to think that 4 sets of footwear for school is excessive??

[NighteyesLovesGingerbread]

DC1 obviously has a set of school shoes - these cost a fortune to get ones that stand up to the wear and tear.

They also need a pair of trainers for their PE kit, which is used once a week but must be in school all week, just in case.

they also need a pair of boots for when they go out on the field for forest school, which is used once a week but must be in school all week, just in case.

Now the school have said we need to provide 'flip flops or similar' with their swimming kit to walk from class to the pool (onsite). They swim once a week and guess what? the kit must be in school all week, just in case.

so I have to play for a duplicate set of boots, trainers and sandals which are worn for a maximum of an hour once a week (about 4 minutes in the case of the sandals) and because apparently we cant be trusted to send kit in on the right day it has to sit there all week.

AIBU to think that this is excessive? that surely they can use any of their school shoes/boots/PE trainers to walk to the pool? I feel I may as well just pay my salary into the school account!

[NighteyesLovesGingerbread]

guess I just have to accept it as part of the ridiculous costs of school! think it was a bit of the straw that broke the camel today as I've just paid for a far too expensive trip as well. it's just the knowledge that they wont be used for more than an hour a week.

another mum has just pointed out to me that I wouldn't want their decent boots/sandals in anyway in case they grew legs and wandered off, which is a good point I suppose.

grump.

[DecaffCoffeeAndRollupsPlease]

If you can't afford the trip, speak to the school, they should still be able to go with you offering a donation of what you can afford even if it's not the full amount requested. If they don't let you do this, I'm sure they are breaking the law re children being allowed access to the same activities regardless of parents' ability to pay. Don't get yourself into financial difficulty over school trips. Or school uniform for that matter either, if it's a real financial difficulty, contact the council first, and if they can't help then ask SS, and if not, look for a charity to help.

[oldbrownboot]

could you ignore the rules and send them in on the day they're needed? I did that with DS's PE shoes for months (before finally getting round to getting a pair off ebay) and no one complained.

[BabyMurloc]

I buy the cheapest trainers I can find for PE at school. They live in PE bags all year (bar the odd outing home for washing each half term) along with pumps. The kids all have decent trainers at home.

When PE kit comes home for summer the trainers in it are usually used for all scruffy trainer breaking activities like tree climbing, stream fjording etc.

The smallest one has wellies at school as they go outside a LOT in FS including up to the forest school. If the older ones are doing forest school in bad weather we get asked the day before (via letter home and a text) to bring in boots.

Swimming is not ah hoc in anyway. They have lessons in blocks in specific years at specific times. I've never been asked to send flip flops.