents help out time and time again :)

My DS has a mufti day on Friday for £1. That's it for this week!

We brought in some food for harvest festival, bought a school photo, made some cakes and got some raffle tickets to sell. We didn't buy DS's artwork on a coaster. I think that's it since September.

Pay what you can and want, same as helping out.

Guessing you live in a reasonably affluent area? DC's school asks for 50p worth of stuff for Christmas fundraising!

Most of that is optional though surely?

I think all primaries are the same and we are saving about £ 25 a week on average now dd has left.
Only buy the necessary things and forget photo's and calendars etc.
Forget to do the tray thing.
Its the only way I'm afraid.

Think it's a lesson I need to learn! Being new to this primary malarkey I've felt pretty obliged to shell out for everything...but can't afford to keep on doing (yes we're in a wealthy area. Not a reflection on us though :p)

Some school can be bad for constantly having their hand out. The only way to stop them is to stop giving it to them and speak to the head about it.
Why are you paying for phonics? That is unusual.

I have to pay for my DT to see a play at school that will apparently help their PSE skills

I'm sure it will and its not much but its not in my budget

DD's school is the same. Constant request for money/items/sponsorship. The fact there are so many requests are putting me off altogether

Opt out of photos, calendars etc.
Why are you being asked to pay for phonics texts? Surely school should be providing them.
I would be happy to send in ingredients and a contribution towards school fayre but would not spend £10.

It's just cost me £45 for school photos, one each of older two and a pack of all of them which was almost £30 of that but will be Christmas presents for grandparents.

We had £1 each for children in need and both have to bring something in for school fair this week (which we're expected to buy back). The school fair pays for panto or whatever the kids see before Christmas.

It wouldn't be too bad if not for photos, especially this time of year.

I hate this too. I think shoes should focus on just one or two events per term rather lots of requests. And it should always be clear that it's not compulsory if you really don't have the funds. It is true that the schoool photos are optional but sometimes the price is ridiculous, especially if you only want 1 or 2 pics and there is still a lot of pressure for people to buy them :(

Everything on that list is for you or your child, even if it's nt directly for your child, if it benefits the school then it benefits the children.

I don't think schools think that parents are made of money, but I do think they rightly believe parents should contribute to things the school needs.

It amazes me that so many parents get cross with schools making requests. The teachers and members of the PTA don't ask for the good of their health FFS. They do it because your children benefit!

I don't know what planet they are on with a henna a thon though. Kind of makes a mockery of the rules about no nail varnish etc, and some child is bound to have an allergic reaction and have their parents in the school complaining.

I must admit it is more expensive than I realised. It will be £12 for dh and I to see the two showings if his nativity

Yanbu, as others say some of it optional but ds's school seem to think they're some sort of charity and have walls covered in all their fundraising certificates. They do at least 2 charity events per month which involves donations, fancy dress etc. Then there's their own fundraising on top of that. I am sick of it already and ds is only in p1. The problem with opting out is your child ends up feeling left out as they're the only one that didn't get a band or whatever they get for their donations. So far this month there's been 2 charity days, one sponsored poetry recital, money for a theatre trip and school photos. I am a student sp and Christmas is round the corner. I don't think schools have any idea of the pressure they put on parents struggling financially.

No. Our school has a deliberate policy of being sensitive about what we ask for from parents.

We do CIN, and maybe one other charity fundraising thing per year. Totally optional.

I've never been pressured to have any of the rubbish photos. They do a thing where you can get Christmas cards designed by your child, but again it is optional.

We have 1summer fair to raise funds for school. That is it.

I didn't buy the photos again this year. Rubbish photography - they were all at silly angles with top of their heads cut off.

They word it very nicely in our school. I think because they ask so kindly I can't say no.
I do feel chuffed that I was part of helping to fix the hall roof.

I'm with you OP. Eldest is in reception. Having run the gamut of school photos, harvest festival, Christmas shoeboxes, poppy appeal and children in need, now we have a request for £10 towards school theatre trip - this wasn't even on my radar!