to think a voluntary contribution of £25 a month per child to dd's primary school is excessive?

[ineverthoughtidsaythis]

We're new to all this but they're talking about needing to keep class sizes at their current level (30) and improving the school's foyer. It's a great school and we're keen to support it in any way we can, and can afford the amount, but it's an affluent area and we just feel like they're being a bit cheeky...if everyone paid that amount they be £120k up.

You have to pay to go to the summer fayre??!!

I've never come across this, although I must admit I'd be delighted to pay a quid a week for DD to have a fridge in her classroom.

If we didn't pay our ds's "voluntary" contributions we got a letter reminding us....

I'm confused by the phrase

"...buying a £20 family ticket to the Summer Fayre"....

we just amble in.....

More than happy to pay if it kept class sizes down.
not entirely sure how it would-but if it does-yes!

I wouldn't pay it. I'd be paying £50 per month plus £10 per week for dinners. Until DS 3 is in school of course.

How exactly though does a new foyer keep class sizes down?!

I pay £15 pe ryear and that is enough!

OOOOO do some schools really hit up the parents for monthly contributions? Is it a private school wanting a "top up" on fees, or a state school that is technically free?
They couldn't do that here, they would be shredded. Last night we went to a meeting about DDs camping trip net month, and one poor teacher said something about suitable waterproofs being "only a tenner in Tesco, they're dead cheap" and at least half the parents there including me all gasped and went "CHEAP! A tenner? you buy them then!" type comments. At least he had the grace to look sheepish
I can only imagine what would happen if they tried to ask for money every month, let alone £25!

£20 for a family ticket to a school fair??????

That's fucking insane - we never, never have to pay anything like that for DN and DN2 in Scotland. Maybe kick in a fiver for a school trip now and again.

If you have to pay every month (and "voluntary" contributions aren't really voluntary, are they?) is it still a state school? A school you pay for your children to attend is a private school.

Our school has a voluntary contribution of £10 per term.

In reality it isn't "voluntary" at all as if you don't pay, they hit you for money for the school trip at the end of the year. Those who have paid don't have to pay for the trip.

It pisses me off.

My child also gets the Pupil Premium due to a stink on free school meals when I was out of work for a bit. Have never ever seen any kind of hint of anything from that.

£25 a month per child? That is crazy!

We pay next to nothing all year round. Dd is in a class of 24, the school provide fruit to all ks2 children daily. Work on the school grounds at present is being done in partnership with the residents association who are funding it and will be maintaining it in return for limited access out of school hours. Local supermarkets provide food for breakfast and after schools clubs in return for free advertising in school newsletter/ at school fair etc. The allotment is maintained by the people who use the other half free of charge. Flower beds and hanging baskets are filled by the over fifties club who are invited for Christmas dinner and have stalls at the school fair again free of charge. Day trips are funded by mufti days on the whole or with a nominal charge to parents. Parents, teachers and HT decorated the school hall and corridors when they were looking tired during the school holidays.
If the foyer is shabby school should speak to the council or maybe set up a taskforce like the HT did at dd's school.
I love dd's school and support them wholeheartedly but I wouldn't want to commit to £25 per month tbh.

This may be against the grain a bit, but if you are happy with the school and can afford it why not pay?

When dd starts primary school I would be very happy to help out.

No way I could afford that, absolutely out of the question and I'd go nuts at being asked. I might consider it annually if I had a really good set of reasons and concrete explanations on exactly what for and why, with proof of how it helped.

When I was teaching, no WAY would I have agreed with that. I used to get annoyed enough that the parents in my class were constantly being badgered for money for this and money for that and donations for this.

Wow! £25 a month is a lot. There is no way that could happen at my school.

I work in an infant school and even for enrichment (trips, etc) we are only allows to ask for up to £27-28 a year from parents. Anything above this wouldn't be permitted by the HT/Governors.

Does anyone know what the rules are regarding "voluntary" contributions for council-run nurseries in Scotland? My local council seem to charge a few pounds a week, to be paid to the nursery, with instructions on how and when it is to be paid. (These are the sort of nursery schools that are attached to primary schools.) Can they really do this?

Never heard of this! Am gobsmacked.

Is the £20 family entry fee to the school fair for an inflatable day? Some of our local schools do this. £5 a child and you get unlimited goes on the bouncy castles.

£25 a month per child for the school foyer is rather excessive. If it was for iPads or playground equipment I might be ok with £10 a month. Our voluntary contribution is £4 a term.

We absolutely categorically couldn't afford it. It wouldn't even be an option. I'd have to let them know that if 'reminded'.

But is it voluntary though? They say that but then hound you to pay whatever it is they're after money for.

No way would I be paying for the schools new foyer!
And you have to pay to go to the summer fayre?!

DD's school requested direct debit, saying average parental contribution was £6K/yr. Yes, £6000.

What's worse is that we couldn't see any evidence of the money anywhere: the fabric of the place is tired and worn, the teachers are not paid significantly better than other schools and class sizes are already too large for the age (26 in an A2 class...no.)

Their rationale was simple: DD is at a super selective senior school. The school feels that many parents would have sent their DDs to private school if they hadn't got at place at this school so why not hand over half of what you would have paid anyway.

I declined, politely. I'm happy to support at events and give my time for various activities they organise but handing over any cash at all (let alone £6K) without clear spending evidence/plans was never going to happen.

That's nothing. My dc school requests a volluntary contribution of more than £300 per term per child. Insane. I don't pay it off course (I can't afford it and I don't agree with it anyway).

Bloody cheek!
It's not on to pressurise people: the school has no idea about their finances.
YANBU.