Schools Demanding Money from Parents.

[caringcarer]

AIBU to think this primary school is going too far in expecting parents to cough up money. DS's special primary school has asked parents for £1.50 every week additional contribution, since January they have had 5 separate sponsored events which were carried out in school time so compulsory to participate even if child not sponsored, a singing assembly every child had to pay £2 to listen, an indoor fete, 5 coffee mornings with child, 2 book fairs, children had to pay to take part in Easter bonnet parade and World Book Day dressing up as character and to top it all 6, yes 6 separate non-uniform days where instead of sending in a pound they wanted a toy or a bottle and a Valentine Disco. I have probably missed some things there are just too many to keep track of. Oh yes and 4 trips away including 3 day residential. AIBU to think this school is asking parents for too much money to be sent in to school. It is hard to say no you won't sponsor child or let them dress up or they can't wear no school uniform. We can afford it but I know many families are really struggling. Are other schools asking for this many handouts by parents or is new head B bloody U?

DC told me 3 children in his class could not go on last local school trip because had not paid money to go. I thought their may be another reason they had not gone but no teacher told whole class the reason they were not going because they had not paid their money.

I'm fairly sure that that's straightforwardly against the law. Scroll down on the link, which is the guidance. A trip can be cancelled if not enough money is raised, but no child can be denied a place on one because the voluntary contribution isn't given. Schools have to make it clear that the contribution isn't compulsory and it is against the law to apply pressure.

As to the rest... cuts are only going to get worse. Sadly that's just what people are voting for right now, or at least enough of them.

This link shows the impact of projected cuts, school by school. It's exceptionally grim reading - several schools near us are going to have to lose teachers.

And then there's the proposed NHS cuts.

I'm a teacher and last year I spent over £150 on my class. A lot of that was on basics like pencils. This year I have decided I can't keep doing it. I did donate £200 to the school my DC attend (along with all the normal raffles, fetes etc.) because I know how hard up they are.

In my school if children don't pay the whole trip has to be cancelled (unless those children are pupil premium). In some classes the parents have paid an extra £1 each to cover the costs of the non-payers just so the trip can go ahead.

You are very lucky if you are not yet feeling the squeeze at your school.

We have an optional contribution of £30/term/child for trips and events. The rest is usually charity-related.

Write to the head / governors. Explain that you do understand how sponsorship works, however you are not happy to allow your child to ask others for sponsorship. Suggest what you would prefer them to do instead.
I was happy my primary dc went to a disco, it was after school hours, so not compulsory, and, as she was a late joiner, it gave her a chance to socialise with different children. The rest feels like extortion. I can afford it, but families in the area where I work often cannot. I should be, and am, riled about the disparity between rich and poor, as this will increase the gap. I also get riled because it feels a bit sales-persony (like the chancers who come to your door and do the hard sell) whereas Id be happier if they were just asking for money. I need to get over myself with that though.

It does make me cringe if that's the right word to think how some parents would struggle and go without something to end up with a jar full of clips and bobbles for a fiver on top filling a jar themselves but I can see why schools are desperate. I'd rather just pay a Contribution parent to school rather than having to faff around and end up with shit and ultimately some children noticeably being left out possibly leading to being bullied or even some teachers pressuring the kids for money which I've seen a few threads about recently.

I'm with the OP. Yes, budgets are tight at school, but so are lots of budgets at home.
I think it is very bad for schools to question children about their family's contribution or apply pressure to a family by making a child feel bad.
I would contact the school and tell them that some of their actions are unethical and they are not to discuss fubdraising with my child, going forward.

I would also be terribly unhappy if the school ever questioned my DDs about our contribution / involvement in fund raising. We do our bit but don't do everything (for various reasons, not all budget related). My expectation is that it should be anonymous (although if we don't turn up for an event I guess thats obvious). If this ever happened I would definately complain and expect that it wouldn't happen again.

I can see both sides. I do think it's hard on some families (and your school sounds like it has been particularly pushy in a way that doesn't sound appropriate) but as a teacher I see the funding issues. I teach secondary school and we are currently teaching a new gcse specification with textbooks from fifteen years ago and a limited printing budget. It's bloody hard! I think unfortunately under this government more schools will be requiring parental contributions to keep going with the basics.

Sleep one day I have checked out that link on school cuts and although schools all around it are losing funding of around 6-8% the school he attends is not losing any money. Well it does not have £ sign with -X% against it. I think it may be protected budget because its a special school.

Are you sure you are correct about the children not going on the trip because of non-payment? Some people may just have opted out because the couldn't pay (which also sad). It isn't legal to not allow the children to go if they haven't paid unless their parents have said they don't want them to go. As for the residential trips, the pupil premium children probably do get a subsidy but you may not be told about it.

I have checked out school my niece goes to and her school will be losing 11%. OMG I knew some schools were going to be having cuts but I did not realise it was this much. I will be letting my DS know tomorrow.

Soimpressed That is what DC came home and told me and he is usually very reliable with repeating things literally word for word because of his condition.

I would suggest everyone looks at the link sleeponeday put up to see exactly how much their child's school will be loosing. It is scary. I am assuming it will be from next April. Does anyone know for certain the date when these cuts come in?

I am amazed that you are a teacher yet are unaware of the huge cuts schools are facing. Do your Slt not discuss this with you at staff meetings, has your sbm/bursar not spoken to you about tightening your budget for this year?

Caringcarer. Special Schools do get more money from LEAs than Mainstream but the money doesn't cover the additional requirements. In the SEN school I work at some of our young people require 1:1 staffing or even 2:1 to ensure that they, other people and also staff remain safe. The school will provide this staffing but the lea will probably not fund it. If the school didn't pay for it certain young people would not be able to access this education. I am forever paying out of my pocket for resources and never claiming back.

The money is available if they budgeted and didn't give the tax breaks to huge corporations and the very wealthy.

It is a desperate situation and one that teachers should not be put in, they need to focus on the job they are there to do and in the school my kids go to they are continually through the guise of the ptfa asking for cash, I don't begrudge giving it I just think this whole situation is wrong and more irritatingly when I expressed this on social media I was asked to not associate politics with the ptfa by a few Tories at the school who didnt like me highlighting what was going on informing people and asking them to consider voting for a party that didn't want to destroy public services.

I think often events just get added on and none dropped. Ours do similar. But it's often for charity not for the school. So with out pros I don't even think it's a money thing. It's not the money with me, rather the continual stream of wear stripes, come in pjs , bring X,y z, dress up for book day, dress as an animal, wear red, wear sports gear, bring wellies, seriously, can't they just learn to add up in uniform? I have a continual fear of sending my child wearing the wrong thing and go to school with much trepidation each morning in case I missed the memo!

Our school has a full on PTA who are always fundraising. I know that our school was hit hard with funding cuts. My only issue I have is I know that a lot of the money raised is wasted. We are constantly inundated with emails regarding money and cake/lolly sales, mufti days etc. Funny because if there is a really important meeting taking place at school we don't get any emails or reminders but get about 20 reminder emails about a cake sale!

I don't know when they come in but our budget for next year is so bad that we have no money for supply teachers, no money for professional development for teachers (unless it is free or compulsory), no money for repairs to anything major like laptops or smartboards, no money to replace furniture, no trips can take place unless all pay (except pp). We can get by on the reserves we have this year but if things are as bad next year what will our school look like? Redundancies are the only alternative.

I think it is cheeky for schools to keep demanding money like this. I'd complain to your local authority if they get too grabby. They should be reined in.

No honestly at my school there are notices about on photocopiers to print two sided to save paper but we are about to teach new specifications next September and we have recently been told to send in our orders for new text books. No one has said one between two or anything like that. No one wastes resources but we have not been told to cut back on them either. I always buy some of my own resources like mini whiteboards etc. anyway because that way I get exactly what I want and if they are different from school ones no one tends to take them. We have only had 1% pay rise but that is because of national agreement/paycap. we have same number of TA they have not been cut yet. So no I have not really noticed cuts in my secondary school. I just focus on my teaching kids, getting in regualar homework and keeping on top of paperwork.

Yabu. Presumably the money not being put towards the teachers champagne fund but crucial equipment and school trips?

"I'd complain to your local authority if they get too grabby."

Most schools are not LA controlled anymore. Most are academies, often under control of multi academy trusts with no democratic accountability. The state education system is being dismantled.

Either way writing to the head is a more effective way of sorting those cheeky teachers unreasonable desire for stuff like pens and paper.

"So no I have not really noticed cuts in my secondary school"

Bloody hell, you are incredibly lucky. I have not heard another teacher say this in the last few years.