been back at school four days...money requests already started

[coffeeisnectar]

Dd brought home a letter about swimming lessons (which run 30 mins past school finish time) and they are requesting 13.50 to cover "costs". Her old school also did swimming lessons and they were free despite having to mini bus the kids there. At this school it's a five minute walk. I'm not sure what's these costs are.

Went onto parent pay and found two items to be paid for. 12 for art and craft materials. And 195 for music tuition.

They have a three day residential in November costing another 175.

This is just your average state school. Dd is 9. Aibu to think it's taking the kids??

We are on benefits, the school effectively want three weeks income from me in the next month!!

[windypolar]

windy the bulk of it is "bloody free" because we have a democratic state that has passed laws saying it should all be free at the point of service.

Well for those of us who haven't availed themselves of this free offer until now, it's still a novelty (or perhaps you just didn't read my post properly)

[JoffreyBaratheon]

Nope, hibble - he's not taking history. As I say, school nearly went into special measures - it's not a wealthy area - if they're going to do one mega expensive trip abroad, surely it should be relevant to their modern languages (as it was in the past at this school).

Even if it did have some kinda relevance, I'd not be able to afford it. One of my mates is Polish - he flies home all the time, it's so cheap. (Like when he needs to go to the dentist, etc). So the high cost is inexplicable, too...

I have another friend who taught in a well known private school and one of the 'perks' of her job was getting to go on the truly exotic (and slightly ridiculous) trips abroad. She said if the parents had even the slightest clue what the girls got up to on these 'educational' visits, they'd be horrified.

Talking of buying stuff as a teacher... I worked for the biggest LEA in the UK. So you'd think they had money. On my first job out of college (so I was in overdraft and would have to wait a while for my first payday), I had to rush out and buy chalk (before smartboards) and pencils for the kids. As I had a 'teacher training' day and looking in my new classroom realised there wasn't even basic stuff like that. Such basic stuff and the LEA (Birmingham - let's name and shame) hadn't even bothered to provide it.

[Mistigri]

Do UK schools not have to demonstrate educational benefit and value for money when organising trips?!

My DD has done two trips with her French school in the last 2 years, one to Italy with the Latin class (visited Rome and Pompeii) and a 10 day exchange with a school in Madrid. The Italy trip cost us about 250?? for 6 days and the Madrid one, 100?? (they travelled on megabus, overnight, and stayed with local families)!

[Mistigri]

?? should be euros! But even in pounds it would have been good value.