To Think I Shouldn't Pay Full Whack for 'Educational' School Trips?

[JoffreyBaratheon]

On the breadline, here. Minimum wage, tax credits, 5 kids only 2 still at home the rest are adults. Xmas coming; this very week have had to pay for husband's work do, colleague bday contribution - even £15 down is enough to turn into a tailspin for us and we have somehow had to find and put aside a small amount of cash for our teenagers' xmas present.

Now I just have had a call from my kids' high school 'finance officer' (wtf?) insisting we pay £30 for a school trip that is happening in March.

I said due to our circumstances, I can only pay some of it now and some later.

Pisses me off because I used to teach in the inner city and if a parent couldn't afford to pay for a trip, I'd turn a blind eye, tip the secretary the wink, and so long as the forms were signed, the child came along. I wanted to pay only £10 now but after some argy bargy, she pressurised me into £15. On the twatty Parentpay website, so she said she would go into the site at her end and adjust the amount (she hasn't - but I know it is a primitive and badly designed site so maybe they can't?) She said even if I pay £15 now I have to pay the rest in January.

She caught me on the back foot - I was busy and had no idea who she was or why she was phoning.

Now I am starting to feel royally pissed off. Are educational school trips still not free or reduced for the poor, then? How the fuck I am supposed to find £30 not only christmas month but with one boy needing new shoes, them both needing hair cuts etc etc.

If schools can afford to employ 'finance' people they can afford to cover shortfalls on trips, no?

Or is it me being the dick? It's a long time since I was a teacher but I did everything in my power for every child in my class to be a part of every trip and with zero humiliation for parents. I handled it myself (no 'finance officers') and I handled it kindly and discreetly.

Or do we now have to pay for educational trips in full regardless of circs? What happened to that voluntary contribution thing?

I've just been asked to pay £60 deposit for school trip that doesn't happen until next September.

I cant afford it - £350 for 4 days 'bonding' with the other primary kids from the 5 other Primaries that all feed into the same Secondary.
It is during term time and is clearly part of their 'transition' to Secondary.

2 kids couldn't afford it this year. They got left behind and spent the 4 days 'reading with the little ones'

If schools can afford to employ 'finance' people they can afford to cover shortfalls on trips, no?

Frankly, no. Schools are accountable for every penny they spend. Somebody has to keep track of this. Hence finance people. Some schools have a small fund to cover those who can't afford to (or choose not to) pay the voluntary contribution, but in most instances the trip simply won't go ahead if not enough parents pay.

I handled it myself (no 'finance officers') and I handled it kindly and discreetly.

You had more time (or less classes) than many teachers in secondary schools then. I personally hand this stuff off to office staff because they can do it, whereas they can't mark my yr13 homework.

I'd turn a blind eye, tip the secretary the wink, and so long as the forms were signed, the child came along.

Did you document this, or where you just spending school funds willy-nilly without having to justify it?

I had a bit of sympathy because I was often the kid in class who's parents couldn't afford stuff. It was crap. But, tbh, your OP seems to be about the fact that you were much better than the teachers who continued in the job after you left.

It is not the school's fault you prioritised your DH's Christmas do over paying for a school trip.

I'm also wondering why you (plural your dh also responsible for the running of your house of course) didn't check when payment was due and budget accordingly? Including if necessary dh not going to his do or contributing to colleagues birthday gift.

I'm on a very tight budget surely it's a question of organisation and priorities.

Is the trip essential to child's schoolwork?

However I'd also question whether certain school trips are essential. Especially where costs are high.

Go and speak to the head or deputy head (whichever is most approachable). Staff know key pupils who are financially struggling so automatically help them but they may not be aware you are struggling at the moment. They're not obliged to help but most schools will if approached. Don't go in demanding they pay just say I know this trip is coming up but I don't have £30 so it would mean me not eating in order to afford it, is there anything school can do on this occasion?
I have 3dc and constantly get asked for money. Nativity tickets to see my own dc in 3 different shows have cost me £15. I think school tends to ask and it's up to you to say when it's too much.
FSM isn't given to dc on a certain level of tax credits as tax credits should cover food (was the argument I was told when I worked in a school).

I didn't have more time, Jessicas. I taught at the time when we had class sizes of 35, no TAs and, at that time as a primary teacher, ZERO non contact time. Yes, none. Ever. Not an hour. I worked through y lunch times and every break time as did many colleagues. And at that time, we handled the money for trips as well then liaised with the office staff (usually one, lone secretary running large schools singlehanded, maybe with a part timer to help). We had less time, if anything. I'd have thought long and hard about any trip costing £30 and I would have known, at the time I planned and organised it - which I did entirely myself, phoning the places visited, booking the buses, etc - that realistically even at £5 a head, I'd have had several parents who simply couldn't pay. I'd have to deal with organising the entire thing, handling the money til it got to the office, non payers, etc, all myself and I was trained at college to do this and not to rely on admin staff or anyone else.

I would think most secondary teachers have some non contact time; no matter how often there are incursions onto it, it would at least exist.

I have had to ring again - she couldn't set up the Parentpay to take a different amount but now seems to have figured it.

Whatever my husband arranged, it was with someone in the office - who couldn't figure out how to change the Parentpay, either - then forgot to pass the message on, it appears. He was given no deadline.

Secondary schools have budgets of millions of pounds. Do you really not think they need qualified Finance staff to manage that?

Don't pay for work do and colleagues present for a start!! If money is so tight then these are easy things to give up (I didn't go to my work so this year and opt out of birthday gifts at work).

I run Guides and on every letter asking for money, I stress that people can speak to any leader in confidence if they are struggling. We have reduced charges for families in some cases, especially with siblings both attending. We also allow them to spread costs out more. We're lucky that we can afford to subsidise because we want to be inclusive and the ones who struggle to pay are generally the ones who would most benefit.

Not sure how qualified she is if she's using tactics that seem to skirt so close to the wind, tbh.

obviously they need more people like you then OP - at "I'd turn a blind eye, tip the secretary the wink, and so long as the forms were signed, the child came along."

Notme he had already paid out for both. Personally, I think a work do that you have to chip in for, for folk on minimum wage is a bloody insult. But that's a whole other story.

Can your dp not remember what arrangement he made?

"Minimum wage, tax credits, 5 kids, but only 2 at home" so 2 kids you have to support then if the other 3 dont live at home any more?

Why shouldn't you pay 'full whack'? what makes you so special? Other people have to, yes, those on low wages too, you dont get to decide how much you pay -

"he would have been embarrassed in front of everyone and told he wasn't going if I don't pay something today." you know this for a fact!?!

and, most 'work do's either paid for by the employee or not are actually optional - how much was it? more than the £15 your school is asking for?

I don't know how long ago you were a teacher but sadly, yes, things have changed and not necessarily for the better as you can see-we are categorically not allowed to organise trips completely ourselves-they all have to go through Finance/Senior Management (the paperwork and box ticking is diabolical!) and we are not allowed to turn a "blind eye/nudge nudge wink wink".
That said, yes there is provision for those that can't afford a trip. The school just need to know obviously, that you can't afford it and judging by your OP, there was some lee-way for you, once they found out.

Dealing with school trips - primary and secondary, is a whole different ball game now than it used to be-even from 5 years ago- mores the pity.
Please don't be angry with the trip organiser or support staff, but do communicate with them more. I appreciate that you were caught off the hop but I do feel the school has not BU in his instance.

I'd be angry with your dp to be honest. He didn't find out about the payment schedule and he's blown cash you don't seem to have on going out and someone else's birthday.

So rocket up his arse not the school staff's who are themselves probably being hassled by the venue who are threatening to cancel the booking if they don't pay the deposit.

Unicorn
You're being a bit nasty to the op.

iI disagree ihate

I'd be more angry with your husband for not saying 'NO' to the works do and birthday contribution. When money is tight, your stuff goes before your kids'.

Could you do some supply teaching for extra cash, or tutoring, babysitting or childminding?

OP, I do think you should have the chance to pay it in instalments if you're struggling rather than your child missing out. I'm a teacher and in my last school the pupils fundraiser over months so the cost of their big residential trip was far less for everyone so they could all go - it ended up being £50 for 5 days. We never made a child stay behind. Sometimes parents would put money in weeks after.

I am just being nosy now, but if you're a qualified teacher, could you not be back teaching/doing supply rather than working NMW - you'd be earning more?

That's what I thought keep
Maybe secondary, then op might have a little more understanding of the job.
Secondary teachers, depending on the subject, might teach several hundred students. You can't possibly expect them to know the financial circumstances of all of their families?

I'm also finding it very had to believe there was no deadline given. Easier to believe your husband was told and forgot/didn't tell you.

What is coming through here is a strong sense of 'we are hard up, therefore we shouldn't have to pay.' and no sense of trying to negotiate over payments.
But equally, why should the school have to subsidise your husband's work do and a colleagues birthday present?

You talk about 'doing everything in my power for every child in my class to be a part of every trip and with zero humiliation for parents'.

No, you simply neglected to ask for payment and the school paid, and more than likely the cost per head for the rest of the children was increased to pay for the non-contributors. It was so in my last school, until it became illegal to do this. Trips are cancelled instead.

The fact that the finance officer spoke to you personally sounds as though you have form for playing the system.

The fact that the finance officer spoke to you personally sounds as though you have form for playing the system.

Interesting point

You sound lovely OP. Admin lady sounds like a bitch. What sort of person is nasty to someone who is struggling to pay for a school trip?

And I think it is so horrible when schools leave kids behind. At my kids old primary there was a little kid in my DS's class being absolutely dragged up by hopeless druggy parents. The school made sure he went on the year six residential and had all the necessary clothes and gear. Apparently he loved it all, from the games and activities, to the hot showers and the cool young male teacher reading them The Hobbit in bed every night.