Snack money

[mummyrabbitpeppapig]

Child age4.Nursery ( attached to school so not private ) school uses parent pay to pay for school meals etc. Logged in today to pay for breakfast club. Saw outstanding balance of £40 for snack money. Googled and found on NHS website snack ( picevof fruit ) is free for 4-6 year Olds. When I queried this with school they said they use ' snack money ' to help pay for other resources eg baking ingredients. OH says as school are requesting it as ' snack money' I shouldn't pay it- opinions?

We're in Scotland so different I think but when my kids were in pre-school (state funded, attached to the school) we paid for snacks - this also included ingredients for baking. I can't remember how much it was £10-£20 per term I think - they just went for their free session so 3 hrs per day.

Dd is same age, we pay £10 a term but it's voluntary and a range of snacks, not just fruit. £40 does seem a bit much as I'm sure some parents would struggle to find it.

Ds is 3.5 in morning sessions and we pay £1 per week snack money then anything they have made get sold to patents which i guess covers costs. I agree with pp £40 seems a bit excessive

For our local school-attached nursery, we pay 50p a week nursery fund to cover things like baking. The children put this into a novelty money box on a Monday, so there isn't a record of who's paid, it's based on honesty. The children all take a piece of fruit each day that's cut up and shared at snack time.

Er - like anything that is not curriculum based this should be a voluntary contribution

It's cheeky as fuck to put it on parent pay as a "bill"

£40 is a lot for one term whatever way you look at it.

The nursery should be clear and transparent about what it is asking for money for.

So many ishoos.

OP only pay it if you can afford it.

We used to have 'pound Friday' where the teachers had a plastic cup in their hands by the door on a Friday morning and the idea was to put a pound in if you could afford it, some couldn't so it stopped them feeling pressured, I am okay financially so I would put extra in because I knew that the teachers would make up any shortfall from their own pockets. It worked quite well.

They should have told you about it rather than sending a bill.

But if you don't pay it, then I guess the teachers have to, and that isn't right.

I'd pay it, in increments if need be, as after all its benefited my child.

My dc's school does snack for £10 a term ( not a half term but the full term so almost 12 weeks). The cost covers baking and they get wraps, sandwiches, toast and fresh fruits and veg everyday. Then they get the free school milk and fruit when it's story time at the end of the day.

pay it its not a not considering how much you get in terms of Child Tax Credit and child benefit