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AIBU?

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Original poster

Is this school normal?

81 replies

pinkiepie1 · 19/12/2018 21:38

Does anyone else's primary school charge to see their childrens concerts?

DD is 5 and had her Xmas concert. The teacher has her favourites so they were in the play while 12 other 5-6 year olds were just sat quietly shoved in a corner.

It doesn't bother me too much about the favourites, this is about the fact we had to pay for tickets to see our dd sit on the floor for 40 minutes.

Then we got offered to buy her work.
I felt like a bad parent but I didn't buy half of her stuff.

Is this just the norm now? Or is dd school just trying to get as much money as they can?

OP posts:
LoniceraJaponica · 19/12/2018 23:45

I agree with Fatasfook. Schools are on their knees financially. They needs to raise funds in any way they can.

HopeGarden · 19/12/2018 23:50

The Christmas shows at my DC’s school are free to attend.
We can also buy a DVD of the show for ~ £15 per DVD, and there was a sweetie raffle after the afternoon show.

My concern about changing for entry to school performances would be what if some parents can’t afford it.

BackforGood · 20/12/2018 00:01

That's what I was thinking Becles Hmm

Original poster
pinkiepie1 · 20/12/2018 00:01

But I'm not just on about school plays, When I say the same the same children get picked all the time, I mean about all aspects of schooling, ringing the bell (big deal apparently)
Greeting the parents and taking money for jumper day
Having there name bigger than the rest on school calendar.
Get to choose the class reading book
These things are a big deal to my 5 year old
And they are things my daughter asks me why she never gets picked.

But with the whole Xmas concert my dd not having any main part is fine, if it was OK with her.
But I can see why she is picking up on the favourites being chosen all the time even if she didn't want to do it.

But thanks for the insight on what school productions cost I had no idea. And at least i know that it is the norm for most schools.

OP posts:
brizzledrizzle · 20/12/2018 00:06

£2 and it goes to a charity suggest by the school council. It's a local children's cancer charity this year.

sallysummer · 20/12/2018 00:12

overtime payments for TAs who stay with a child who has 1:1 support,

I've never known a ta get paid overtime!

llangennith · 20/12/2018 00:15

Six primary schools in our area. All stick to the same format. No charge for tickets. Every child is on the stage during their class's performance. No collection and no donations asked for. All fund-raising is done by the PTA and we generally raise about £10k p.a.
No school has more than 350 pupils.

Boatsnack3 · 20/12/2018 00:25

Our school charge for drama club performances but not class shows. Only P1 and nursery do a nativity the other classes just do an assembly on the last day parents can attend assembly every week if they want to but I tend to only make the effort for end of term.

All of the children who want to be on stage would be and usually they pick from a hat who gets the speaking parts. I assume that only the children who want to speak have their names added though.

PoutySprout · 20/12/2018 00:26

We can also buy a DVD of the show for ~ £15 per DVD

Wow! We’ve never charged more than £3.50!

PoutySprout · 20/12/2018 00:28

All fund-raising is done by the PTA and we generally raise about £10k p.a

How? We have around 250 pupils and £4K a year is a bumper year.

HopeGarden · 20/12/2018 08:46

PoutySprout yes, it’s an expensive DVD! We still bought one though, DH couldn’t get off work to see the actual performance.

The school send out pre-ordering forms, payment in advance, presumably so they don’t end up with stacks of unsold ones. They’ve had plenty of parents choosing to buy a DVD, judging by the piles of them I saw in the school office when I stopped in to drop off a form the other day.

PoutySprout · 20/12/2018 08:58

Presumably a company does that for them?

We do it ourselves. I’ve filmed 13 performances of 3 different shows. I’ll edit them over Xmas and then parents will be able to order in January. There’s no way I could turn that around before Xmas.

HopeGarden · 20/12/2018 09:02

Not sure how they organise the filming and production.
But they film a dress rehearsal rather than the actual performance to parents, which probably helps with the turn around time.

Racecardriver · 20/12/2018 09:03

Ours didn’t and provided costumes (we were asked to provide leggings and a top to go underneath). But we pay very high fees and the costumes are reused every year and the performance took place in the school hall. If it was a cash strapped state school or they had to hire a hall/buy costumes etc I wouldn’t begrudge being asked to pay.

Malbecfan · 20/12/2018 09:19

To the person who moaned about paying £5 for a school concert, that's what we charge. It cost us over £300 to hire the music and performing rights for ONE piece we performed last month. Granted this included around 100 students, but it only lasted around 15 minutes. I could earn £75-£100 for playing/directing in it but I never charge a penny because I work there. Even music which is freely available incurs photocopying/printing costs and the entrance fee helps to cover this plus additional costs for care-taking.

Tonight I have my first concert in a primary school. I have put together the programme, trained 175 children to sing/play a number of different songs/pieces, prepared my own backing tracks for the majority of these (generally each one takes me 2-3 hours), arranged and printed music for 2 groups and will play the piano for a couple of numbers, which because it's not my main instrument is a big deal for me. The school cannot afford to give me a laptop or tablet so everything I need is on my own iPad. I will earn precisely nothing more than my normal salary for this. It's grossly insulting to suggest that entrance money pays for teacher drinks; FFS a cup of tea would be really nice, but I can dream... No doubt some parents will moan that their little precious isn't standing at the front, or doesn't have a solo. Perhaps they could do their bit and ensure darling child can sit still for more than a nano-second, can listen to more than 2 words in a row and can follow a simple instruction. Don't get me wrong, I teach some wonderful kids in each place but there is a sizeable minority of parents who seem to think they can call the shots without taking on any responsibility,

I accept this is quite harsh but I am absolutely exhausted from 3 days of rehearsals or concerts (4 yesterday) and still another 3 to go before Christmas. If you don't like the way the production is managed at your kid's school, offer to take it on yourself next year. Staff would be ecstatic.

Odoreida · 20/12/2018 09:20

At my state primary every child gets to say a (little) line in every assembly and play for the whole of key stage 1. If there is a really talented or confident child they'll have a longer line or a song but it is a total group effort. Would be sad if it wasn't! No charge for nativity shows here, would definitely not be possible for some of the parents.

Odoreida · 20/12/2018 09:27

But looking at your message @Malbecfan it is definitely a less impressive operation. Hope your season is going ok - I am also a musician and know how much well-paid work you must be missing out on, that's tough.

Allthewaves · 20/12/2018 09:29

Yes ours does. Raises money for school equipment.

Thisonewilldo · 20/12/2018 09:35

£2.50 a ticket plus £1 for programme then there are raffle tickets and the parent council flogging calendars or various other stuff.

SumitosIsMyWall · 20/12/2018 09:39

My daughter's school doesn't charge for attendance, but they do have a donation bucket on your way out staffed by charming year 6 children with big smiles and Christmas jumpers.

I don't mind that, it's helping towards funds that the school use to educate my child but it also doesn't add unnecessary financial pressure on families this close to Christmas. Some people throw in notes, others throw in coppers but it all goes to the school.

StrumpersPlunkett · 20/12/2018 09:52

These things are a big deal to my 5 year old
And they are things my daughter asks me why she never gets picked.

In our yr 1 class the children are chosen in rotation for jobs it is 30 school days for one child to wait for their next turn.

That can feel like forever but it is in fact the only way we can make sure it is fair.

CatLadyToddlerMother · 20/12/2018 09:57

DDs nursery ask for a donation, most people put 50p in with 28 children and at least 2 people each watching that's £28.

It pays the school for the hire of the hall to put the show on and anything left over goes to the Nursery to pay for new toys or a new bus etc.

MutantDisco · 20/12/2018 10:42

I teach music in a secondary school, I put on lots of concerts and productions with older children.

I know a Y1 nativity looks like no effort and involvement but it is like HERDING CATS. Kids have no sense of being on stage, they are nose picking and costume fiddling left right and centre. They don't really know what's going on. If a kid can say his/her lines at vaguely the right time, or do a bit of movement, they will be out front and centre.

I'm sorry it looks like favourites but it's actually damage limitation (in the nicest possible way!)

hibbledibble · 20/12/2018 10:49

It's normal.

Our school doesn't charge for tickets, but does ask for donations.

There just isn't a school budget for the production costs.

CloudPop · 20/12/2018 11:43

Year 1 - all the children should be performing in some shape or form. Yes that's a challenge but any dents teacher would work something out.