to think if the letter says a voluntary contribution of £x then you don't HAVE to pay

[PMDD]

I have 3 children at the same primary school. Since coming back to school in January the school have asked me for a VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION of £14 for DD, £7.50 for DS1 and £5.00 for DS2 (school trips linked to their term topic). They have also asked for £1 for each child for 'arts week' and they have asked for £1 for each child for this Friday's mufti, which is followed by the school valentine disco of £2.50 per child.

That is £40!!!!

Other than mufti and the school disco, which they children don't have to do (although they will be very left out if they come in school uniform), the payment is voluntary. So would I be unreasonable to say that I will give them £5 per child for all the school activities.

I would like to add that my DS1 (year 6) and DS2 (year 4) are both going on school trips in May which cost £350 and £280 respectively, which I am paying £50 a month for since Sept last year!

Our school says something along lines of 'although contributions are voluntary, in reality there are no alternative funds available', so if parents don't pay, trip /activity will be cancelled. They also say to get in touch if payment is an issue. Unless you can't afford 40 quid, I would pay. Don't just pay a fiver each - where do you expect the school to magic up the rest of the money?!

£14, £7.50 and £5 are pretty reasonable for whole-class day trips. As someone said up-thread, coach costs are extortionate, and form the bulk of school trip costs.

If people don't all pay, the trip risks being cancelled.

If you don't receive Pupil Premium, could you look into this? Would you qualify?

I'd rather let my dc do school discos and day trips than longer residential trips. They are much more expensive if money is tight.

WhiskyTangoFoxtrot
"If it's a curriculum trip, then the school isn't permitted to ask for contributions."

That is why most trips are written as "would be of benefit"

At our secondary school the letters state that they ask for a voluntary contribution,but that the trip will not take place unless all parents pay! as there are no other funds available.

I wish primary school would make it that clear to understand, it would stop those who take it upon themselves to decide they are too special to pay just because they saw the word 'voluntary'.

If you can spare the money of course you should pay it. Ask for help from the school if you can't. But it's not right to expect others to cover the short fall because of principles.

The point is the OP chose to send both her DC in expensive trips. And now doesn't want to pay for anything else. If you can't afford it then you should have said no to the residential trips.

I don't pay the annual voluntary contributions, but I pay for school trips to museums etc.

DS1 & DS2 will not go on a skiing trip/residential trip though as they combined would be over £700.

just no.
we have 6 kids, #7 on the way and about to move and extend.
I just can't afford it
and I refuse to feel guilty about it. they have so much, they can miss things occasionally.

hth

I wish the voluntary bit would go too WooWoo, its not those that struggling that dont pay most times but those who believe everything should be provided for their children for free. Usually the same who spend money on new purchases/luxuries rather than pay for their childrens education to be enhanced.

I sent my mum in on the school run with £15 for similar, she announced at the office that she would like to 'pay' for the panto etc and was given a very loud, officious re-clarification that it was a donation only and not a required payment, despite a reminder letter about it!

We are not told if trips are curriculum or just for fun. However, the 3 trips are all relevant to the subjects they are doing this term.

On the basis I have paid £250 already towards the school trips for the boys in May, I can't really cancel the big residentials now. But I didn't get the letters re the school trips (all for early Feb) until Friday.

I am in a minimum wage job, I can't afford to pay the £50 per month for the May residentials AND an additional £40. I could afford the school trips if I don't pay my DS2's Cubs subs and my DD Rainbows subs which are also due this month. But then they would have to give up their places and wouldn't get them back at all as there are such long waiting lists... All for 1 day trip each for the boys.

PMDD

IMHO, it's all about choices.

There's a family at the school my dc attend who are vocally adamant that they are definitely in the category for whom the voluntary nature of the donation means exactly that. They have 4 children in the school. They have twins plus 1 older child and 1 younger child so they chose to have 4 children.

Last year they got a puppy, not a rescue puppy, a pedigree puppy. I won't name the breed but they are not a cheap option and require regular on-going grooming plus there are all the vet's bills/food. They chose this lovely pet but naturally it reduces their spare disposable income.

They have spoken of various other pets too, more choices which reduce their disposable income.

Their kids all get pocket money to spend as they please, even the reception class aged child. More money which the parents have chosen not to use for school trips/contributions etc.

I am FB friends with a relative of the family and as a result am aware of the level of spending they choose to indulge in at Christmas.

The children have been known to have soft play parties, another, not inexpensive choice.

Mum has latest iphone.... I could go on and on about their spending choices. The simple fact is that they never budget for school related extras and let's face it they happen almost every term of every school year in some form or another. They opt out of paying for them because they prefer to spend their money on other less mundane things.

Meh, I'm coming across as bitchy, I know it. I'd never say anything but yes I'm afraid I do judge inwardly.

Speak to the school and see if you can agree a payment plan rather than include your children without paying. Its a little unfair to expect the school to subsidise you as you prefer to pay for out of school hobbies. That takes money away from the whole school out of the budget.

Cant the childrens father help (you only mention your wage) or you could use CB or CTC (which for three children on min wage would be high).

Lydia, I too have had the issue re voluntary contributions. When I paid the £30 for the DS2 swimming lessons and complained in the office that there were so many requests for money in January. They too said that the payments were voluntary.

PMDD - are you entitled to Free School Meals, or have you been entitled in the last 6 years? If so, your DC would be Pupil Premium pupils - ask the Head if any of the PP money is set aside for trips (it often is). In fact talk to the Head anyway - there may well be something they could do to help.

I also get annoyed about being asked for a "voluntary" contribution which is actually no such thing. I have no problem with paying for school trips but I think it's dishonest to pretend payment is optional.

But the op was also asked for a voluntary contribution for a mufti day. They can't make you pay for that, op. I also get a bit hmm about "voluntary contributions" towards art materials etc. I really think the school should be budgeting for that - our school is not short of money.

Even if you chose not to pay please remember to send the form in, giving permission (or not - again, whichever you chose) for your chidl to take part.

We have to chase the permission form as otherwise we cannot allow the child to take part.

As for payment... we hae to send the letter out with the whole voluntary thing on. However, reality is - if people don't pay then we can't afford to run the trip/event, so they don't go ahead.

We have a policy within school that we ask for no more than about £30 a year towards trips and enrichment activities. This does not include non uniform, sponsorship or charity days - those are entirely at people's discretion and we do nt note who hands money over or not for them. Same for bake/book sales, school discos (run by PTA here), etc.

Surely mufti days and discos after school are optional, if you dont way to pay then just wear uniform or go straight home from school. Lots dont stay for our disco's as they dont like the noise etc.

Schools have to say they are "voluntary" for trips given the LEA rules but trips are what the children look forward to and hands on experiences can make a huge difference in learning. If everybody had the OP's thought of simply not paying life at school would be be very different for children. Teachers cant win, organise trips and parents moan that they have to part with money and dont organise anything to be moaned at for being too formal.

Yanbu in thinking primary schools constantly ask for money, costumes etc etc

However you chose to have 3 children and children cost money - you need to choose what you can and can't afford

Yabu to take the term "voluntary" literally - my ds is in year 3 and NEVER had a school trip as so many parents take "voluntary" as meaning "if we don't bother someone else will subsidise my dc"

I'm afraid it is one if those things you just have to suck up - although if you genuinely can't afford to pay them speak to the head teacher - individual teachers don't always see the whole picture whereas the head might.

By 'arts week' do you mean a week where the children don't do normal lessons, and instead have various artists in to do workshops with the children, plus the children go out to visit other schools and so activities there? If so, £1 seems good value!

I'd be tempted to not pay the mufti, as funds from that tend to go to the PTA or similar rather than directly to the school. Likewise, school discos tend to be for the PTA and as they're out of school time, you could just not send your kids. And then pay as much as you can towards the trips.

However, if you are in a minimum wage job with no other income you should be entitled to some help! And if you have other income such as the children's dad, can't he contribute towards the trips?

"Its a little unfair to expect the school to subsidise you as you prefer to pay for out of school hobbies. That takes money away from the whole school out of the budget."

This is totally untrue. Nothing the OP does takes money from the school budget. The OP is totally within her rights to spend her money on cubs. Parents on low income should not feel under obligation to give up normal family activities so that everyone in a school can go on a trip the school cannot afford but which no one has consulted her on. That is the point of an educational system that is free at the point of service and a principle enshrined in law.

It seems a bit thoughtless of the school to have so many trips with a cost attached in January. My DD is on a trip this week but the cost is being covered by the PTA, other trips have been subsidised from the school fund to keep costs down. The school is nearly 50%fsm, and most of the rest of us are nearly as skint so the pressure is there to keep costs down. OP, the office staff will toe the official line, so have you spoken to the parent governors? If lots of parents are telling them that the cost of trips is an issue changes will be made.
Personally I would prefer to be asked for a budgetable termly donation than have trip letters sprung on me in the wrong week.

Missmayhemsmum- but then you would have parents complaining because they can't see the benefit their child is getting from the donation that term, or they think it is going on basic stuff like books and pencils.

Here's an idea- why not take your budget able termly donation and pop it in the bank/piggy bank/under your mattress. Then, when a trip letter arrives, you'll have the cash handy to pay for it.

With 50% fsm, I would imagine a lot of subsidy comes from pupil premium money so your school is slightly better off than most in that respect. The pupil premium money is to be spent in a way that benefits children on FSM- but if they can show trips wouldn't go ahead if not subsidised then subsidising trips mean that fsm children can benefit from them.

And it's all well and good having the PTA fund things, but where do the PTA get their money from? Too much fundraising from them means you have parents complaining about being asked to find yet another 50p for the cake sale, or £1 for mufti, or £2.50 for a disco...

I think you need to communicate with the school.

Some trips are part of the curriculum and a term's lessons will be based on that trip. These trips are funded by parents, but it is up to the school to ensure that they are affordable/all children can be accommodated. On the other hand if parents don't subsidise the trips they don't happen. If you are finding this difficult you need to talk to the school.

Some trips are stand alone and it isn't expected that everybody will be able to go - some children just aren't interested, and some families choose to spend the money on something else (whether that is food and heating or a family holiday).

Other activities are organised by the PTA, and I think the school needs to keep a handle on what they are doing and ensure that pricing is reasonable and that children they are trying to help aren't being excluded. On the other hand, PTA funds are often used to make up the difference when families are unable to pay for school trips and they have to make the money somehow.

Some trips and activities aren't really that necessary and are just a result of somebody saying yes rather than thinking things through.