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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU - School Fund - Standing Order Request???

76 replies

louisawhitegenius · 27/06/2015 16:37

My dd is due to start Reception in Sept and hubby came home from intro meeting with a form requesting we donate to the school every month. They say that it provides 'extra provisions that are impossible within the limitations of their budget' Their suggested contribution is £15.00 per month PER CHILD! AIBU to say I've never heard of such a thing in my life?? Feel free to ostracise if I've been out of the loop so long that this is common practice!

OP posts:
sanfairyanne · 27/06/2015 21:00

we dont have school fairs or requests for money. my kids still do well at school and seem to enjoy it.

AdoraBell · 27/06/2015 21:13

We are also abroad and get the usual bake sale thing, quite frequent and raising money for specific items like a school trip, Fe, each time. Then there's whatever art materials they need for each month's art project, then a shared snack every 5 weeks or so. Also, text books, excerise books and all stationary supplies. On top of that there is, at our school, a £30 charge per pupil per year that covers things like salary for security guards and general maintenance plus a year end party for the class and gift for each pupil.

There is no illusion that any of this is voluntary. The only voluntary things are fund raising events in response to disasters like earthquakes/floods.

Each class has two parents who are elected to coordinate various things, in addition to the PTA, and if you haven't yet paid your £30 per child part of their "job" is make sure you do.

Having said all that, £15 per month sounds extortionate for the UK OP. I would be inclined to ask how it will be spent and then go from there. Obvs if you can't afford it don't stress over trying to pay it.

RooftopCat · 27/06/2015 21:16

A DD would be much easier but it would be a bit sad for the children to have no more Xmas fair, summer fair, discos, movie nights etc.

Stopandlook · 27/06/2015 21:32

I've never heard of this (we live a pretty middle class area) I don't think such a request would go down well although I'd happily pay it if it were needed to keep things 'naice' for the kids. Sad times though.

Starbrite00 · 27/06/2015 21:44

I've never herd of this.
My daughter is 9 and her school have a pta which I used to be a member of.
Extra funding comes from this, we do school fayres, ladies nights ect to raise funds.
I would be annoyed if I was asked to do a monthly donation too.

Mushypeasandchipstogo · 27/06/2015 22:06

All of the Grammar schools around here do this. Most parents opt in as they know that their DC are getting a good "free" education and they are not having to pay much more for Private Schools. I haven't heard of it in Primary schools though.

PatriciaHolm · 27/06/2015 22:13

There would be full scale rebellion here if there was no Summer Fair or Christmas Market! They are incredibly popular, the Summer one especially; we must get 800+ people turn up and we can never get rid of them at the end of the day...

We do have a School Fund, suggested at £5 a month, but only about 15% of families contribute. The funds are usually saved over time for a longer term project such as iPads, whereas the PTA funds are generally spent over a shorter time frame on things like play equipment.

cece · 27/06/2015 22:27

The DD is directly to the school.
The PTA still do their fundraising as that money goes to the PTA to spend on the school. Two separate budgets.

ShelaghTurner · 27/06/2015 22:34

£30 per child per year here and many reminder emails if you don't pay. Added to that, there are so many requests for the odd £1 that I kept losing track and now dd1 (yr2) just keeps a purse with a couple of quid in her school bag so she's prepared for all eventualities.

Starlightbright1 · 27/06/2015 22:45

No request for money here. I had never heard of it till mums net..

pitterpattar · 27/06/2015 23:50

It is pretty normal, and is a far smaller amount than I have heard of in some schools.

I think it's sad that parents don't want to contribute financially to their children's education. This is a small amount.

ToysRLuv · 27/06/2015 23:56

pitterpatter: Might be a small amout to you. Not for me!

sanfairyanne · 27/06/2015 23:58

i contribute financially thro my taxes. if i wanted private i would pay for it or live elsewhere

pitterpattar · 28/06/2015 00:00

Toys, in that case you could pay what you could afford.

San, sure we all pay taxes, but often schools need extra funds. I would far rather help financially than see the children go without.

MargotLovedTom · 28/06/2015 00:00

pitterpatter a small amount to you maybe but not to others. At one point I had three dc in the same school, so I would've been paying out 45 quid a month? Hardly peanuts.

Mypubesarestraight · 28/06/2015 00:05

The school I went to did this and my form tutor would write everyone's name on the board.

They wanted the lot up front in September.
She would cross it out as people paid.

Mine stayed on all year because my mum couldn't afford it.

Fatmomma99 · 28/06/2015 00:07

I read the thread whilst mentally composing my contribution. Quite a rant. I was up to about 5 paragraphs.

Then I read this by Sanfairy

i contribute financially thro my taxes. if i wanted private i would pay for it or live elsewhere

And that said it all. I must learn to be more pithy with my postings!

mommathatwearspink · 28/06/2015 00:10

DD attends a nursery at an independent school. They ask for a donation of £40 per term towards improving the schools buildings, etc. Although not compulsory, they do automatically add it to your invoice and you have to opt out if you wish.

OrangePeels · 28/06/2015 00:11

I think I would prefer it to the constant fund raising tbh! If they are find raising too then no way! £15 a month is quite a lot though. What are they proposing to spend it on? Is it a non fee paying school?

We live in a country where we have to privately educate and the fees are quite high. We also pay a fee of around £300 per year for educational extras (seriously, that's what is on the invoice) plus there is PTA fundraisers plus school trips. Almost every week it's £1 here and there for something. Drives me bonkers! I think I'd prefe them to be upfront about it!

reni1 · 28/06/2015 00:20

I would not do this. I like the fundraisers, it also allows to be generous if I care a lot about something and less so if I don't.

DialsMavis · 28/06/2015 00:51

I have never heard of this!
DS went to 2 primary schools in slightly deprived areas and 1 in a more affluent area. He now goes to secondary school in the more affluent area, where DD is about to start primary.

Friends DC go to school in areas with varying demographics but this is an alien concept, I would find the £ if I was asked, but would be sad if it replaced the fundraisers that DC enjoy (despite them being a ball ache). Where do those that are used to this live?

Tricycletops · 28/06/2015 06:22

Our headmaster used to approach parents that he suspected could afford private and ask if they would be wiling to donate some of the money they saved by living in the catchment of an outstanding school.

Shock That is unbelievable! What basis did he use for deciding who "could have afforded private"? I hope a decent chunk of the responses were "fuck off!"...

TheBreeze · 28/06/2015 06:36

They are obviously trying it on. There are always some that will pay, a bit like charities really, you give to what you want. I wouldn't, and would just ignore it.

Mistigri · 28/06/2015 06:57

We are talking about a state primary here?!

What next, fees?

SchwarzwalderKirschtorte · 28/06/2015 07:10

When my daughters were at school we were skint with no extra money for anything. We shopped with a calculator and strictly kept to the meal plan as once the bills were paid there was no more money until next payday. If the school had asked for a monetary donation the reply would have had to be "no" simple as that.

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